Tehachapi News TehachapiVisitorGuide.com

Tehachapi Hospital 115 West E Street

PO Box 1900 Tehachapi, CA 93581

661.823.3000 661.823.3079 - Fax

Tehachapi Hospital Rehabilitation Center

116 West F Street Tehachapi, CA 93561

661.823.3070 661.823.3090 - Fax

Tehachapi 105 West E Street

Tehachapi, CA 93561 661.823.3000

661.823.0235 - Fax

Mojave 2041 Belshaw Street Mojave, CA 93501

661.824.4511 661.824.2773 - Fax

California City 9350 North Loop Blvd

California City, CA 93505 760.373.1785

760.373.1786 - Fax

LOCATIONS TEHACHAPI FAMILY HEALTH CENTERS

Long before California becamea state, the mountain pass knowntoday as the Tehachapi Pass wasused by native people as animportant trade route and thepeople known as the Kawaiisu (orNwa in their own language) set-tled in the nearby valleys, perhapsaround 2,000 years ago.The pass is at the southern tip

of the Sierra Nevada and just tothe north of the Tehachapi Moun-tains. The Tehachapis are general-ly considered to be the northernedge of Southern California andthe mountains separate the south-land from the San Joaquin Valleyand that valley from the MojaveDesert.California Highway 58 carries

travelers through the pass and is amajor east-west corridor.Depending upon the directionyou are traveling, Tehachapi canbe considered a gateway to theSan Joaquin Valley and CentralCoast to the west and to theMojave Desert, Jawbone Canyon,Red Rock Canyon or the EasternSierra to the east. Although thereis no direct access, SequoiaNational Forest is to the north, asare the Kern Valley communitieswith recreational areas at LakeIsabella and along the mightyKern River.The City of Tehachapi is locat-

ed near the summit of the pass,alongside Highway 58. It is thecommercial hub of the GreaterTehachapi Area which comprisessome 275 square miles morethan 176,000 acres of ecologi-cal diversity. The mountains,canyons and valleys range fromaltitudes of 2,500 to 8,000 feet.The Tehachapis are considered tobe an important wildlife corridorand plant habitat bridge linkingSouthern California with the Sier-ra Nevada.The diverse plant communities

are especially apparent to the trav-eler. From the west, heading out ofBakersfield, the traveler will leavethe well-tended fields, orchards,

and citrus groves of the SanJoaquin Valley to travel throughoak woodlands and grasslands inthe foothills, then through theoak-gray pine belt to arrive at thesummit where the Tehachapi Val-ley spreads out with the peaks ofthe pine-forested Tehachapis tothe south. Elevation gain is about3,600 feet over about a 40-miledrive.Traveling from the east, one

rises quickly from the MojaveDesert floor with its trademarkJoshua Trees reaching thewindmill-covered hills on theeastern edge of the Tehachapi Val-ley. Tehachapi is among a fewplaces where one can be sur-rounded by desert and cacti andtravel to towering pines within 20minutes. Elevation gain fromMojave to the City of Tehachapi isabout 1200 feet in about a 17-miledrive. Woodys Peak in TehachapiMountain Park southwest of thecity is at 7,986 feet.The traveler must leave High-

way 58 to discover the mountainsand the other valleys of theTehachapis Brite Valley, Cum-mings Valley and Bear Valley and other noteworthy areasincluding Sand Canyon.We hope youll find this guide

useful in planning your visit toTehachapi or if youre a localresident helping acquaint yourguests with everything our areahas to offer.

2012~2013 TEHACHApI VISITOr GUIDE 3

Welcome to TehachapiAbout Tehachapi

Tehachapi............................3Getting to Tehachapi ..........4Tehachapi communities ......5Getting around Tehachapi....6Where to get information ....6Emergency services &

health care........................7Climate................................8What does Tehachapi mean?8Publications ........................9Internet access ....................9Banking ..............................9

History & Culture

Tehachapi Depot RailroadMuseum ............................10Tehachapis history tied

to railroad ......................12Tehachapi Loop..................13Csar E. Chvez NationalMonument ........................14Tomo-Kahni

State Historic Park ..........15Downtown Murals..............16Tehachapi's Vineyards ........19Tehachapi Apples ..............21Agri-tourism ......................22Tehachapi Farmers Market 22

Events ............................23

Arts & Entertainment

First Friday & Galleries ......24BeeKay Theatre ................26Concerts ............................26Movie Theater ....................27

Things To Do

Bicycling ............................27Camping ............................27Fishing ..............................29Flight ................................30Golng ..............................30Horseback Riding ..............30Hunting and Shooting ........31

Skate Park..........................31Swimming..........................31Downtown Walking Tour ....34Hiking ................................36

Spiritual Life

Local worship guide............37Mountain Spirit Center ......38Norbertine Sisters

Monastery ......................39

Critters

Alpaca farms......................40Birding, wildlife viewing ....40Indian Point

Ostrich Ranch ................41Horse lovers love

Tehachapi ......................42Chadeau Mountain

Clydesdales ....................42Rescue operations ............42Nearby:

Feline Conservation Center 42Windswept Ranch ..............42

Tehachapi Wind Museum ......................44

The Guides

Dining ................................45Lodging ............................50Shopping ..........................50

Event Venues & Services ..................52

Nearby Attractions ....55

Doing Business in Tehachapi ..............58

Living In Tehachapi ....59

Area map ......Centerspread

Advertiser Index ..........62

About TehachapiContents

See location map in centerspread, pages 32-33

Visit Us Onlineat

TehachapiVisitorGuide.com

4 TehAchApi ViSiTOr Guide ~ SprinG SuMMer 2013

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Most people travel to tehachapi by private vehicle, but there areother ways to get to and from town:

Amtrak offers bus service to connect with northbound trainsfrom bakersfield and southbound and eastbound buses fromtehachapi. Curbside only, no local ticketing agent. Call 1-800-872-7245 or www.amtrak.com.

Orange Belt Stages (connects with Greyhound) offers limitedservice to and from tehachapi, no terminal. For information call1-800-266-7433 or visit www.orangebelt.com.

Tehachapi Airport 314 n. hayes St., tehachapi (north end ofcity, near highway 58 at Mill St.) operated by the City oftehachapi, offers fuel, pilots lounge and computerized weathersystem for current weather conditions (AWoS frequency:120.025). For information call (661) 822-2220.

Meadows Field (bakersfield) is 40 miles from tehachapi and isthe closest airport offering commercial airline service (United, USAirways). Several car rental companies operate in bakersfield.

Walking every year hundreds of people find their way totehachapi by way of the Pacific Crest trail. the trail spans 2,650miles from Mexico to Canada through three western states andtraverses the eastern side of the tehachapi Valley. More informa-tion on page 36.

Getting to Tehachapi

Photo by Ed Gordon

About 50 trains travel through Tehachapi each day, but passengerservice is no longer available. Most people get to Tehachapi by car,but some public transportation is available.

SprinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TehAchApi ViSiTOr Guide 5

About Tehachapidont let the population on the

city of Tehachapi city Limits

signs fool you most of the

people who live in the the

Greater Tehachapi area live

outside the city. A number of

distinct communities offering a

variety of amenities and

lifestyles make up modern

Tehachapi Zip code 93561.

The modern development ofTehachapi began in 1876, whenthe railroad was completed. Anearlier settlement, once calledWilliamsburg and now known asOld Town was founded in the1860s and was an important sta-tion on the road between the SanJoaquin Valley and Southern Cali-fornia. Old Town declined whenresidents gradually relocated tonearby Greenwich, the rst namefor the community now known asTehachapi.

The City of Tehachapi incorpo-rated in 1909 and for many yearswas surrounded by ranchland.Development of ranches in themid-twentieth century has contin-ued and a number of unincorpo-rated communities all part ofTehachapi are the result. Thesecommunities offer a variety ofamenities with just about as much diversity as the natural sur-roundings.

Communities and developedareas (in addition to the City ofTehachapi) include:Golden hills/Old Town/Oak KnollsResidential and commercialdevelopment to the west of theCity of Tehachapi within theTehachapi Valley.Alpine Forest park/MountainMeadows/Old West ranchResidential developments in high-er elevation areas south of the Cityof Tehachapi including forestedland with many homes off thegrid.Brite Valley AreaSmall farms and residential lots ofvarious sizes are a feature of the

area located between theTehachapi and Cummings Valleys.Brite Lake a reservoir whichserves the Tehachapi-CummingsCounty Water District and is opento the public for shing is inthis area.cummings Valley/Fairview ranchos/Stallion SpringsThe western-most area ofTehachapi some portions over-look the San Joaquin Valley. Thehistoric Cummings Ranch andCalifornia Correctional Institu-tion are located here. CummingsValley is a mix of residential devel-opment and intensive agricultureincluding commercial productionof organic vegetables andTehachapis two wineries, as wellas an ostrich ranch and alpacaranches. Fairview Ranchos andStallion Springs are residentialsubdivisions in the valley.Tehachapis only public golf course the Horse Thief Golf andCountry Club are located here, as

is Woodward West, a nationallynoted youth sports camp.Bear Valley Springs A gated com-munity in Bear Valley which isaccessed from Cummings Valley.Residents have use of facilitiesincluding the Oak Tree CountryClub golf course, shooting range,swimming pool, lakes and horse-back riding trails. These facilitiesare not covered in this guide indetail because they are not open tothe general public.Sand canyon/cameron canyonUnique and interesting areas onthe eastern edge of Tehachapi withtopography and plant life thatbridges the mountain valley anddesert areas. Sand Canyon, locatedto the north of Highway 58, has aconsiderable amount of residen-tial development and is the homeof Tomo-Kahni State HistoricPark, as well as the Peaceful ValleyDonkey Rescue and MountainSpirit Center, a Buddhistmonastery and spiritual retreat.

Cameron Canyon is to the southof Highway 58 and in recent yearshas become an important part ofthe Tehachapis wind energydevelopment. A trailhead for thePacic Crest Trail is in this area.Keene The community of Keene islocated about 10 miles west of theCity of Tehachapi and consideredpart of the Tehachapi area. Thefamed Tehachapi Loop is in thisarea as well as the National ChavezCenter.Monolith No longer occupied,Monolith was once a companytown for Monolith PortlandCement Company just to the eastof the City of Tehachapi alongHighway 58. The cement plant isnow owned by Lehigh Southwest.

