1. Bakersfield’s Got Something Even Texas Can’t Top
Bakersfield is the oil capital of California, which may not seem like that big a deal until you find out that Kern County is actually the nation's most oil productive county. Can't beat that, Texas!
2. Even Though It’s Actually Kinda Like A Left-Coast Texas
A bunch of people from Texas moved out to Bakersfield back in the day. Call me crazy, but I think all those oil rigs might also have had something to do with it ;)
3. Bakersfield’s Local Specialties May Be Seem A Bit Peculiar, But You’ve Gotta Taste ’Em Anyway
Pickled tongue may sound weird, but don't knock it 'til you've tried it! And, if you've spent much time in and around Bakersfield, you probably have tried it, too.
4. Skip The Koolickles, But Save Room For Fried Fair Foods
When it comes right down to it, what's the real reason you never miss a fair? Fried things. Preferably on sticks.
Try the:
- Deep-fried baked potatoes
- Deep-fried waffle
- Deep-fried grilled cheese
- Cheese-stuffed
- Or the bacon-wrapped deep-fried jalapenos
Just do your stomach a favor and stay the heck away from those Kool-Aid-soaked pickles (aka Koolickles)—some things were just not meant to be.
5. Watch Out For Hairy Knees And Hurtling Haggis At The Kern County Scottish Games
The Kern County Scottish Games are a great place to watch other people dance (to the tune of the bagpipes this time) and play sports. Caber tossing is really impressive, but the fine sport of haggis hurling has far less potential to damage the hapless spectator.
6. Bakersfield Is Feeding The World (And Helping Decorate it, Too)
Bakersfield lies in the San Joaquin Valley, aka the “food basket of the world”.
7. Keep CALM And Enjoy The Zoo
The California Living Museum, better known as CALM, is a small and, yes, relatively peaceful zoo that allows you to get right up close to some of the wildlife native to the area.
8. Basque In The Sunshine At The Kern County Basque Festival
This festival, held each Memorial Day weekend, is a great place to stuff yourself silly on roast lamb, then stake out a nice shady spot under a tree with a glass of red wine in hand.
9. The Kern County Nut Festival’s Always A Shell Of A Good Time
Everybody just goes nuts, at the Kern County Nut Festival, that is. Nutty costumes, nutty games, nutty foods—all of it in celebration of the almonds, pistachios, pecans and walnuts grown right in Kern County.
10. Bakersfield’s Got A Flock Of Peacocks
Hart Parl's main attraction is the resident flock of peacocks. It's just really cool to see so many colorful birds wandering all over the place like that.
11. This City Has A Need For Speed
The city's got drag racing at Famoso Speedway, dirt track racing at Bakersfield Speedway and even drag boat racing at Lake Ming. While the Mesa Marin Raceway closed down in 2005, NASCAR has now returned to Bakersfield with the opening of the new Kern County Raceway Park last year.
12. In Bakersfield, Baseball’s A Late-Night Game
Sam Lynn Ballpark, currently home of the Bakersfield Blaze, is one of the only parks in pro baseball where the batter faces west, right into the setting sun.
Wait a minute, you ask, doesn't that kind of, well, suck for him? Sure does.
13. Camelot Park, 'Tis A Silly Place
I'm a sucker for cheesy castle-themed amusement centers. Especially if they've got go karts, bumper boats and a mini golf course with a pagoda.
14. What, No Mordor?
Cal State Bakersfield's a pretty cool place—for one thing, I like the acronym, CSUB. They've also got a sorta-mean, sorta-goofy looking roadrunner as the mascot.
But the best thing about CSUB? Their dorms are all named after locations in “Lord of the Rings”! How geekalicious is that?
15. The Hidden History Of Oildale
During the Cold War, Oildale was home to a hidden spook factory where the CIA built its U2 spy planes before stealthily smuggling them to Area 51 where they were undoubtedly used to transport extraterrestrial secret agents.
16. No, You Can't Go Swimming At Beach Park
Beach Park, located right in the center of town, is another local recreation area with all the usual amenities: lighted playing fields, a bike path, a skate park, horseshoe pits, barbecue grills and a nice statue.
The one thing it doesn't have is an actual beach, of any sort.
17. There's Nothing Fishy About Trout's
Trout's is the largest, and last, of the legendary honky-tonks that helped to establish the original Bakersfield sound and launch the careers of Buck and Merle.
18. This Milkshake Brings All The Boys (And Girls) To Dewar's Candy Shop
Dewar's is a Bakersfield institution, and now, in the days of online commerce, they've been able to bring their amazing taffy and chocolate to candy fans nationwide.
You've still got to visit Bakersfield, though, if you want to experience soda fountain treats like the famous George's Special: vanilla ice cream, chocolate syrup, ground walnuts and a banana.
19. Whatever “Sangucci” Are, Luigi's Are Molto Delicioso!
Sounds like an Italian word all right, but according to Google Translate “sangucci” is essentially meaningless, except as an anagram of “accusing.”
Well, I'm accusing Luigi's restaurant of nothing less than having the most awesome sandwiches in town, whatever they choose to call them.
20. Wood-Dale Market’s The Real Butcher of Bakersfield
The 1987 movie “The Running Man” starts off with future Governator Arnold Schwarzenegger being framed for murdering participants in a food riot in Bakersfield, a crime which earns him the nickname "Butcher of Bakersfield."
If you ask me, though, the real butcher of Bakersfield is the Wood-Dale Market, because you just can't beat their meat.
21. Bakersfield Is Every Bunny’s Dream
Bakersfield is also home to the world's two largest carrot producers: Grimmway Farms and Bolthouse Farms together account for about 90 percent of all the carrots grown in California. Now that's bound to make some bunny very happy.
Feature Image Source: Flickr user Robert Bejil
