Day 3: Flagstaff, AZ to Coalinga, CA (582 miles)

Avg. Gas $2.84
Music: Sea Wolf, The Tallest Man on Earth, TV on the Radio Podcast: This American Life “Party School”
Audio Book: Middlesex by Jeffrey Eugenides

Sunday morning Brian and his family were kind enough to cook us breakfast. With full bellies and mugs of coffee, we readily hopped in the car. After some discussion we abandoned “Three Cups of Tea”. It had been a book that I’d wanted to read for some time. I was disappointed by its lag in the middle. The book had been quite engaging in the beginning. Perhaps it is a book better read than listened or the reader’s voice didn’t do it justice. We began another book called “Middlesex”. The reader of the book has a fantastic voice. It is a story about a 2nd generation Greek “girl” in the U.S. who is born a hermaphrodite. It’s a unique plot and a great read.

I made this exact drive only 6 months ago, but California looks very different in March than in November. Nearly the entire state was shaded green. We passed through one stretch of highway, and it seemed as though we had been transported to Ireland. The road was surrounded by soft, green hills. Beautiful, gnarly little trees dotted the hillsides. Whispers of yellow and red flowers were faintly perceptible.

Colby and I pulled into the town of Bakersfield tired and ready for a break. We put gas in the car and then walked around the neighborhood behind the station. Spring comes early in California. Flowers and trees in bloom added color and scent to the yards. The quaint, older homes told stories of the families and couples who cared for them. On our way back to the highway we made a quick detour. Armed with a milkshake and fries each, we were ready to finish this leg of the drive.

I already knew which campsite we were staying for the evening. I had looked online before we got the California to see what was available. About 70 miles outside of Bakersfield was one RV park. Of the 20 something reviews it had received, most read like this: “I arrived at the RV park and immediately got bit by a pit bull. The swimming pool could be more accurately called a cesspool. Mangy chickens without feathers tromped around the park. The owners were not friendly nor helpful…” and so on and so forth. Therefore I decided we would go 30 miles further down the highway to the RV park that backed up to an almond grove. It was a fantastic choice. We were one or two tents among the large Rvs. We had a grassy spot to pitch the tent, pristine bathrooms and a picnic table. Yet the best part was the almond grove. Lines of trees bordered the property giving the park privacy and the patrons a place to walk. Sam romped and I stretched my legs, quietly admiring the pattern of the grove.