Bakersfield :: May 2009

Bakersfield....ugh. I will, in the future, try to avoid it as much as I can.

I didn't have any kind of traumatic incident there....I wasn't robbed or assaulted in any way (thank God), but as a woman alone, I just felt...uncomfortable and out-of-sorts during my brief overnight stay.

I've always heard bad things about Bakersfield - "the armpit of the valley" is one of them. I'm a pretty cheery gal and I try not to form early opinions.

I was actually passing thru Bakersfield on my way to Arizona and had my long-haired Chihuahua Missy in the car. I would have left her at home, but Missy needs daily sub-q fluids for her chronic renal failure, so she came along. By the time we arrived in Bakersfield, Missy and I were worn out from an entire day of driving and mishaps -the car breaking down near Los Banos in the sizzling hot San Joaquin Valley, waiting for a diagnosis at the mechanic's, looking (unsuccessfully) around Los Banos for a rental car, spending loads of time on the phone with my mechanic, and finally deciding with him that my car would probably be ok for the long drive thru the desert to Arizona as planned, but with the Check Engine light on.

Missy wasn't used to the hot weather or the car and had diarrhea'd all over the back seat in between the events outlined above. At one point I called her vet to ask for advice and was told to give Imodium AD post-haste. This was done and accomplished via a Walgreen's drive-thru, but the medication took its own sweet time to start working. We finally arrived in Bakersfield at the LaQuinta Inn. I'd stayed in LaQuintas in the past and liked them, so I had high hopes for this one. The hotel itself was nice with an elegant exterior and large tasteful lobby and a cozy breakfast eating area. The room was clean and we were very happy to arrive.

Missy was especially glad to get out of that car.

The bathroom toilet was one of the strangest (and highest) I've ever seen.

The day before I departed, as I usually do, I had checked the regular travel sites such as Yelp.com and TripAdvisor.com for the best places to eat and visit in that area. I didn't come up with very much. I decided that because I was there for such a short time, I wouldn't attempt to explore the city.

The hotel was in a bad area, which was dirty, neglected, and industrial; the local inhabitants looked like escapees from "Deliverance" and were a little frightening.

After getting Missy set up in the bathroom with her food, bed, and heating pad, I left for a short time to have dinner at the Denny's across the street....I skipped my planned swim in the hotel pool and went horizontal in bed.

RANTS & RAVES:

Bakersfield itself - don't bother

La Quinta Inn: Be sure to ask for a room on the bottom floor AWAY from any stairs - those areas tend to be more noisy. They have a good breakfast in the morning. The wireless internet works well.

Food: You can eat at the Denny's across the street. If you're a woman alone, I wouldn't recommend walking anywhere alone at night.