Other than the City ofTehachapi, all other areas are partof unincorporated Kern County.Some are organized into communi-ty services districts which providevarious services ranging from waterto police protection.

Tehachapi: a guide to our communities

tEhAChAPi nEWS Photo

The city of Tehachapi is just one of the communities that make up the Greater Tehachapi Area. The Zip code 93561 en-compasses some 275 square miles and includes a variety of residential areas with different terrain and density.

6 TehAchApi ViSiTOr Guide ~ SprinG SuMMer 2013

Where Imaginations Soar!

Get off the beaten pathand explore the uniquetreasures of Tehachapi.An Adventure Awaits!

Come upand see us sometime!

www.VisitTehachapi.comfor info on where to Eat, Play & Stay

Where to get informationGreater Tehachapi Area

chamber of commerce

209 E. tehachapi blvd.

661-822-4180

www.tehachapi.com

Monday Friday, 10 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Closed from 1 to 2 p.m. for lunch

Tehachapi Tourism

commission

www.Visittehachapi.com

city of Tehachapi

115 S. robinson St.

661-822-2200

www.tehachapicityhall.com

Monday thursday,

7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m.

Closed Friday, Saturday, Sunday

& holidays

Kern county / Oce of

Supervisor Zack Scrivner

(Second district, includes tehachapi)

1115 truxtun Avenue, 5th Floor

bakersfield, CA 93301

661-868-3660

www.co.kern.ca.us

Tehachapi Valley

recreation and parks

490 W. d St.

661-822-3228

www.tvrpd.org

Monday Friday, 8 a.m. 5 p.m.

Bear Valley Springs

community Services district

28999 S. Lower Valley rd.

661-821-4428

www.bvcsd.com

Golden hills community

Services district

21415 reeves St.

661-822-3064

www.ghcsd.com

Monday thursday 7 a.m. to

5:30 p.m.; closed Friday Sunday

Stallion Springs

community Services

district

27800 Stallion Springs dr.

661-822-3268

Tehachapi Museum

310 S. Green St.

661-822-8152

www.tehachapimuseum.org

noon to 4 p.m.,

Friday through Sunday

Tehachapi depot Museum

101 W. tehachapi blvd.

661-823-1100

www.tehachapidepot.com

thursday Monday,

11 a.m. to 4 p.m.

Main Street Tehachapi

105 E. E St. / 661-822-6519

www.mainstreettehachapi.org

Greater Tehachapi economic development councilContact by email:

gtedc@sbcglobal.net

www.tehachapiedc.com

Kern county Library,

Tehachapi Branch

1001 W tehachapi blvd # A400

661-822-4938

tuesday and thursday,

11 a.m. 7 p.m.

Saturday, 9 a.m. 5 p.m.

Closed Sunday, Monday, Wednes-

day, Friday

www.kerncountylibrary.org

Tehachapi news

411 n. Mill St.

661-822-6828

www.tehachapinews.com

business hours: Monday Friday,

8 a.m. to 5 p.m.

www.TehachapiVisitorGuide.com

Addresses in Tehachapi unless otherwise noted.

Getting around TehachapiMost people get around

Tehachapi by private vehicle, butthere are alternatives. Two publictransportation systems are offeredalong with a taxi and two rentalcar agencies.

public transit: East Kern Express providesinter-city service Mondaythrough Saturday between thecommunities of Bakerseld,Keene, Tehachapi, Mojave, Rosa-mond, and Lancaster. Passengersmay transfer to other regional car-riers in Bakerseld, Mojave, andLancaster. For information call 1-800-323-2396 or 1-800-560-1733or online:www.co.kern.ca.us/roads/kernre-gionaltransit.asp Tehachapi Dial-a-Ride providesservice Monday through Friday in

the communities of Tehachapi,Old Towne and Golden Hills. Pas-sengers may transfer to the EastKern Express in Old Towne andTehachapi. For information call 1-800-323-2396 oronline: www.co.kern.ca.us/roads/kernregionaltransit.asp

Taxi: Tehachapi Taxicab,

661-600-2771

rental cars:Tehachapi has two rental car agencies: Enterprise, 410-E W. J St.,

661-823-0500.Hertz Local Edition, Tehachapi Collision Center,20601 Santa Lucia St., (661) 822-5997

SprinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TehAchApi ViSiTOr Guide 7

emergency services and health care

For EmergenciesCall 911California Highway PatrolThe Tehachapi area is served bythe Mojave oce of the CaliforniaHighway Patrol.1365 State Highway 58Mojave, CA 93501661-824-2408 non-emergencynumberwww.chp.ca.gov

Kern County SheriffProvides protection throughoutunincorporated areas of theTehachapi area; frequently coordi-nates efforts with other lawenforcement agencies.Tehachapi Substation22209 Old Town RoadTehachapi, CA 93561-8888661-823-6060www.kernsheriff.org

City of Tehachapi Police Department123 E. F St., Tehachapi, CA 93561661-822-2222www.tehachapicityhall.comCode Red is an emergency noti-cation system offered by the Cityof Tehachapi. Residents and own-ers of businesses within the citylimits can sign up for free emer-gency notications delivered bytelephone, text message or email.More information online atwww.tehachapicityhall.com

Bear Valley Police DepartmentUnder the jurisdiction of the BearValley Community Services Dis-trict providing law enforcementservices for more than 50 squaremiles of mountains and valleysfalling within the district.25101 Bear Valley Road,

Tehachapi, CA 93561661-821-3239www.bearvalleypd.com

Stallion Springs PoliceDepartmentUnder the jurisdiction of the Stal-lion Springs Community ServicesDistrict, provides law enforce-ment for the Stallion Springs area.27800 Stallion Springs DriveTehachapi, CA 93561661-822-3268

Kern County Fire DepartmentProvides service throughout thecounty including within the Cityof Tehachapi.

Fire Station 12 Tehachapi800 S. Curry St., Tehachapi661-822-5533www.kerncountyre.org

Fire Station 16 Bear Valley28946 Bear Valley Rd.Tehachapi, CA 93561661-821-1110

Fire Station 18 Stallion Springs28381 Braeburn Pl.Tehachapi, CA 93561661-822-3980

Fire Station 11 Keene30356 Woodford-Tehachapi Rd.Keene, CA 93268661-822-5555

Hall AmbulanceHall Ambulance provides para-medics and emergency trans-portation by ambulance and heli-copter in the Tehachapi area andthroughout Kern County.(800) 422-0656www.hallamb.com

Tehachapi Hospital115 W. E St., Tehachapi, CA 93561661-823-3000www.tvhd.org

Tehachapi Hospital is a publichospital operated by theTehachapi Valley Healthcare Dis-trict. Groundbreaking on a new$65 million hospital to be locatedin the Capital Hills commercialarea north of Highway 58 at MillStreet is expected to take placesome time in 2012.

Currently the hospital operatesan emergency room as well as acutecare hospital, long-term care andpediatrics. Ultrasound, mammog-raphy, respiratory therapy, a clinicallaboratory and diagnostic imagingservices are offered.

The healthcare district alsooperates the Tehachapi HospitalRehabilitation Center and familyhealth centers in Tehachapi,Mojave and California City.

DoctorsIndividual health care

providers offer a full spectrum of

services in the Tehachapi area.The scope of this guide cannotaccommodate a full list.

A good source of information isthe TOP Phonebook, published bythe Tehachapi News and is widelyavailable throughout theTehachapi area.

PharmaciesTehachapi area pharmaciesinclude: K-mart, 710 W. Tehachapi Blvd., 661-822-7496

Rite-aid, 811 S. Tucker Rd., 661-822-9232

Sav-on (inside Albertsons), 775 S. Tucker Rd., 661-823-7090

Walgreens 1101 W. Tehachapi Blvd., 661-823-0163

For EmergenciesCall 911

Tehachapi hospital is a public hospital operated by the Tehachapi Valleyhealthcare district. A new $87 million hospital is currently under constructionnorth of highway 58 at Mill Street in the capital hills area of the city ofTehachapi.

8 TehAchApi ViSiTOr Guide ~ SprinG SuMMer 2013

Tehachapi is a unique place, climate-wise. Its elevation, positioning betweenmountain ranges and location on theedge of the Mojave Desert result inweather unlike adjacent areas. Wind iscommon (and the source of a burgeoningwind industry). Snow can be expectedduring winter and spring, but rarely lastslong. Summers are pleasant and muchcooler than the San Joaquin Valley to thewest or Mojave Desert to the east.

For a number of years the slogan,Land of Four Seasons, was promoted and locals joked that it was not uncom-mon to have all four seasons in one day.Indeed, the Tehachapi Mountains some-times seem to conjure up weather thatdoesnt show up in the predictions fromthe National Weather Service.

Average precipitation is 12.6 inchesand the summer and fall are generallydry. Weather can vary considerablydepending upon elevation and micro-cli-mates exist (making possible agriculturalendeavors, such as vineyards, whichmight not be expected.)

Cloud formations in the Tehachapiarea, particular unique lenticular clouds,can be extraordinary. These stationarylens-shaped clouds that form at high alti-tudes are sometimes mistaken for yingsaucers.

There is no place like Tehachapi and noother place named Tehachapi. So just what doesthe name mean?

While searching the west for the U.S. govern-ment to nd a railroad route to California, Lt.R.S. Williamson and his scout, Alexis Godey, inAugust 1853 made their way to the TehachapiValley and Indians who told them that theirname for the creek running there was Tah-ee-chay-pay. Williamson did not record the mean-ing of the name, however.

Speculation abounds and through the yearsvarious meanings have been attributed to theword. Multiple spellings have been used, as well.

The most common belief today is that the

word derives from the Kawaiisu wordTihachipia meaning a hard climb.

Williams, by the way, recorded a lovelydescription of the Tehachapi Valley from hisvisit nearly 150 years ago.

