A long road trip for a toddler can be tough. No toddler wants to sit in a car seat for more than a…read morecouple hours. My son is no exception. When traveling from So Cal to Nor Cal we wanted to make a few stops to allow my toddler to run around and expend some energy. Enter Paramount Park in Lost Hills. It's right off the 5 freeway, about 1 1/2 miles from the freeway. Nice park with a soccer field, basketball court, water play (for the summers), picnic tables, and playground for the kiddos. We grabbed some grub from one of the fast food joints, ate it here, and allowed my son to run around play. The park is very well maintained. The bathrooms are pretty clean too. And this is coming from someone who never uses park bathrooms. So if you have a little one or dogs that need to run around then definitely check out Paramount Park. When making a trip from So Cal to Nor Cal we will definitely be stopping by this park again.

We recently had a special yearly tradition for The Park at River Walk, the Memorial Day Thousand…read moreFlags Ceremony. The entire park is covered in USA flags and it is always an awe inspiring sight. The day of ceremony always draws a large crowd. I took the family dog on a walk the night before to avoid the heat and enjoy the sight. It was nice to have a quieter moment to soak in the flags. It's also good to see families and friends gather at this awesome local park. It's nice to see the the park is being reinvested in with the playground currently under construction to bring in new equipment. I'll have to post some pictures of the structure once it's done!

The Park at River Walk is a lively place for people to have picnics, enjoy a walk/run, admire the…read morewildlife, or head to the Dignity Amphitheater for events. My best friend and I took a break from studying so that we can go for a walk here. Honestly, this park is so nice and I wouldn't mind laying out a blanket on the grass and reading under a tree. It was a refreshing place to relax our minds. I loved seeing the ducks and geese wading in the water. For the most part, the park is kept clean but it makes me sad to see garbage accumulate where the animals swim.

Very clean and well kept. full of various activities for the whole family. The family and I very…read moremuch enjoy going there every time.

Yeah a playground near the I-5! It's about 4 miles off the highway in town of Button Willow. Great…read morepit stop on trek from Bay Area to LA. Large Playground, clean bathrooms, covered picnic tables.

Kern the Page…read more 11,249-acre nature preserve located in south San Joaquin Valley, near the city of Delano. The Good: *Free to visit *Six-mile looped route that can be hiked or driven. *Port-o-potties available *If you're a birder, this is the place for you. Everything from common garden birds, to raptors, and tons of waterfowl. The Meh: *During winter months (Oct - Jan) the Refuge is closed on Wed & Sat to non-hunters. The Ugly: *Begging the pardon of local denizen, this place is literally in the middle of nowhere. There's literally no reason to be anywhere by here unless you're specifically coming out just for this. The rest of the area is random farms and more wildlife refuges. Conclusion: We liked this place but not sure if it's really worth the effort to make it out here, unless you really, really love birds. But, if you also happen to be ±30min away, then definitely worth it.

This wildlife refuge happened to be on the way to my destination, so I decided to make a stop. It's…read morenot the right time of year, so there was nobody else around. I walked around a bit and mostly saw birds flying around and lots of bird poop on the floor.

I've been coming to Buena Vista Lake since I was 16. It has always been a fun safe and family…read moreoriented place to stay. Camp sites are large and well kept. Its very outdoorsy and there are bugs but if you prepare you can really deter them. We spray our campsite upon arrival for ticks and fleas and roaches. We keep all food inside and clean up and throw away all trash. We don't use harsh led lights. We also jeep a low (one log) smoke fire going during the day as the smoke really helps keep em at bay but doesn't smoke out the campsite. Plus it smells good and makes it campier. Tips: bring outside sandals and watershoes. They have goat-head stickers that feel like tiny needles when stepped on and they are everywhere no matter how much to try to sweep. We have a no shoe policy in the rv so it really helps. Bring lots of bug spray for your person. Its a lake and there are lots of bugs. This place really is awesome for skiers. The rangers are serious about the safety and integrity of this place so of you're looking for a big party its not glamis. Go somewhere else. Cons: tent camping. Probably not the best place if its hot and muggy. You really need ac in these temps. The lake is a huge help but hey trailers are always better. The lake is slowly losing water level. But not by a whole lot. Maybe 5 feet in 20 years. So for boat owners with low props it could be a concern. The rangers are very vigilant. And while this isn't a con for me it could be for you. So mind your manners. A little goes a long way here. But if you want a good skiing lake this is the best place in Cali.

The state of decay of the restroom is unbelievable 3 days camping there not a single day did a…read moremaintenance person come by and clean it. When you pay for a service 130 dollars for camp ground plus parking fee almost 150 dollars total. It's really fucking upsetting mediocre people run this facility. no working sinks as well .

