At the southernmost point of the Central Valley in California, Bakersfield is situated in Kern County. It is a city with a long history rooted in oil, farming, and country music. Much of this heritage combines contemporary attractions, such as a developing artistic and cultural scene fed by a vibrant creative scene. This makes Bakersfield The Country Music Capital of the West Coast, along with a rich cultural heritage.

 The Bakersfield Sound, a country music subgenre made famous in the 1950s and 1960s by local artists like Buck Owens and Merle Haggard, would have to be the soundtrack for traveling. At locations like Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace and the Kern County Museum, where tourists may tour Merle Haggard’s childhood home, visitors can now experience the Bakersfield Sound. Read our list of the most important things to do in Bakersfield for more suggestions on where to go.

Another entry point to the natural outdoors is Bakersfield. The pedestrian-only Kern River Parkway Trail runs parallel to the massive Kern River as it flows directly through the city. With the region’s typical bright weather forecast, this paved path provides access to other picturesque open places in the city.

Bakersfield’s Hart Memorial Park:

The jewel of Bakersfield’s open spaces is Hart Memorial Park. It’s about a 20-minute drive northeast of town, tucked among the banks of the Kern River in the Sierra Nevada Mountains’ foothills. Additionally, there are other activities you can do on its 370 acres.

The park has picnic areas, playgrounds, and concrete walking paths. Two fishing lakes are stocked with bass, bluegill, and rainbow trout. And mature trees all across the park provide plenty of shade. Due to these factors, the park frequently overflows with hikers, picnickers with their families, and fishermen trying to reel in a catch. For disc golfers, Hart Memorial Park is a popular location. Two disc golf courses in the park wind through various topographies. An 18-hole course that mostly stays flat winds across the lush grass close to the river. The other course, Shark Tooth Mountain Disc Golf Course, has 18 challenging holes that wind through mountainside terrain. The significantly bigger Kern River County Park includes Hart Memorial Park. Additionally, this vast county park has neighboring attractions like Lake Ming and the California Area Living Museum (CALM). A larger regional soccer complex is also located there.

Amazed Bakersfield’s Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace:

The Buck Owens’ Crystal Palace combines a restaurant, a music venue, and a museum. It is one of the city’s most popular tourist attractions and is dedicated to protecting the filed Sound.

• The Crystal Palace is renowned for its dancing, modern, and vintage country western shows. Each week, there are typically several acts on the schedule. To these well-attended weekly events, wear some Western attire.

• The Crystal Palace menu offers everything from appetizers to main-stage dishes for supper and a play.

• The nearby Buck Owens’ Museum is another compelling incentive to go. It includes artifacts and interpretive data regarding the career of a local singer and the general expansion of Western country music in the United States.

•  The Kern County Museum has a particular exhibit devoted to the field Sound that provides further information about the musical phenomenon. Weekly occasions.

Bakersfield city center:

For the most intense taste of Bakersfield culture, go downtown. This expansive downtown area, which extends many city blocks east and west, is located along Chester Avenue. Numerous eateries in this area tempt with distinctive storefronts and regional menus.

In Bakersfield, this is also the location to go shopping, whether looking for the newest clothing styles or priceless antiques.

The 18hundred and Locale Farm to Table Eatery are two renowned downtown restaurants. The Woolworth Diner and the Padre Hotel are two other local favorites. And for a sophisticated date night or celebratory supper, go to the Horse in the Alley vintage steakhouse, which is housed in one of the oldest downtown structures and dates back to the 1890s. In the city center, shopping can occupy the entire day. Although the area has some locally owned businesses with contemporary designs, its antique sector is likely its most notable feature. Many of these dealers in antiques are located along Chester Avenue between 19th and 20th streets. Here, shops like Merry Go Round Antique Mall and 19th Street Antique Mall have priceless gems waiting to be discovered.

The Bakersfield Fox Theater:

The Fox Theater, a landmark location in field famed for its opulent decor and superior acoustics, was founded on Christmas Day in 1930. It started as a silent-movie theater and later screened some of the first “talkies” to appear on screen. Live music performances fill the Fox Theater’s stage today, providing a wonderful soundtrack to enjoy the interior decoration.

Throughout the 1980s, this architectural treasure narrowly escaped being demolished. It was preserved thanks to community initiatives, and in 1994 the Fox Theater Foundation was established, and the theater was renovated.

Art Gallery of Bakersfield:

Since its founding in 1956, the Bakersfield Museum of Art (BMoA) has served as a window into Kern County’s artistic community. The museum’s permanent collection includes works by California painters from the 20th century. Every time a visitor comes, something new to see is guaranteed, thanks to the BMoA’s frequent rotation of this collection in and out of the display and its inclusion of traveling national exhibits.

The most widely represented mediums at BMoA include paintings, sculptures, and photography. Most works are displayed in about three galleries and a gorgeously lighted lobby. The museum also has the Tejon Ranch Sculpture Park outside, where visitors can appreciate the artwork when the weather is nice.

The beautiful Mill Creek Park and pathway, next to the Bakersfield Museum of Art, is an excellent area to relax during the day. It has a distinctive covered bridge and lots of greenery.

Traveling Tours of Bakersfield:

One of these crucial locations in Bakers is ideal for overnight stops along several Californian roadways. It is located midway between Death Valley, Sequoia National Park, and Los Angeles, as seen on the map. However, Bakersfield is a great place to stay the night for visitors via various routes, and below I’ll highlight the key ones.

1. To Sequoia National Park from Los Angeles (and San Diego):

Sequoia National Park is only 93 miles from Bakersfield, located directly on the highway. If you set off early in the morning (there are stops closer to the park), you may travel this distance the same day you visit the attraction.

If you’ve read the article about Sequoia National Park, you may know that visiting it requires traveling on long, winding roads and wandering amid the park’s thousand-year-old trees, which can take many hours. Therefore, the 500+ miles from San Diego or the 300+ miles from Los Angeles can be a lot to drive in the morning before a visit.

Also Read: 10 Things to Do in Galena Illinois

2. Death Valley to Sequoia National Park:

Long distance. 6 hours and 310–370 miles of travel (depending on the route taken). You can travel to Bakers for the night after seeing Sequoia. The following day, you can either make stops at some of the locations listed in our Sequoia to Death Valley itinerary or drive the final miles to Death Valley.

3. To Death Valley from San Francisco:

If you’re coming from San Francisco, you could go across the Sierra Nevada Mountains to Death Valley, where you may visit some of its parks and take in the area’s breathtaking natural splendor. However, the summer is the only time this is feasible.

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