He entered the valley from the east, havingbeen traveling along the Eastern Sierra Nevadafrom Walker Pass south through Cache Creekand wrote:

... a steep and continuous descent for eight ornine miles, when we found ourselves in a beauti-ful prairie, apparently completely surroundedby high mountains, and as far as the eye couldtell, it was a horizontal plain.

We came to an Indian rancheria, where we

learned there was a stream of water and goodgrass two or three miles further on. We proceed-ed to the place, and here found an excellentcamping ground...

There was another rancheria close to theplace selected for our camp, and from the Indi-ans we learned that their name for the creek wasTah-ee-chay-pah.

It is one called Pass Creek by Colonel Fre-mont, and is the same one he ascended when hecrossed the mountains in 1844.

Photo by FrAnk SPonSLEr

Looking towards the mountains west of Tehachapi, ten year old Frank Sponsler captured this rainbow on cam-era while standing in his own back yard.

How beautiful!

What does the name Tehachapimean?

Weather-wise, Tehachapi is unique

SprinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TehAchApi ViSiTOr Guide 9

Most Tehachapi hotels andmotels offer wi-fi or otherInternet connections. Wi-fi isavailable at other locationsincluding:

Tehachapi Airport314 N. Hayes St.

Burger Spot 208 W. Tehachapi Blvd.

McDonalds Tucker Rd. and Valley Blvd. and 2000 E. Tehachapi Blvd.(inside Loves Travel Center.)

Loves Travel Center2000 E. Tehachapi Blvd.

Pacinos Spaghetti Factory Corner of Tucker and TehachapiBlvd.

Starbucks Corner of Tucker and TehachapiBoulevard.

Tehachapi Branch of theKern County Library1001 W. Tehachapi Blvd # A400; open Tuesday andThursday, 11 a.m. 7 p.m.and Saturday, 9 a.m. 5 p.m.

Tehachapi newsTehachapis hometown

newspaper since 1899.

Published every Tuesday

411 n. Mill St.,

tehachapi, CA 93561

661-822-6828

www.tehachapinews.com

The WeekenderFree lifestyle and entertainment

guide published every Friday

by Tehachapi News.

Tehachapis Own phonebook(the toP book) / Annual

Published by Tehachapi News

Bakerseld californianDaily newspaper serving Kern

County including home delivery and

newsstand availability in the

Tehachapi area.

1707 Eye St.,

bakersfield, CA 93301

661-395-7500

www.bakersfield.com

Tehachapi Lifestyle MagazineLifestyle magazine published

monthly, celebrating the people,

places and culture of the Tehachapi

Mountains.

661-822-0100

www.tehachapilifestyle.com

The cubMonthly newspaper published for

Bear Valley Springs.

PMb 114,

25101 bear Valley rd.,

tehachapi, CA 93561

661-821-0773

The Loop newspaperCommunity and entertainment

newspaper published twice monthly

by Hilltop Publishers.

204 S. Green St.,

tehachapi, CA 93561

661-822-8188

www.theloopnewspaper.com

Tehachapi is proud of its history and continually work-

ing to advance opportunities for residents and visitors

to enjoy and understand both the human and natural

history of the area. You are welcome to participate in

events and programs offered throughout the year.

publications

Photo by niCk SMirnoFF

Tehachapi offers numerous full-service financial institutions as well as ATMs including:Altaone Federal Credit Union775 Tucker Rd., Tehachapi

Bank of America ATM onlyInside SaveMart, 841 Tucker Rd., Tehachapi

Bank of the Sierra Two locations224 W. F St. and 21000 Mission Blvd. (Old Town), Tehachapi

Bank of the West758 Tucker Rd., Tehachapi

Calaveras Tehachapi Federal Credit Union206 S. Green St., Tehachapi

Kern Schools Federal Credit Union821 Tucker Road #A, Tehachapi

Safe1 Credit Union20141 W. Valley Blvd., Tehachapi / ATM at 107 E. Tehachapi Blvd.

Union Bank of California665 Tucker Rd., Suite C, Tehachapi

Wells Fargo Bank ATM only1100 W. Tehachapi Blvd, Tehachapi

internet access

Banking

Tehachapi Depot Railroad Museum: a community treasure open to the public

By ed Gordontehachapi News

The original Tehachapi Depotwas built in 1876 following thecompletion of the Tehachapi Loopand the beginning of rail serviceover the Tehachapi Pass.

This was just seven years afterthe completion of the transconti-nental railway and the same yearthat the nation celebrated its cen-tennial.

The arrival of the railroadmeant big changes in theTehachapi Valley and surround-

ing area and the town ofTehachapi began to grow up at itscurrent location.

But the life of the rst depotwas short. In 1904 it was burned tothe ground after a re started byan oil leak from an engine parkedat the depot.

It was said that although the cit-izens of the town fought the regallantly, their efforts were in vain."

The depot and the freight housecontaining much merchandisewere destroyed. The

loss sustained by the SouthernPacic, in the destruction of thedepot contents was not known atthe time, but the buildings valuewas estimated at $4,000. The onlything that was saved from thedepot was the safe and its contents.

Following the re, the depotwas rebuilt as a Southern PacicModel 23 depot. That depot sur-vived the 1952 earthquake andserved as a depot for both passen-ger trac and freight until 1971

when passenger service was dis-continued.

The depot continued to serve asan oce for Southern Pacic, butwas long eyed by townspeoplewho wanted it to have more of apurpose and to retain the historicstructure for the future.

The Tehachapi Heritage Leaguewas formed in 1973 for the pur-pose of acquiring the depot andmaking it into a museum. Howev-

History & Culture

Depot 1907-1917-photographer unknown

10 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

Photo courtesy of Doug PickarD

Volunteers Dan Steinberg, Bob Fowler, Fred Motter, Dennis Storms, DougPickard and Dave Hubbard during renovation of Tehachapi train depot.

Photo courtesy of Doug PickarD

An inmate crew waterblasting the walls of the depot, in preparing for the renovation.

Continued on page 11

SPrinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe 11

er efforts to obtain the the depotfrom the Southern Pacic failed.

In 1997 the Union Pacic Rail-road bought out the SP and effortsby the city to gain control of thedepot were renewed. In 1999 thedepot was placed on the NationalRegister of Historic Places.

Finally, in 2004 the UnionPacic agreed to lease the depot tothe city in exchange for the citybuilding a new facility for the rail-road just across the tracks and thecity took over the depot in 2006.

In 2007 the clean up and

restoration efforts by Friends ofthe Tehachapi Depot began withnew signage, fresh paint and a newroof. A nostalgic clock was placedon the grounds of the depot andthere were plans for installation ofrailroad memorabilia and signalsfrom the collection once owned bya long-time Tehachapi resident,William Stokoe.

Tragedy struck again at 3:08a.m. on June 13, 2008. Illegal re-works set the depot ablaze and itburned to the ground just weeksbefore a grand opening of the ren-ovated depot as a railroad muse-um was planned.

The re destroyed in excess of amillion dollars of property andcontents and dashed the hopes ofthe people who had worked longand hard on the renovation.

The City of Tehachapi pledgedto rebuild the depot and Friendsof the Tehachapi Depot did notgive up.

The building was rebuilt asclose as possible to the originaland a ground breaking for the newdepot was held on June 13, 2009.One year later, on June 5, 2010, thedepot opened as a museum.

The depot is open every day

except Tuesday and Wednesdayfrom 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and admis-sion is free. It is located at 101 W.Tehachapi Blvd. (in the middle oftown at the corner of Green andTehachapi Boulevard).

In addition to tours, the depotis available for events and thesehave included wine tastings, classreunions and weddings.

For more information contactFriends of the Tehachapi, 661-823-1100 or Linda Gordon atTrains, Etc., 661-822-7777. Moreinformation is also available at thewebsite tehachapidepot.com.

Photo by Nick smirNoff

Dedication of the newly reconstructed train depot, in the Spring of 2011.

Visiting theTehachapi Train Depot is a pleasant way tospend an afternoon. The depot is open every day except Tuesday and Wednesday, from 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Admission is free.

Depot continued from page 10

Photo by Nick smirNoff

Photo by Nick smirNoff

Above: Friendly volunteers welcome visitors to the Tehachapi Depot railroadMuseum in Downtown Tehachapi.

12 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

Hours 9:30 to 5 Closed Tuesdays Sun. 11 to 4 114 W. Tehachapi Blvd (Next to Kelcys)

822-7777 Gift Certificates Layaway Plans We Accept

All Major Credit Cards

Tehachapi's historytied to railroad

The town of Tehachapi hasshared its history with the oldSouthern Pacic Railroad, sincethe construction of the railroadline through the region connectedLos Angeles and the Bay Area in1876.

Before the railroad was estab-lished, a stage line operated fromthe railhead at Caliente, east ofBakerseld, to San Fernando.

But the Tehachapis an east-west mountain range bridging theSierra Nevada and the CoastRange forming the southern ankof the San Joaquin Valley proved a natural barrier to trans-portation.

The rail line was built on a 2.2percent gradient route to the sum-

mit at Tehachapi on a path sur-veyed by William Hood, who laterbecame the chief engineer.

The Southern Pacic railroadwas extended to Mojave andacross the Antelope Valley, reach-ing Los Angeles through SoledadCanyon and the San Fernandotunnel the longest railway tun-nel in the world at the time.

The Southern Pacic's historictransportation monopoly in theCentral Valley caused the emer-gence of a rival railroad companyin the region which reached Bak-erseld from Stockton in 1898 andbecame part of the Atchison,Topeka and Santa Fe Railway.

The Santa Fe was already serv-ing Mojave from points east, and

had surveyed a line of its own tocross the Tehachapis from Bakers-eld through Arvin, up Tejon andChanac Creeks, and through whatis now Stallion Springs, Cum-mings Valley, and Brite's Summit(Highway 202) to Tehachapi andMojave. But in 1899 an agreementbetween the Southern Pacic andthe Santa Fe allowed Santa Fe

trains to use the Tehachapi grade,so the second line was never built.

The joint operation continuesto this day between successorsUnion Pacic and BurlingtonNorthern Santa Fe, resulting inabout 50 trains a day making thegrade up the world famousTehachapi Loop.