I don't know how to even describe this park, maybe, magical... The sequoias are majestic with sugar…read morepines sprinkled all around. I was here with the Sisters Corp. to do some volunteer work. I did not want to miss the opportunity to give my time for this beautiful place. This is my first time to visit this National Park and I know now it will not be my last. My first day at the volunteer camp group site as we gathered at the table to meet each other and go over the agenda for the weekend we had the opportunity to see a black bear casually roam through our campground near the tents (one of them was mine). We were all informed prior to arriving not to leave any scented items in the tents. No one wonder the bear kept moving along, but with the help of our camp host shooing it away from the campground. This is something we learned from the rangers, is to shoo them away so they don't get in the habit of coming around. The park offers many hiking trails, I had the chance to do one of many, which was the Long Meadow Trail. Very beautiful, plenty of foliage and evidence of a bear in the area. Another part of the park I got to visit was General Sherman. There is a park ranger that will tell you the history of the General Sherman tree. You can wait in a long line to take a pic in front of the tree with a General Sherman sign. Or you can take a pic around the fenced majestic tree. I choose not to wait in line. I had the chance to shuttle to General Sherman tree from the Museum. The Shuttle is free and seems to come every 10-15 min. From General Sherman I also shuttled to the Lodgepole marketplace and visitor center. In this area are bathrooms with showers (coin operated, quarters). The Marketplace has an area to order some food and also a section where you can purchase some ice cream by the scoop. The store offers assorted ice cream bars. The visitor center offers gift items as well as the marketplace. At the front of the visitor center they had a ranger available at a booth if you had any questions. This place is quite busy! Parking lot is a madhouse. Nearby is a campground you may want to check out or ask the ranger for some info. If you can, arrive early, find parking at the Museum and shuttle to everything if you can. Warning, when I was doing volunteer work in the parking lot across from the museum we witnessed a black bear enjoying some berries in the bushes. I'm not sure if they will venture into the parking lot with a lot human activity going on but be careful what you leave in your car, anything and everything with a scent. The park has so much to see. I look forward to returning to volunteer and to take advantage of what the park has to offer.

Best national park I've ever been to and that's saying a lot…read more It's magical, and I highly recommend getting to the Sherman trailhead prior to 9:30am if you want a parking spot. Takes about an hour to get in there, up there and parked so plan accordingly. The congress trail was amazing and for a 3.5 mile hike it took about 2.5 hours with frequent stops for pictures. Highly recommend a stop at lodge pole for refreshments and merch. Incredible experience from start to finish.

Nice place. Water fountains are awesome. Relaxing view. I really enjoyed visiting Hart Park in…read moreBakersfield. It has a peaceful and relaxing atmosphere on many days, especially if you love nature. The water, mountains, trees, and scenery are very beautiful and make it a great place to disconnect and enjoy the outdoors. Sometimes when there is shooting practice at the pistol range nearby, it can interrupt the peaceful feeling a little, but overall the park is still very nice and worth visiting

This is an amazing park! It was so green and plenty of space for people to get their own spot. I…read morewent in the afternoon, so it was hot! There were a lot of ducks in the lake. I plan to come back another time to enjoy the scenery in the morning.

This is not a place you just stumble into, even if you know where it is! I'm glad I finally, after…read moremany years of dreaming, was able to spend an afternoon here on a recent road trip down 99. It is a place that seems so desolate, even though not far from towns and cities, and my first thought was "how was this a bustling city of hundreds of folks just one hundred years ago. Yet, when I took the time to visit the buildings - each and every one of them - I began to get the big picture and see what may have been, although much is missing. When I drove in, I was literally the only one in town. There were a few cars and trailers next door by the RV/camp area, past the old schoolhouse, but no one in the park proper. I started with the visitor center, which is a nondescript trailer next to elevated decks and tables, next to a green lawn - the only one you'll pretty much see here - and an amazing mound of various cacti! The center is simple, with a space and chairs for offerings, and exhibits to whet your appetite. Included are artifacts from the town, clothing from the era, and the medals worn by Colonel Allensworth. Seeing these in old black and white photos, then seeing them in person in living 3-D color, is moving. Before you visit, though, you MUST do your research about Col. Allensworth, his life and legacy, and the town in general. It's history is a needed basis for the time you will want to spend here. After the visitor center, I set off to visit each building, going counter-clockwise, starting with the "new" schoolhouse next to the visitor center. All the buildings here, outhouses exempted, have information placards about the structure, as well as codes for accessing on your phone audio presentations about the building and the people who lived and/or worked in that building. These really flesh out the life of the town, as you meet everyone from the founders, to the leaders, to the business folk and farmers, and blacksmiths and storekeepers, and librarians and constables, and all the others who called this area home. One thing that struck me, as I was reading and listening to these histories, was how many people moved here from other areas. Some came from Bakersfield and Fresno, rather close, but others came from Alameda and Oakland, up in my area, and not a quick trip in those days, as well as other popular Southern California towns. This tells me how strong this city of Allensworth was at its heyday, to draw people into the central valley to join in a common effort of life and success. Amazing stories, indeed. The buildings have been restored after decades of neglect and material theft, but they are close, if not exact, replicas. Each building can be walked up to, but is not open. However, you can, and should, walk around and look in any windows you can reach. The windows seem to have a covering that reflects the UV rays of the ever-present sun, so from a distance, there is no way to see inside. But when you get close and put your face to the window, most of the buildings offer an interior view of what that building likely looked like in the past. Some of my photos show these interiors. This is why you really need to visit each, if not most, of the buildings to get the most of what this place offers. I was blessed to encounter two California State Parks interpretive rangers who were about to film a presentation at Allensworth's home while I was there, and they graciously offered me a peek inside as they set up. What a moment, to stand in the Allensworth house and see what they called home for many years. I wish more places were accessible like this, but given the location and scarcity of folks here, for other than the two rangers and three park maintenance workers, it was empty, I can see why they need to keep the buildings safe. For me, the whole time spent here was several hours and a few miles walked. Be sure to wear sun protection, as there is very little shade left. I could chat all day about the park and what it offers, but there are many great online resources on its history, with good photos, maps, and other information to help you plan a visit here. I took about 150 photos, but have only offered a sampling here, again, to whet YOUR appetite for a visit! The park is a diamond among gems for me, not for what it is lacking, but for what it tries to share - a history hidden, and a place of dreams and hopes left to languish in the valley sun. History is not always exciting, or aesthetic, or comfortable, and my time here reminded me of how these settlers built a living city from barren, dry, hot soil. Indeed, a great reminder of why this park is important for what it offers - a small step back into the history of Allensworth and its townspeople.

