Additional Information About Indian Hill Ranch and RV Park
• Open dry camping (i.e, no defined sites and no hook-ups)
with beautiful views of oak-studded rolling hills
• Hot showers
• RV dump stations
• Recreation areas
• Camping fee: $10.00 per night ($15.00 per night for the very few electrical sites that are available. Please save these sites for our caravaners who really need them!).
Click here to visit the Indian Hill Ranch and RV Park website.
VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMEN, PART I!
No early arrivals, please!
The Caravan Club rate of $10.00 per night only applies Wednesday to Sunday. If you arrive at Indian Hill before Wednesday, be prepared to pay the regular rate of $30.00 per night and be prepared to stay in the RV section of the park.
VERY IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT, PART II!
The first row as you come into the Lazy Daze area (the row that runs along in front of the lake)
needs to be saved for our handicapped caravaners. Thank you in advance for your consideration!
Good Places To Know About
Tehachapi Hospital (Approximately 7 miles from the campground)
115 West E Street
Tehachapi, CA
661-822-3241
Rite Aid Pharmacy (Approximately 6 miles from the campground)
811 Tucker Road
Tehachapi, CA
661-822-9232
Tehachapi Veterinary Hospital (Approximately 4 miles from the campground)
20693 Woodford Road
Tehachapi, CA
661-822-6731
Albertson's (Approximately 6 miles from the campground)
775 Tucker Road
Tehachapi, CA
661-823-7090
Shell (Approximately 7 miles from the campground)
106 E. Tehachapi Boulevard
Tehachapi, CA
661-823-8935
Chevron (Approximately 9 miles from the campground)
400 E. Steuber Road
Tehachapi, CA
661-822-8645
Oh, happy days are here again!
Dear Caravaners, I no longer need to share with you the sad news regarding the lack of a Starbucks withn 25 miles of Indian Hill. Because now Tehachapi has a Starbucks of its own!
Roughly seven miles from our campground, I'll find them located at 300 South Tucker Road...I mean you'll find them. Heck, let's all go!
Good Things To Know
Here's a wee bit of Tehachapi history, courtesy of the Tehachapi Museum...
"From a hunter-gatherer culture of thousands of years ago developed the Tehachapi Indians known as the Kawaiisu, only a handful of whom still reside in the area. The Tehachapi Museum contains several artifacts and handicrafts from this culture, the members of whom spent their summers in the mountains and their winters in the deserts before the white man came.
The first permanent white settlers to the area were John and Amanda Brite, who came to the Tehachapis in 1854, settling in what's now known as Brite Valley. They built a sawmill and made their living in the lumber trade. But in the years following their arrival, people came with the idea of doing everything from raising cattle, mining for gold and farming. When rich limestone deposits were discovered, kilns were built to burn the lime.
The communities of Williamsburg and Greenwich were founded not far from present-day Tehachapi. But it wasn't until the railroad came through that the town we know now (named from the Indian word tah-eechay-pah meaning oaks and springs) grew up around the Southern Pacific's Summit Station (near the Old Town area of today). Eventually, residents moved to the town's current location, which was incorporated in 1909."
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If you're interested in viewing artifacts from Tehachapi's past (including historical photographs documenting the 1952 Tehachapi earthquake), you might wish to pay a visit to the Tehachapi Museum which is located at 310 South Green Street in Tehachapi (directions below). It is open Friday, Saturday and Sunday from noon-4 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are requested. In addition, the museum's website can be found here. And for further information, you can call (661) 822-8152. |
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Extra! Extra!
Read all about the current goings-on in Tehachapi in the on-line Tehachapi News
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For All You Weather Buffs... |
Thanks to the wonderful world of technology - and our weatherman Steve Tivy - click here for the current conditions and forecast for Indian Hill Ranch and RV Park. Yes, this forecast is for our campground. And actually, this one is specifically for the Host Tent!
Ain't technology grand? Thank you, Steve! :-D |
Good Things To Do
Dear Caravaners: I am always on the look-out for additional "Good Things To Do" at each of our caravan locations. If you are aware of any other activities or attractions in the Tehachapi area (or any of our other caravan locales), please let me know and I'll be happy to post them. Many thanks!