Photo by eD gorDoN

not only is Tehachapis history tied to the railroad, but the trains themselvesare popular tourist attractions.

SPrinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe 13

Famed Tehachapi Loop is an engineering marvelobservers from around the worldcome to tehachapi specifically towitness the most heavily traffickedsingle track main line in the coun-try and the engineering marvelthat is the tehachapi Loop.

along its winding path up the north-western slope of the mountains, thetrack makes horseshoe curves atcaliente, allard, and keene, andpasses through 18 tunnels.

at the Loop, the line climbs in aspiral over itself gaining 77 feet ofelevation. this engineering feathas been named one of the rail-road wonders of the world.

in 1955 a monument celebratedthe Loop's designation as a califor-nia historical Landmark, and in1998 it was honored by the ameri-can society of civil engineers as aNational historic civil engineeringLandmark.

the 68 miles of track betweenbakersfield (elevation 400 feet)and mojave (elevation 2,700 feet)

crests the summit at 4,025 feet.

the 2.2 percent gradient ismaintained downhill to mo-

jave. over the interveningyears 36 miles of the line

have been double-tracked and a projectwill begin soon todouble-track moreof the line betweentehachapi and bakersfield.

fiLe Photo by Nick smirNoff

About 50 freight trains a day make their way through the Tehachapi Pass byway of the famous Tehachapi Loop, an engineering marvel.

14 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

By Matthew Martztehachapi News

In October 2012, thousands ofpeople lled the grounds of La Paz the property that served as theheadquarters of the United FarmWorkers labor movement fromthe 1970s until the death of Cesar-Chavez in 1993 and listened asPresident Barack Obamaannounced the establishment ofthe Csar E. Chvez NationalMonument.

The crowd during the presi-dents visit included people of allages and races who packed theproperty, which served as thenational headquarters of the Unit-ed Farm Workers (UFW) labormovement from the 1970s, untilChavez's death in 1993.

Some held signs supporting thePresident while others wore t-shirts specially made up for theoccasion, including ones that sim-ply said "5th Generation UFW"with Chavez's likeness emblazonedon the front in honor of the latelabor and human rights leader.

Obama's visit, which took placeduring the UFW's 50th anniver-sary year, won praise from thosewho have sought to honor Chavezsince his death.

"Cesar (Chavez) was alwaysmoving ahead and striving," thepresident said. "That is what I hopeall of our children and our grand-children take from this place."

Obama got the loudest cheerswhen he spoke about Chavez's lifeand his inuence on not only Lati-nos, but all Americans.

"Our world is a better placebecause of Cesar Chavez," he said,"This is a historic day."

The monumentNestled amid the chaparral and

oak covered rolling hills ofKeene, just 10 miles west ofTehachapi along Highway 58 anddonated by the Cesar ChavezFoundation to the federal govern-ment, the three-acre nationalmonument area at Nuestra SenoraReina de la Paz (Our Lady Queenof Peace), more commonly calledLa Paz, is the 398th site included inthe U.S. National Park System, andthe rst to recognize the work of acontemporary Latino American.

Chavez spent the last 22 yearsof his life at the rural site tuckedneatly away in the TehachapiMountains approximately 30miles from Bakerseld, helping tosecure basic protections for hun-dreds of thousands of farm work-ers across the country.

Today the 187-acre propertyincludes 26 historic buildings andstructures with a visitor center,Chavez's oce and library, as wellas the Cesar Chavez MemorialGarden and burial site.

Obama is the 17th president toexercise the Antiquities Act since itwas created to designate and pro-tect unique and historic features inthe U.S. The rst, being PresidentTheodore Roosevelt in 1906, whenhe designated Devils TowerNational Monument in Wyoming.To date, presidents have designat-ed about 124 monuments totalingnearly 70 million acres.

The National Chavez Centerwas also the fourth National Mon-ument designated by PresidentObama using the Antiquities Act,after the previous designations ofFort Monroe National Monumentin Virginia, Fort Ord National

Monument in California, andChimney Rock in southwesternColorado.

The monument, which will bemanaged by the National ParkService in consultation with theNational Chavez Center and theCesar Chavez Foundation, servesas a historical reminder of thestruggles Chavez endured side-by-side Dolores Huerta asChavez's legacy continues to thisday heard through the words hismemorable mantra Si se Puede.

The National Chavez Center isopen every day from 10 a.m. to 4p.m. except on major holidays.

Admission is $3 per person. Thebook store/gift shop is open dailyfrom 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. For moreinformation call(661) 823-6134.

Visitor Center Built aroundthe renovated wood-frame build-ing where Chavez worked from1971 to 1993, the center consists of7,000 square feet of exhibit galleryand museum space, a fullyequipped audio-visual center andCesar Chavez's carefully pre-served oce and library.

Memorial Garden CesarChavez passed away on April 23,1993, and was buried at La Pazshortly thereafter. The beautifullylandscaped Memorial Gardenhosts his gravesite as well as facili-ties for religious services, bap-tisms and weddings, and a plat-form for musical and danceperformances and for public gath-erings for important observances.

Villa La Paz This is a 17,000-square foot education and confer-ence center in a historic restoredMission-style structure that canaccommodate both large andsmall groups for any occasion.The facility includes two largebanquet halls, an executive boardroom, breakout meeting rooms,cafe lounge, theater room, multi-purpose room, outdoor plaza andspacious lawns, and food servicefacilities.

Catering is offered, as is lodgingfor 25 or fewer guests. For moreinformation call(661) 823-6271.

For more information:nps.gov/cechorchavezfounda-tion.org.

Csar E. Chvez National Monumentestablished in October 2012

heNry a. barrios / the bakersfieLD caLiforNiaN

President Barack obama helps Helen chavez as they walk up the stairs toHelen's late husband and uFW co-founder cesar chavez gravesite to place arose during the presidents visit in october 2012 on the occasion of the estab-lishment of cesar e. chavez national Monument near Tehachapi. At left isPaul chavez, cesar's son, 3rd from left is Arturo rodriguez, uFW presidentand at right is Dolores Huerta, uFW co-founder.

SPrinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe 15

under new management

661.333.5651 785 Tucker Road, Ste 1Mon- Fri 7am - 5:30pm Sat & Sun 7am - 2pm

State park preserves native sitesThere are 270 state parks in the

California State Park system, andone of the most protected andexclusive is located here inTehachapi. Known as Tomo KahniState Historic Park, it was estab-lished in December of 1993 to pre-serve ancient village and ceremo-nial sites of the Nwa (Kawaiisu)Indian people of the Tehachapiregion.

The Nwa or Kawaiisu peopleare part of the large Paiute tribalgroup but have their own lan-guage, culture, basketry traditionsand creation myths.

Located in Sand Canyon, about10 miles east of the town ofTehachapi, the site of Tomo KahniState Historic Park was long usedas a winter gathering area forsmall family groups of tribalmembers, who would congregatein the more sheltered area near apermanent spring to spend thewinter together.

The name "Tomo Kahni" means"Winter House" in the Nwa lan-guage, and is pronounced to-mocon-hee. Traditionally tribalmembers would construct theirdomed willow shelters on a slopeabove a water source known asNettle Springs.

These houses were made fromwillow poles lashed and woventogether, and when completedthey resembled upside down bas-kets. The outside was thatched

with tules, cane, rabbitbrush, orother available material.

Nwa people placed stonesaround the base of these circularstructures to provide support andto help keep the willow poles inplace, and these rock circlesremain hundreds or even thou-sands of years since they were putthere by Kawaiisu hands.

Lower down on the slope, justabove the springs, Indian womenwould use smooth river rocks topound acorns and other seeds instone mortars located in an exten-sive outcropping of largely atbedrock. The grinding holes,called "pa-haz" by the Nwawomen who made them, grewdeeper with usage.

After many years of use thesepa-haz would get too deep to bepractical and new ones would bestarted. Centuries of occupationhave resulted in more than 300grinding holes at Tomo Kahni, thelargest accumulation of bedrockmortars ever discovered in thegreater Tehachapi area.

In addition to the house ringsand bedrock mortar sites, TomoKahni State Historic Park alsoincludes the famed pictographcave, where designs of spiritualsignicance were painted on thesurfaces inside a natural rock shel-ter.

Visiting Tomo Kahni State His-toric Park is strictly limited to

guided tours only, so the arearetains its respectful tranquilityand the sites remain in pristinecondition.

Tours are generally three tofour hours long and involve amoderately strenuous hike of 1and 1/2 miles. They are offered onvarious Saturdays in Aprilthrough June and Septemberthrough November.

Volunteers from the TomoKahni Resource Center conductthe guided tours. Meet at 8:30 a.m.at the Tehachapi Museum, 310 S.Green St., for an orientation to theKawaiisu culture and then carpoolto the park site.

Tours can accommodate only a

limited number of visitors, soreservations are advised. Forreservations call California StateParks at (661) 946-6092.

Photos courtesy of tomo kahNi state historic Park

Tours of Tomo Kahni State Historic Park near Tehachapi are offered in thespring and fall and involve a moderately strenuous hike.

rock art at Tomo Kahni

16 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

Main Street Tehachapis MuralsProgram was founded more than adecade ago in an effort to beautifythe downtown area, showcase his-tory of the area for local residentsand serve as a historical guide forvisitors to Tehachapi.

The Murals Committee made acommitment early on to produceonly rst-quality murals. Aftercareful research into the way othercommunities put together theirmural programs, Tehachapi nowhas a model murals program,including a murals ordinance,along with site and artist agree-ments covering legalities such ascopyrights and recorded liens toprotect the murals in case of achange in ownership on a build-ing. Further research has provideda collection of portfolios fromlocal, regional and nationally-known mural artists.

The muralsin order of completion:

1) The Historic Tehachapi LoopTehachapis rst mural, The

Historic Tehachapi Loop, featur-ing the world-famous Tehachapiloop circa 1952, was designed bynationally known trompe loeilartist John Pugh, completed withthe help of his associate, MarcSpykerbosch.

A trompe loeil effect showsdamage to the building due to thehistoric 1952 earthquake. The wallupon which the mural is paintedappears to be cracking open fromthe force of the earthquake.