Free to enter for day use…read more Came during a holiday afternoon. There were a few cars around. You could also camp here. It was $20 without hookup and $30 with hookup. Seniors get $2 off a night. It's a state park so it's 50% off with the State Parks Disabled Discount Pass. The restroom was next to the Visitor's Center. The toilets were flushable. There were plenty of stalls and there was soap in the soap dispenser. The Visitor's Center was really small and unattended. We couldn't get into any other buildings. Really cool to learn about this amazing town. Overall, a really nice park with a history.

Absolutely stunning, amazing views, fresh air and super clean area. Lots of trash's located around…read more Peaceful. From entrance it's 45mins to get to the sequoia trees. Sundays don't require a fee. Definitely recommend. open 24/7 365 days a year.

I've always wanted to go to the Sequoia's. I didn't know what to expect but wanted to try and make…read morea loop so we drove up through Kernville. The Kern river was especially high and so were the temperatures. We ascended into the forest pretty quickly, following the river. There's a ton of camping along the river but not a lot of "forest". We stayed at the Durrwood Creek Lodge B&B for the night and got a fresh start early the next morning. About 10 miles up the road it finally started looking more "forest"like. But still a dry desert like California forest. As we continued driving we came across the 100 Giant Sequoia's park. We parked for $5 and walked amongst some ancient trees. The walk is paved and easily accessible for all. There were a lot of dead and fallen trees throughout the forest which was a bit sad and disheartening. The droughts, bark beetles, fires and wind storms really has taken a toll on this beautiful forest. I did learn that there is a difference between the National Forest and National Park. This is the National Forest. Land that has been set aside, in its natural habitat with minimal impact. There is primitive camping, hunting, and less maintained services. The Kings Canyon Sequoia National Park is more maintained with lodging, camping and visitor centers and requires an entrance fee. Both have giant Sequoia's. The road was maintained and an easy day drive. We made several stops to take photos and even came across several waterfalls right off the highway. We drove through a couple of small little towns. They're is a few restaurants, but no gas or cell service. I did enjoy seeing the giant Sequoia's. And if really like to rent a yurt up there! I look forward to getting through the National Park next.

So if you know me a little, you know I always love checking out local flavor…read more I travel to this area of California every summer. Last summer I had seen this chapel from Highway 46 as I entered wine country. It caught my attention so I decided to check it out on the way home. Location is easy to find and it's on McMillan Canyon Road. You can easily miss the turn so use your GPS. Once you turn onto the road the chapel comes in full view. It's like this beautiful beacon standing the middle of the foothills of central California. I pulled into the parking lot with not a soul in sight. We hiked the 300 feet up to the chapel with gorgeous vineyards keeping us company on the way up. For those that are unable to complete the steep walk, there is a paved road entrance behind the chapel but only open on Sundays. The chapel was not open but it still had a lovely exterior. The chapel was built by Judge William Clark a local Shandon resident in 1993. It was built in the style of English architect Christopher Wren who also worked on St. Paul's Cathedral in London. It is open for mass on most Sundays at 8:00am and once a year they host Festival Mozaic. The chapels name was changed to Serra Chapel in 2015. If you enjoy local flavor, this is a must stop I highly recommend.

Chapel Hill is one of those rare gems in the world. For the longest time I never knew it was here -…read morebut looking North one day while traveling along the 46 I noticed it. I did some research and as Jamie S mentioned below, there is some interesting history here. Chapel Hill was renamed Serra Chapel after Father Junipero Serra. Supposedly there's a relic of Junipero Serra's bone here that they bring out during mass. I had full intention of attending mass a few Sunday's back but was about 15 minutes late. I didn't want to disturb the other parishioners so I opted not to enter, instead hang out outside and taking in the awesome views. The actual church is only open during Sunday Mass and a few special events. Parking on top of the hill is via the back entrance that is closed except during mass & events. You can park in the front and take the trek up the hill any time though.