The Southwest Voice

All > Columnists > Travel
Bakersfield Breakaway: In search of the source of our river
Topics:
Posted by lakessler1 Tue Jul 4, 2006 17:07:48 PDT
Viewed 468 times
0 responses 1 comment

The soul of Bakersfield grew a little richer the day our river began to flow through town again.

Seeing the water meander past Beach Park, transforming the dry, lifeless dirt into an actual river, lifted my spirits. Inspired, I decided to take a one-day pilgrimage to the origin of the mighty Kern.

The journey to the Lake Isabella/Kernville area goes against the rushing rapids. While I drove east on a curvy canyon road, the river raced west into Bakersfield. Watching the water tumble over boulders never ceases to thrill me. In fact, I pulled over and took photos as if marveling over it for the first time.

Within an hour, I arrived at Lake Isabella’s main dam campground and parked outside the gate. The temperature gauge inside my car read 93 degrees –– about six degrees cooler than Bakersfield ––  not too hot yet to walk around. I strolled through the empty campsites and made my way closer to the dam. They’re still releasing water into the Kern, though not as much as before. While a man recorded the event with his camcorder, I took a seat on a shady slab of rock and sipped a cup of coffee. The water frothing into the river produced a loud roar, and this comforted me.

 Having satisfied my need to sojourn to the source of our resurrected river, I headed into Kernville for lunch. Cheryl’s Diner has always been my favorite stop, and although I usually eat on the patio, I opted for an air conditioned seat at the counter inside. Cheryl’s daughter, Sandy, served me during a busy mid-day rush. A string of regulars sat at the counter, chatting and joking around with Sandy and the other servers as they worked. One of the things I’ve always appreciated about Kernville is the friendliness this tight-knit community enjoys.

After eating, I moseyed down the street to the Kern Valley Museum and soaked up some local history. There’s one room devoted solely to movies that have had scenes shot in this area, and I was surprised to see the faces of many familiar actors proudly displayed on the walls.

My final stop was a cool patch of grass under a cottonwood tree on the riverbank in Kernville’s park. As rafters, kayakers and tubers drifted by, I was encouraged to see the majority of them wearing helmets and lifejackets. The river is indeed an ideal place to spend a hot summer day, but there’s a dark side: 238 lives have been lost since they began keeping track in 1968. In fact, the sheriff was changing the number of deaths on the warning signs at the mouth of the canyon as I passed by on my way home.

I love the river –– a part of my heart and soul will forever reside there –– but I know not to swim in it. I prefer the mighty Kern as a symbol of life.

E-mail Laurie at: lakessler1@earthlink.net

Send to a Friend

Report a Violation

Comment From: tomasi

Laurie, Great piece.Now I want to make the drive. I especially like you ending...it is fitting. Joe