John Pugh, who has more than175 murals to his credit, actuallyhiked through the area to get a feelfor the layout of The Loop. Whilerecognizing the importance ofgetting the details right in a histor-ical mural of this kind, Pughs spe-cialty is to bring elements into thepainting to involve the viewer,which he has accomplishedthrough the crack seeminglycaused by an earthquake.

In early 2008, mural artist andlocal resident Lyn Bennett

repainted a portion of the muralthat had been damaged by realstress cracks.

Marc Spykerbosch specializesin landscapes and has paintedmany murals in his native NewZealand. In order to get the colorsand details correct, he spent manyhours at The Loop, observing theafternoon sun and its effect on themountains. He chose to depictThe Loop in the late summer col-ors he observed, rather than theusual greens that are only seen fora short time in the spring. In aneffort to depict The Loop, he said,I have taken 50 years growth offthe oak trees.

2) Street DanceThe second mural, completed

in 2004, features a street danceheld in 1915 at the corner ofGreen and F Streets when the rstelectric streetlights were installedin Tehachapi.

Phil Slagter, another well-known mural artist, used originalphotos from 1915 to design andpaint the mural. Faces of currentlocal residents and those from the

history of Tehachapi, includingve former mayors, other old-time residents, as well as currentresidents, one child and a dog areincluded. The re hydrant with astraw hat tossed casually on top isfrom the original photo.

3) People of the MountainsTehachapi was fortunate to

have Visalia artist ColleenMitchell-Veyna to paint "People ofthe Mountains," the third mural. Itis a depiction of Tehachapi'sNative American Nwa (orKawaiisu) tribe, and it incorpo-rates a village scene from beforecontact with the white man. Por-traits around the perimeter showmore recent members and eldersof the tribe, as well as the type ofbaskets for which the local Indianswere known. This mural was alsocompleted in 2004.4) T-Hacha-P

The 2005 T-Hacha-P muralwas done as Tehachapis rstMural In A Day. The masterartist, Art Mortimer, researchedand designed the mural, sketched

it onto the wall and mixed all thepaints. Then local artists complet-ed the painting in one day. MuralIn A Day is a way for local artiststo learn the techniques and chal-lenges of working on a more mon-umental scale than that to whichmost are accustomed. There were15 Tehachapi artists who workedon the T-Hacha-P mural, alongwith Mortimer.

Jake Jacobsen a former mayorknown for his many civic achieve-ments is pictured in the oval,along with his brother, Rolf, whobuilt the seed-packing shed whichnow houses the Apple ShedRestaurant. 5) Red Front Blacksmith Shop

Tehachapi artist Lyn Bennettpainted the blacksmith mural in2007, assisted by Brenda Ander-line.

More than 100 years ago, theRed Front Blacksmith Shop stooddirectly across Curry Street fromthe mural.

The eight men who stood infront to have their photo taken

Downtown murals tell story of Tehachapi

Also see Downtown Walking Tour on pages 34-35

SPrinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe 17

each holds a tool or project as theyawkwardly posed for the camera.You see a sledgehammer, a riebarrel, a saw, a square, a bucket,hammer and tongs, a horseshoeand other items used in the every-day world of blacksmithing. Thesemen also worked on their familyranches.

The dog shown with the menseems to be looking along CurryStreet. Perhaps there are cattle orsheep coming down the street, asthis was the street that led to thestockyards near the railroaddepot. Interior views of a black-smith shop and local cowboys arealso shown.

For authenticity, TehachapiNews columnist Jon Hammondgave a demonstration in hisTehachapi blacksmith shop at theLinda Vista Ranch, shown on theright.

Cattle brands used at severallocal ranches are shown with thenames of the ranchers. They showthe artistic range incorporated bylocal blacksmiths into this impor-tant implement of Tehachapis cat-tle ranching past. They representsome of the larger ranches thatdotted the Tehachapi area. 6) The Legend of Avelino Martinez

Painted by artist Patti Doolittleand completed in 2007 is themural depicting a cowboy whoworked for a famous outlaw. Itseems only tting that this muralis located across from theTehachapi Police Department onF Street.

Martinez came from Mexicowith a group of drovers as a 13-year-old, searching for his father.Of Mexican, Indian and Chinesedescent, he stood four feet-fourinches tall.

He worked as a horse groomerfor legendary outlaw JoaquinMurrieta. From 1853, after Murri-eta and his gangs were captured,Martinez worked at Rancho ElTejon until 1920. He then workedat Cummings Ranch in Tehachapiuntil his death in 1936 at a report-ed age of 112 (some accounts say

115), the last of the Murrietagroup.

Avelino would often ride hishorse into town to visit friends.Once in town, Avelino would takeoff his pistols and give them toVickie Leiva and cross over to FStreet to tie up his horse.

After visiting a local bar andvisiting with his friends, he wouldsit on the street and tell stories topassersby. When ready to leave, hewould collect his horse and goback for his pistols. Vickie wouldtake out a stool so he could climbonto his horse for the journeyhome.

Upon Avelinos death, BuddyCummings gave two men a bottleof wine to dig Avelinos grave atthe cemetery. Somewhat con-fused, possibly from the wine,they dug the grave in a north-south direction rather than east-west, as all the other graves lie.Legend has it that the ground wasfrozen solid and re-digging wouldhave been too dicult. 7) Air Mail

The Air Mail mural wasdesigned and painted by MarkPestana, noted test pilot andTehachapi artist. Completed in2007, the mural is located onGreen Street on the Hitching PostTheaters building.

On May 15, 1938, the U.S.Postal Service issued a new AirMail stamp as part of a nationalcelebration for the 20th anniver-sary of the rst U.S. Air Mail.Tehachapi marked the occasionwith its inaugural Air Mail ightto Bakerseld.

Harry Beauford, Jr., a

Tehachapi resident and pilot, isshown standing next to his planeat Tehachapi Airport, then knownas Kern County Airport #4. Theside of the plane is painted tocommemorate the rst Air Mailight from Tehachapi to Bakers-eld. Tehachapi Peak is in thebackground.

Many cities joined in the cele-bration with special events and byissuing specially designedenvelopes with the new stamp.This mural depicts the artists con-ception of one of those envelopes,postmarked at Tehachapi andaddressed to the local pilot. Theairplane used for this ight is aPortereld CP-40 Zephyr. Thisparticular airplanes civil registrynumber was NC18088, as seen, onthe planes tail, along with thename, Zephyr.

The mural also commemoratesthe buildings site as the locationof Tehachapis U.S. Post Oce,built after the 1952 earthquake.An original architectural featureof the wall is the inset relief of aneagle, a sculptural element that isincorporated into the envelope. 8) The Cement Plant at Monolith

The Monolith mural wasdesigned and painted to honor theimportance the cement plant andthe township of Monolith playedin Tehachapis history. It was creat-ed based on vintage photographsby artist Art Mortimer.

The mural celebrates the 100thanniversary of the cement plant,where production began in 1908by the City of Los Angeles to pro-duce cement for the Los Angeles

Aqueduct. It portrays Monolithshistory and the thousands ofworkers who toiled at the cementplant during those 100 years. Dueto its long history and importanceto the economy and the people ofTehachapi, many still refer to theplant today as Monolith.

For many decades the plant wasthe largest employer in theTehachapi Valley. Some Tehachapiresidents still work at the plant,with many others retired, andsome families having second orthird generation workers stillemployed by Lehigh SouthwestCement, the current operator.

The mural honors the thou-sands of workers who toiled at thecement plant during its rst 100years. In addition to the workers,many families lived in the town-ship, attended the school andshopped at the Monolith Store. Itwas a true company town andmany residents recall the sense ofcommunity experienced there.Worker immigrants from Europeand Mexico joined those of Slavic,Indian and other backgrounds inthe Tehachapi area. A cartoucheon the left side of the mural showssome of the important dates in the100-year history of the plant andtownship. 9) Centennial panels

The ninth mural in the histori-cal mural series of Tehachapi wascompleted in August 2009 by gift-ed artist Colleen Mitchell Veynaand an able group of volunteerartists. Over the course of a fewdays, the group transformed threelarge panels in a concrete block

Continued on page 18

18 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

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wall on the north side ofTehachapi Boulevard into agallery of Tehachapis past andpresent.

The mural was commissionedto coincide with Tehachapis Cen-tennial, marking the 100 years thathave passed since the town votedto incorporate in 1909.

The mural was the rst stand-alone wall in Tehachapi to begraced with a mural the rsteight were all painted on the sideof an actual building, while thewall with the Centennial muralsruns along the sidewalk between

the Greater Tehachapi Chamber ofCommerce building and theApple Shed.

While most of the wall was con-structed using split-face block,three long panels were inset usingsmooth block specically to pro-vide a useable surface for muralpainting. The end result is lively,appealing commemoration of 100years of Tehachapi.10) Beekay Mural

The latest of Tehachapis muralswas completed in mid-2011 and ison the side of the Beekay Theatreadjacent to the newly-developedCentennial Plaza in downtown

Tehachapi. This mural was morethan eight years in the planningand celebrates the history of thetheatre originally built by FrankBaumgart and Lou Kanstein,hence the name coming fromtheir initials. Mrs. Kanstein soldtickets from the ticket booth, andall three are pictured on the mural.

Some artistic license was taken,as the original box oce was inthe front under the marquee. Theartist, Colleen Veyna, also paintedthe Native American mural anddesigned the Centennial Mural.She was assisted by her son Brice,also a talented artist, on the latest

mural.The 50 or so people waiting in

line to buy their tickets are alllocals whose families chose tohonor them with inclusion in themural. While many are relativenewcomers, there are several old-timers who actually attendedmovies at the Beekay as children.For uniformity, all those in themural are depicted in clothingfrom the 1940s. Main Street Tehachapi

The murals are a project ofMain Street Tehachapis MuralsCommittee and another muralis being planned.