The World-Famous Tehachapi Loop
(Click on photo to see larger version)
Okay, train buffs! You already know what the Tehachapi Loop is and why it's there. How about we share some of the fascinating info with our fellow caravaners and see if we can add a few more appreciative souls to the ranks?
When, in the 1870s, the Southern Pacific Railroad decided to link their rails in Central California with those in Southern California, they found their desired path blocked by the steep Tehachapi Mountains and a restriction to keep the grade of the track to no more than 2.2%.
The unique solution to this dilemma? A loop. A 3,799 foot loop, to be exact, with a diameter of approximately 1,210 feet. Completed in July of 1876, this loop is regarded as one of the great engineering feats of the nineteenth century. And for train buffs, the thrill of the loop is this: with modern freight trains often more than a mile long, the locomotive passes over (or under, depending upon its direction) the final cars of its own train.
Today the Tehachapi Loop (operated jointly by the Union Pacific and Santa Fe Railroads) is on the main artery joining the agricultural and petroleum products of the San Joaquin Valley to Arizona and east. As many as 40 freight trains a day execute the loop, making it the busiest single-track line in the United States.
One more bit of train trivia about the loop: long eastbound freight trains cannot negotiate the grade with a normal locomotive complement, and it is undesirable for the couplings between forward cars to support the high tension loads. Therefore, "helper" engines are inserted in the middle of the train. Upon reaching the city of Tehachapi, the helpers are switched out, and then returned to Bakersfield.
Hopefully we now have those of you who have not yet seen the Tehachapi Loop sufficiently curious. If so, here are some directions (it's about 12 miles from the campground; all mileages approximate): Exit the campground and continue on Arosa Road for 1.4 miles. Turn right on Banducci Road. In .8 of a mile, turn right on Valley Boulevard (also known as State Route 202). In about 2 miles, turn left on Woodford Tehachapi Road and continue for about 7.5 miles. You will then need to turn right onto a dirt road that will take you to a great viewing area.
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After you've spent some time watching the trains on the Tehachapi Loop, you might find yourself getting a bit hungry. If so, may we offer a couple of recommendations?
The Apple Shed
The Apple Shed is a wonderful restaurant, bakery and gift emporium in downtown Tehachapi. Among lots of other amazing offerings, they have pecan cinnamon rolls, fresh apple turnovers and pies, FIVE kinds of Eggs Benedict for breakfast, scrumptious Turkey Pot Pies for lunch and Babyback Ribs for dinner. There is also a charming gift shop featuring handmade crafts and clothing.
The Apple Shed is located in the heart of downtown Tehachapi at 333 E. Tehachapi Boulevard. They are open daily Monday through Thursday from 7:00 A.M. until 6:00 P.M., Friday and Saturday from 7:00 A.M. until 9:00 P.M. and Sunday from 7:00 A.M. until 8:00 P.M.
For more information, click here to see their website.
We'd also like to recommend Kohnen's Country Bakery and Cafe...
Kohnen's is a family run, genuine old-country German bakery featuring a wide variety of fresh baked goods - bread, bagels and pastries.
Kohnen's is located at 125 W. Tehachapi Boulevard (at Curry) in the Tehachapi Village Marketplace (661-822-3350).
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The Mourning Cloak Ranch and Botanical Gardens
Despite the difficult high altitude growing conditions, the 28-acre Mourning Cloak Ranch and Botanical Gardens boasts over 2600 species of plants, including about 500 species of California natives. Included are 300 varieties of Roses, 14 varieties of hardy Geraniums and 22 members of the genus Arctostaphylos or the Manzanita.
Currently, Mourning Cloak Ranch and Botanical Gardens is open to the public from 10:00 A.M. to 3:00 P.M. for self-guided tours (a $5.00 donation requested) only.
The Botanical Gardens feature a gift shop stocked with unique items, and the on-site nursery stocks a full line of plants, many of which are to be found in the Gardens.
Mourning Cloak Ranch and Botanical Gardens is located at 22101 Old Town Road on the historic site of Williamsburg, a town predating Tehachapi (telephone number is 661-822-1661).
IMPORTANT NOTE: Evidently, Mourning Cloak Ranch has changed hands. Before heading out there, please call 661-822-1661 for more information.
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