Murals continued from page 17

SPrinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe 19

Tehachapis wine industry ishealthy and thriving

By Matthew Martztehachapi News

A 2008 New York Times head-line clipping that reads Winetakes over town, prosperity fol-lows, and an old French apho-rism that states, "the vines mustsuffer in order to produce greatart," pretty much sums it up forCummings Valley winegrowerChuck McCullough, who is con-vinced that Tehachapi is poised tobecome the "next Napa.

Sprouting up atop sunny sideslopes high in the TehachapiMountains, local vineyards escapethe marine layer effects, and as aresult, can often produce grapesthat rival of their lower-elevationcohorts.

And despite the areas swelter-ing summer highs and bone chill-ing winter lows that can sourgrapes on the vine, budding vint-

ners like McCullough have foundsuccess in planting their crops inthe tough, often rocky soil ofTehachapi.

How it all beganCall him an American version

of a garagiste, a term once usedto describe a handful of vintnerswho challenged traditional wine-making styles in Bordeaux,France back in the early 1990s.But Bob Souza is Tehachapi's

original master oenophile. Established in 2002, the Souza

Family Vineyard is the rened re-sult to Souza's perseverance toboldly grow where no vintner hadgrown before establishing therst commercial wine vineyardever planted in Tehachapi.

Pushing the boundaries, Souzanot only succeeded in eventuallyharvesting his grapes, he also

made an exceptional wine, andhas received gold, silver, andbronze medals for his PrimitivoZinfandel, which is affectionatelyknown as High Mountain Zin",because the grapes that are usedare grown at an elevation of 4,000feet.

This past October, Souza Vine-yards produced more than 12tons of its Primitivo Zinfandelfruit 35 percent higher than2011.

Souza said that Tehachapi isprime growing country.

His proof? Being medal winewinners from the rst harvest andbeyond.

Following in the footsteps of Souza

Nationally, there has been ahuge resurgence in viewing localwineries as an artisan craft, paral-leling the microbrewery move-ment of the early 90s.

The upswing is anticipated tocontinue, and the Tehachapi Val-ley is no exception, currentlyboasting ve new individual vine-yards that have been establishedover the past two years.

The rst, Rancho de los Via-jeros Vineyard just off State High-way 202, which planted its rst1.25 acres in May 2011.

For over a year, apprentice viti-culturist Ilda Vaja has been work-ing her magic, and says she is

excited about the estate's Malbecgrapes, a highly celebrated vari-etal grown in Vaja's native Ar-gentina, which will be ready forharvest this year.

In addition, is Oak Creek Vine-yard with its small but scenicrolling hillside grape vines sur-rounded by majestic oaks.

Inspired by the wine of westernEurope, Oak Creek owners MikeDorner and his wife Michele'shalf-acre of 250 Riesling and Zin-fandel vines, sits on a 20-acreproperty on Old Ranch Road inCummings Valley.

Photo by matt martz

chuck Mccollough, owner of Triassic Legacy Vineyard in the cummings Valleywas thrilled with the 2012 grape harvest that netted a record yield of 18 tons.

Photo by matt martz

A worker carries trays filled with Zin-fandel grapes during the TriassicLegacy Vineyard harvest last fall.

Photo by eD gorDoN

Bob and Patty Souza were the first to plant a commercial vineyard in theTehachapi area. Here they are pictured trimming the vines in late February.Friends and neighbors come to help with the job.

Continued on page 20

Further to the west, a pair ofsmall hobbyist winegrowersnds their way into vintagesmade under the names of someother labels. As the Adams Familyand Nash Family Vineyards sitsurrounded by the rising moun-tain peaks of Bear Valley.

Finally, although small by com-

parison to other vineyards in theregion, are Clifford Meredith's4,242 Riesling, Cabernet, andSara plants.

The future of Tehachapi vineyards

Along with the grape vines thatare being planted in increasingvolume, many of Tehachapisnewest growers have plans to in-

crease the number of Tehachapiswine tasting rooms, which cur-rently stands at two.

Both Triassic and Souza havetheir own tasting rooms whereguests can sample local varietals.

Oak Creek's Dorner said healso has ideas to open the areasrst microbrewery, while othervintners are working on plansthat would enable growers tocrush the grapes and bottle thewine locally.

"Napa and Santa Barbara havehad a corner on the Californiawine tourism industry for far toolong," said Dave Hook, InterimExecutive Director of the KernCounty Board of Trade. "It's al-ways hard to build somethingground up, (but) in this casewe've been fortunate to have peo-ple who are passionate aboutwhat they do. They've created agreat product, a great atmosphere,and they've laid the groundworkfor something special."

20 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

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26877 Cummings Valley Road | Tehachapi, CA 93561661.822.9233

www.souzafamilyvineyard.com

Wine Tasting & Gift Shop Open Friday, Saturday& Sunday: 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

2013Small

BusinessOf The

Year

Wine Tasting Tours, Airport Runs,Bachelor/ete Parties, Weddings

(661) 256-4144Cell (661) 917-0616

www.rclimousines.com

8 CarsTCP#14562P

1 3 Y e a r s E x p e r i e n c e

HIGH DESERTCELLARS

EFREN CHAVEZ

www.HighDesertCellars.com

PHONE: (661) 256-6203CELL: (661) 965-1578

HIGHDESERTCELLARS@YAHOO.COM

Wine Tastings

www.pulfordappletreeorchard.com

Visit the VineyardsSouza Family Vineyards is lo-cated at 26877 cummings Val-ley rd. call (661) 822-9233.the tasting room is open fri-day, saturday and sundayfrom 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Web-site: souzafamilyvineyard.com

Triassic Legacy Vineyard islocated at 24627 cummingsValley rd. call (661) 822-5341.the tasting room is open fri-day, saturday and sundayfrom 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Web-site: triassiclegacy.com

Nearby: High Desert cellars,rosamond. call (661) 256-6203. from highway 14 southof highway 58, take rosa-mond blvd exit and go westnine miles to the corner ofrosamond blvd and 90thstreet West. turn right andthe winery is 100 foot downon the left. the tasting roomis open thursday through sun-day from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Website: highdesertcellars.com

Vineyards continued from page 19

SPrinG SuMMer 2013 ~ TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe 21

DARLENESDARLENESREAL SWELL TOYS

661-823-1920 103 West H St.(Corner of H & Green St - Between the Two Depots)

Vintage & New toys for all Ages! Educational Items Collectibles

Action Figures Green Toys

Made in USA Tin Toys

KLUTZ CRAFT& BUSY BOOKS

NEW & RETROTIN TOYS

ANGRYBIRDS

LASER TOYS, BOBBLE HEADS,MELISSA & DOUG WOODEN TOYS,

AND MUCH MORE!

First Friday Receptions

April - Youth Art Contest

June - Springtyme Faire

Aug. - Handcraft Festival

Aug. - Chalk on the Walk

Aug. - Photo Contest

Sept. - Fall Harvest Fair

100 W. Tehachapi Blvd. Open 7 Days

Open Daily 10am - 5pm

661-822-6062

Tree-ripenedapples,yum!Tehachapi's world-famous apple

orchards share a long history ofharvesting a wide variety of the besttree-ripened apples in the country.Each fall brings this crisp and juicychange of seasons that lasts fromlate August through November,depending on the rst frost.

Some local growers offer popu-lar U-pick options for locals andvisitors as well as a much-lovedfall eld trip tradition for manylocal school children. Be sure tocall rst if you have your heart seton picking your own apples. Manylocal vendors also offer small

stands with cider, butters, crispsand strudels, as well as unique giftitems and even fresh in-seasonproduce items.

Apple growers include:

Pulford Appletreeorchard

Jonathan, Jonagold, Empire,Golden Delicious and MelroseApples are available, along withfresh ciders and jams from Chad-mark Farms in Paso Robles. Call(661) 822-5021 for more informa-tion or for directions or visit pulfordappletreeorchard.com.

rB Family orchardFeatured items include raw,

fresh apple cider, baked goods,and preserves as well as Sommer-feld, Golden Delicious, Red Deli-cious, Rome and Empire apples.661-972-5755 or rborchard.com.

Dries FarmsU-pick available. Apples, laven-

der, lavender products and herbswill be available for purchase. For

more information or directions,call 661-444-0835 or visit driesfarms.com.

Knaus ranchU-pick available. Red Delicious

and Golden Delicious apples aregrown. Gift shop on premises withvarious products available, includ-ing gifts and crafts, jams and jel-lies, butters and more. Reserva-tions are required for eld trips.Call 661-822-4142 for more infor-mation or for directions or visitknausappleranch.com.

Other popular Tehachapi farmsinclude:

Moessner FarmsTomatoes and various vegeta-

bles, along with jams, jellies andpastries. Restaurant and store onpremises open Friday throughSunday. Located on Bear ValleyRoad just outside the Bear ValleySprings gate. Call (661) 821-6272or visit moessnerfarms.com formore information.

Tangleweed FarmFruits, veggies and owers

along with a variety of organicproducts in the store open year-round check the website or callfor hours. 21192 Old Town Rd.,661-822-8806; online at tangleweedfarm.com

Photo by eD gorDoN

Pulford Appletree orchard is justone of the Tehachapi apple growersthat welcomes visitors each fall. Seethe map in the centerspread for lo-cation of orchards or check growerswebsites.

22 TeHAcHAPi ViSiTor GuiDe ~ SPrinG SuMMer 2013

Tehachapi Farmers MarketThe Tehachapi Farmers Market, a production of Main Street

Tehachapi, takes place on Thursdays from 4 to 7 p.m., June to Augusteach year. Vendors ll downtown's Railroad Park with their produce,much of it organic, and local arts and crafts, refreshing beverages anddelicious food is available. Live music is also provided for visitors'entertainment.

For more information, including vendor sign-up forms, contactMain Street Tehachapi:

(661) 822-6519 or visit the website: www.mainstreettehachapi.org

Photo by erica maier

Flowers from Tangleweed Farm are pictured above at Tehachapi FarmersMarket. The tomatoes at left are from Tangleweed, as well.

Agri-tourism: Tehachapihas much to offer

The French term, terroir comesfrom the word terre "land" and isoften used to denote the specialcharacteristics of place includ-ing climate, geology and geogra-phy to food that is producedthere.

used first to describe wines, ter-roir has been expanded to otheragricultural products and a grow-ing number of people are comingto recognize that the unique char-acteristics of the Tehachapi area,including altitude, fresh air andmicro-climates, combine to pro-duce a truly unique agriculturalexperience.

Tehachapi residents and visitorsbenefit from this experience withan array of locally-produced foodseasonally and an increasingnumber of ways to enjoy them.

SPRING SUMMER 2013 ~ TEHACHAPI VISITOR GUIDE 23

Events

MARCH/APRIL

Chilly Dip, Stallion Springs Tehachapi Valley Parks andRecreation District hosts anannual Egg Hunt and otherevents Brite Lake Fishing Tourney Model Train Show Rotary Clubs Cowboy Saturday Night dinner-danceMAY

Cinco de Mayo celebrationsponsored by Tehachapi Parks& Recreation JUNE

Flag Day Flag RetirementCeremony Main Streets Annual FathersDay Chili Cookoff Springtyme Faire (TehachapiValley Arts Association) Train Show at TehachapiDepot MuseumJULY

Tehachapis Annual 4th ofJuly Hot Dog Festival at PhilipMarx Central Park and BadBulls Rodeo Tehachapis Relay for Life Summer Wine Walk spon-sored by Main Street Tehachapi Camp Kiya, Family Tradi-tional Music Camp (usuallyscheduled near the end of July)AUGUST

Annual Old-Timers Picnic,sponsored by Tehachapi ValleyRecreation and Parks District Wine Dine Jazz Festival ofTehachapi, Downtown, spon-

sored by Family Life Pregnan-cy Center (rst Saturday inAugust) Tehachapi Mountain Festival(3rd weekend in August) Tehachapis Annual PRCARodeo Thunder on the MountainCar & Truck Show Handcraft Festival(Tehachapi Valley Arts Association) Tehachapi Valley Arts Asso-ciations annual Chalk on theWalk event DowntownSEPTEMBER

Main Streets Oktoberfest inthe Mountains Fall Harvest Faire (TehachapiValley Arts Association) California State Old Time Fiddlers Association Contest Celebration of FlightOCTOBER

Main Streets Fall Wine &Beer Walk Downtown Main Streets Trunk or Treatin Downtown Tehachapi NOVEMBER

Dia De Los Muertos at theCaesar Chavez Center inKeene DECEMBER

Annual Christmas Paradeand Tree Lighting CeremonyFEBRUARY

Downtown Valentines DayWine & Chocolate Tastingsponsored by Main StreetTehachapi

Tehachapi keeps busy with activities year-roundPopular annual community events to look for during your next

visit are listed below, by month. Check TehachapiNews.com or

the newspaper for details as each event approaches.

See TehachapiNews.com, Tehachapi News or The Weekender for

dates and details as these and other popular events approach as

well as TehachapiNews.com.

Tehachapi Museum will celebrate40th anniversary with events

throughout 2013The Tehachapi Museum opened on July

4, 1973, in a tiny building on Tehachapi

Boulevard and moved to its present

building the former library building

on South Green Street in 1982.

Across the street is the Errea House

Museum, a restored home showing

the rural lifestyle of Tehachapi, circa

1900 to 1930.

Both museums are open Friday,

Saturday and Sunday from noon to

4 p.m., and additionally on the first

Friday of each month from 5 p.m.

until 8 p.m. as part of First Friday

Downtown festivities.

Additonally, special events at the

museum during 2013 include:

Saturday, May 11 An Evening

With Native American Kawaiisu Elder

Harold Williams, $15.

Saturday, June 1 Yard Sale at the

Errea House, 9 a.m.-4 p.m.

Saturday, June 15 Downtown

Mystery Walk, 7 p.m., $20, limited to

50 people, 12 years of age and older.

Thursday, July 4 Happy Birthday,

Tehachapi Museum 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Help celebrate the 40th birthday of

the Tehachapi Museum!

Saturday, July 13 An Evening of

Wine Pairings 5-7 p.m., $25. Join us at

a private residence near the museum

for an evening of wine pairings with

appetizers. Reservations are highly

recommended as this much antici-

pated event is expected to sell out.

Saturday, July 27 A Step Back in

Time to Old Tehachapi 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Saturday, Aug. 17 & Sunday, Aug.

18 Mountain Festival Celebrations

at the Museum, Sat. 11 a.m.-5 p.m.,

Sun. 11 a.m.-4 p.m.

Monday, Sept. 2 Tehachapi Mu-

seum Garden Party, for museum do-

cents and volunteers.

Sunday, Sept. 8 A Look at

Climate Change with Meteorologist

Miles Muzio, 4-6 p.m., $15, Beekay

Theatre.

Saturday, Sept. 14 Twilight Tour

of Tomo Kahni, 5 p.m., $20. Reserva-

tions mandatory.

Sunday, Oct. 6 Field Trip to Kern

Valley Museum 9 a.m., free.

Friday, Dec. 6 First Friday at the

Museum and Opening Night of the

Christmas Sale 5-8 p.m., free. Sale

continues on Fridays, Saturdays and

Sundays until Dec. 22. Dont miss the

traditional holiday visit to the Errea

House, beautifully decorated for

Christmas and the perfect place to

find a unique local gift!

Tehachapi Heritage League

Tehachapi Museum

Errea House Museum

310 & 311 S. Green St., Tehachapi

(661) 822-8152

TehachapiMuseum.org

24 TEHACHAPI VISITOR GUIDE ~ SPRING SUMMER 2013

Admission is free | Donations are welcome | Facility is available for rent 101 W. Tehachapi Blvd. | 661-823-1100

www.tehachapidepot.com

Open 11-4pm Thursday-Monday Closed Tuesday & Wednesday

Arts & EntertainmentFirst Friday

On the rst Friday of everymonth, visitors to Tehachapi canexperience the popular First FridayArtist Receptions and Art Walks.

This program offers displays ofa wide variety of local Tehachapiart. Attendees can check out thehistoric downtown and meetmany of the areas talented artistswhose work is on display.

The efforts of local artists havepainted Tehachapi as an emergingart town with several galleries andworking studios providing classesand exhibits.

In 2007, Southwest Art maga-zine featured Tehachapis emerg-ing art scene:

Anyone who loves discoveringnew artists and extraordinaryworks of art including paint-ings, photographs, pottery, sculp-

with

something

happening

almost

every

weekend

Tehachapi has a lively arts and entertainment scene

PHOTO BY NiCK SMiRNOFF

From artist receptions at the galleries to unique displays at the local antiqueshops, musicians participate in the First Friday Art Walks held monthly Down-town. All of the arts come together during this free event.

SPRING SUMMER 2013 ~ TEHACHAPI VISITOR GUIDE 25

ture and jewelry designs will behappily and amply rewarded whentaking time to visit the up andcoming art scene in Tehachapi.

The First Friday events takeplace at various businesses indowntown Tehachapi. Consult theTehachapi News or The Week-ender for details during your visit.

Dont worry if your visit doesntinclude a Friday stop-over, the nearts and the performing arts are aconstant part of Tehachapis localavor. Youre sure to nd some-thing colorful and creative hap-pening that will entertain thewhole family.

Gallery n GiftsIn a boutique-like atmosphere,

Tehachapi Valley Arts Associationoperates a co-op appropriatelynamed Gallery n Gifts, located atGreen Street and Tehachapi Blvd.The gallery went through a majorrenovation recently. Unique, highquality gifts and decor are on dis-play and available for purchase.

See original paintings, prints, pot-tery, photography, woodwork,hand-painted gifts, luxurious bathand body items, wearable art,hand-sewn quilts, beaded and

precious metal jewelry, hand-poured scented candles and muchmore. Themed contests displaylocal artists creative works.Gallery n Gifts is open 7 days a

week from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. and islocated at 100 W. Tehachapi Blvd.For more information call (661)822-6062 or view the website atwww.galleryngifts.org.

The Backstreet GalleryThe Backstreet Gallery is locat-

ed at 106 W. Tehachapi Blvd.,across from the Tehachapi Depotand behind Mountain Antiques.Business hours are Saturdays andSundays from noon to 4 p.m., andFirst Fridays from 5 to 8 p.m.

The Backstreet Gallery is ali-ated with the Tehachapi Perform-ing Arts Center, a non-protorganization with the goal ofbuilding a performing arts centeron property it recently acquiredon Red Apple Avenue just outsidethe Tehachapi city limits.

Art ClassesTehachapi Treasure Trove, 116

E. Tehachapi Blvd. 661-822-6794.PHOTO BY NiCK SMiRNOFF

Summer Concerts in the Park are held Sunday afternoons in the Philip MarxCentral Park, 311 E. E St. Six different shows, featuring different musicalstyles will be presented in 2013 and are free to the public. Check TehachapiNews or The Weekender for dates or tvrpd.org.

Art continued on page 26

26 TEHACHAPI VISITOR GUIDE ~ SPRING SUMMER 2013

NowOpen118 East F St

.823-4933

Next to Primo Burgers

in Downtown

Tehachapi

Hours: Mon: Closed, Tues: 10:30-4pm.WEd-Sat: 10:30-5pm, Sun. 10:30-2:30pm

mention this ad to get 10% OFF!www.facebook.com/hapi.ness2012

Clothing sizes Newborn - 16 yrs.Skateboards, Cruisers & Long Boards

Gifts & Home DecorReceiving New Clothes Every Week

The Art Studio, 785 TuckerRoad, Suite B, Tehachapi. Seeschedule atwww.theartstudio.vpweb.com/ orcall 661-822-4420.

Picture Perfect & Stamps ofApproval, 112 E. Tehachapi Blvd.#A. (661) 823-1777, pictureper-fectandstamps.com.A Facebook page, www.face-

book.com/TehachapiArtists,

provides additional informa-

tion about the Tehachapi arts

community.

The Tehachapi Community Theatre and the Beekay Theatre

The Tehachapi CommunityTheatre, founded in 1968, is a per-forming arts group comprised oflocal actors and actresses. The groupputs on live stage productions forthe community, and also offersvarious classes and workshops.

The Tehachapi CommunityTheatre now has a permanent per-formance space with the recon-struction of the historic BeekayTheatre. This historic theatre,located at 110 S. Green St., is nowthe home of plays, concerts, lec-tures and many other live per-formances.

ConcertsSummer Concerts in the Park

are held Sunday afternoons n thePhilip Marx Central Park, 311 E. ESt., Tehachapi. Sponsors includethe Tehachapi Valley Recreationand Parks District. Check the

schedule at tvrpd.org or theTehachapi News or The Week-ender for more information.

Concerts by various musicalgroups, including the SummitSingers, Tehachapi Symphony

Orchestra, and T-Pops(Tehachapi Pops Orchestra) areheld throughout the year, Consultthe Tehachapi News, The Week-ender or organization websites forschedules:

tehachapipops.comtehachapiorchestra.com

Fiddlers Crossing, located at206 E. F Street, offers regularlive musical performances andopen mics every Wednesday nightstarting at 7:00 pm. For informa-tion call: (661) 823-9994 or online,ddlerscrossing.org.

The Weekender provides a list-ing of live entertainment everyweek, including concerts andother performances at localrestaurants and other venues. It ispublished every Friday by theTehachapi News.

Movie TheaterHitching Post Theaters, a

multi-screen complex located indowntown Tehachapi (corner ofGreen and F Streets) offers thelatest movies. 661-823-7469;www.hitchingposttheaters.com.

PHOTO BY NiCK SMiRNOFF

Located in the heart of Downtown, the Beekay Theatre is not only home to Tehachapi Community Theater, but its alsoused as a facility that hosts concerts, film screenings, school productions, meetings and other community events.Please check the listings in the Tehachapi News and The Weekender for event notices, or visit the webite,tctonstage.com.

PHOTO BY MEL WHiTE/TEHACHAPi TREASURE TROVE

Art classes are offered regularly at places like Tehachapi Treasure Trove. A vari-ety of mediums are taught to various skill levels and students of all ages.

Spring Summer 2013 ~ TehaChapi ViSiTor guide 27

Tehachapi Trail Rides at

Spit Creek Ranch

Guided Trail Rides

$ 40 per Person per hour

21146 Perch Street, Cummings Valley 661-972-5001

FULLY BONDED & INSURED

www.southernshooterssupplyllc.com

120 East F St., Tehachapi, CA 93561661.823.1223

Firearms Hunting/Competition In-House Gunsmith

Accessories Safes CA CCW Classes

Firearms Hunting/Competition In-House Gunsmith

Accessories Safes CA CCW Classes

Things To DoBicycling

The Tehachapi area is a bicy-clists paradise with numeroustrails as well as scenic byways andterrain ranging from at to gruel-ing. A number of efforts exist toexpand on the trail system toeventually connect most of theregion. The website of theTehachapi Mountain Trails Asso-ciation (www.tehachapitrails.org)provides extensive informationabout local trails.

CampingWhether bringing along your

home on wheels, or roughing it,Tehachapi offers a variety of facili-ties for campers including:

Brite LakeBrite Lake is open year round

Bicycling, Camping, Fishing

Photo by trent theriault/

tehachaPi Mountain trails

association

The Tehachapi Mountain Trails Associ-ation offers these simple rules for usingtrail systems:Ride on open trails ONLY!Respect trail and road closures aska land manager for clarification if youare uncertain about the status of a trail.Do not trespass on private land. Obtainpermits or other authorization as maybe required. Be aware that bicycles arenot permitted in areas protected asstate or federal Wilderness.Leave no traceBe sensitive to the dirt beneath you.Wet and muddy trails are more vulnera-ble to damage than dry ones. When thetrail is soft, consider other riding op-tions. This also means staying on exist-ing trails and not creating new ones.Don't cut switchbacks. Be sure to packout at least as much as you pack in.Control your bicycle!Inattention for even a second can causeproblems. Obey all bicycle speed regula-tions and recommendations, and ridewithin your limits.Yield to othersDo your utmost to let your fellow trailusers know you're coming a friendly

greeting or bell ring are good methods.Try to anticipate other trail users as youride around corners. Bicyclists shouldyield to all other trail users, unless thetrail is clearly signed for bike-onlytravel. Bicyclists traveling downhillshould yield to ones headed uphill, un-less the trail is clearly signed for one-way or downhill-only traffic. Strive tomake each pass a safe and courteousone.Never scare animalsAnimals are easily startled by an unan-nounced approach, a sudden movementor a loud noise. Give animals enoughroom and time to adjust to you. Whenpassing horses, use special care andfollow directions from the horsebackriders (ask if uncertain). Running cattleand disturbing wildlife are serious of-fenses.Plan aheadKnow your equipment, your ability andthe area in which you are riding andprepare accordingly. Strive to be self-sufficient: keep your equipment in goodrepair and carry necessary supplies forchanges in weather or other conditions.Always wear a helmet and appropriatesafety gear.

TRAIL ETIQUETTE

for day use, camping and shing.Passes are now available at theTehachapi Valley Recreation andParks District oce, located at 490W. D St.

Season passes are available for$45. Boat launching passes are$15. Passes are for day use only.

The day use only fee is $5 pervehicle per day, boat launching $3 per boat per day (no gas engines,electric motors only), day use andboat launching $8 per day.

A dump station is available forRVs and the cost is $5 per vehiclefor non-campers.

Overnight camping is alsoavailable with 12 sites with waterand electric hook-ups at $30 pervehicle, per night. Dry camping is$20 per vehicle per night. TVRPDdoes not take reservations forcamping. Camping is on a rst-come, rst-serve basis.

There are also three picnicpavilions available for group pic-nicking. Reservations and pay-ment of rental fees must be madeat least one week in advance forgroup pavilions.

For more information call 661-822-3228.See ad on page 22.

Indian Hill Ranch RVPark & Campground

18061 Arosa RoadNestled in the oaks and open

year round, this 400 acre privatelyowned campground offers manyamenities, including 5 stockedponds for shing, hike and biketrails, hot show-

ers, RV dump stations and Gener-al Store.

For information call 661-822-6613.See ad on page 28.

Mountain Valley RV ParkLocated adjacent to Mountain

Valley Airport on Highline Road,this park is open year round.Twenty-seven sites with hookups(water and electricity), dump sta-tion, Ravens Nest sandwich shop.Glider rides and lessons.

For information call 661-822-1213.See ad on page 29.

Tehachapi Mountain ParkLocated eight miles southwest

of Tehachapi on Water CanyonRoad. Elevation ranges from 5,500to 7,000 feet. Some campsites withhorse corrals, cabin facilities forlarge groups.

28 TehaChapi ViSiTor guide ~ Spring Summer 2013

Guided hunts are available from September 1 to May 30

Bring your own dogs or arrange to hunt with some of the best gun dogs located on the West Coast from High River Labs

Pups & Dog Training AvailableCustom Boarding

Pheasant and Chukar200 acres of the finest upland game hunting in the rolling hills of Tehachapi

25001 Banducci Rd Tehachapi, CA 93561

(661) 847-8900

INDIAN HILL RANCH & RV PARK

www.indianhillranch.com(661) 822-6613 18061 Arosa Rd., Tehachapi, CA 93561

Mon. - Thurs. 10am - 6pm Fri. 10am - 7pm | Sat. 10am - 6pm Sun. 11am - 4pm

787 W. Tehachapi Blvd. | (661) 822-4186

Wrangler, Levis, Miss Me, LA Idol Jeans Wolverine, Justin and Ariat Boots

Carhartt

Open 7 days a week

Photo by nick sMirnoff

Continued from page 27

Photo by nick sMirnoff

Brite Lake offers fishing year-round and a popular fishing derby every spring.

Spring Summer 2013 ~ TehaChapi ViSiTor guide 29

The Restaurant with a View! Homemade Soups,Sandwiches & Salads

Mountain Valley Airport 822-5267

Larry BarrettP.O. Box 100Tehachapi, CA 93581661-822-5267

The Restaurant with a View!The Restaurant with a View!

SILENT FLIGHTGlider Rides Available from $70

Mountain Valley AirportHighline Road, Tehachapi

For information, call 661-868-7000.

Trails End RV ParkIf youre looking for RV accom-

modations located convenientlywithin the City of Tehachapi andjust a few blocks off Highway 58near the Mill Street exit, contactTrails End RV Park, 543 E. "H" St.,661-822-3697.

FishingBrite Lake is stocked for shing,

and is open year-round. Passes areavailable at the Tehachapi ValleyRecreation and Parks Districtoce, located at 490 W. D St.,Tehachapi. See Camping sectionfor rates and permit information.

A popular shing tournamentis held at the lake each April offer-ing prizes for youth and adults.

For more information call 661-822-3228.See ad on page 22.

Photo by nick sMirnoff

Stallion Springs on the western edge of the Cummings Valley, overlooking the San Joaquin Valley provides abeautiful setting for the popular horse Thief golf course.Continued on page 30

30 TehaChapi ViSiTor guide ~ Spring Summer 2013

972-621221019 Santa Barbara, at Golden Hills Blvd.

Furniture, Antiques, Collectibles & More.

Open Mic Every Wednesday at 7 p.m.Live Music and Art First Fridays

For special events, hours and concerts see our website:www.fiddlerscrossing.org or visit us on Facebook

206 East F Street | (661) 823-9994

MOUNTAIN MUSICMOUNTAIN MUSICLessons, Rentals, Sales, Repairs,

Accessories, Music Booksand More!

FlightTehachapis beautiful blue sky

is favored by pilots and can beenjoyed by visitors, as well. Popular attractions includeMountain Valley Airport (glidersand sailplanes) and private air-planes:

Gliders and sailplanesPhenomenal lift conditions

generated by the Sierra Nevadamountains to the north, theTehachapi Mountains to thesouth, and the Mojave Desert tothe east, makes Mountain ValleyAirport the perfect location forgliders and sailplanes.

Skylark North has ight trainingcontracts with the US Air ForceTest Pilot School, the National TestPilot School, and the US ArmyQuality Test Directorate. SkylarkNorth also works closely withNASA on various aviation projects.

For those who would prefer torelax and enjoy the wild blue yon-der and scenery below whil