Tehachapi > Memorial Day weekend 2006

[chris_wlkr]

Tehachapi > Memorial Day weekend 2006
May 26th through May 28th

Plan is to head up Friday evening for camping at the big oak tree just west of Caliente. Depending on the arrival time either set up Base Camp Friday night or wait to do that Saturday morning. Railfan all of Saturday, camp again Saturday night.
Railfan until around sun down on Sunday then head home.

The location at Caliente is secluded enough to provide a bit of isolation from the road traffic and tent's or vehicles can be placed where there is minimal disturbance from the train traffic at night (as if that is a huge problem for a bunch of railfans)
It is a short distance from the famous Caliente Horeshoe Curve.
Rictor took the liberty of providing GPS coordinates for all you Geocacher's and a Yahoo Map link to the area, as well as a picture of the "Big Oak".

Caliente.JPG

For all you geocachers out there: 35° 17' 26"N, 118° 38' 13"W

For the rest of us: http://maps.yahoo.com/maps_result?ma...1&lon=-118.638

Map_01.JPG .. Map_02.JPG
Here are some screen captures from the link above.

caliente_090404.JPG
Here is a photo that shows you where to turn off of Bealville Road and the direction to head in order to meet up at the gathering spot.

For those that wish to join but not camp, there are a few hotels in Tehachapi.

the Best Western Country Park Hotel in Tehchapi. Trackside rooms "may" give you a view of the row around the Summit Switch area. This is 10 miles from the Loop and Caliente is about another 2 miles from the Loop.

Info on the Hotel can be found at this link
Best Western Country Park Hotel (thanks Marshall)

Also reccomended by a few railfan's is the Travelodge which is pretty much right next to the Best Western(s). This reccomendation comes after haveing a bad experience with the Best Western's customer service - or lack of for that matter.

Info on the Hotel lodge can be found at this link:
Tehachapi Summit TravelLodge

I would suggest if you plan on getting a room to book early since this will be a holiday weekend. Tehachapi has it's fair share of holiday visitors. While I can not vouche for the hotels themselves since I have never stayed there, I have had reccomendations and voiced issues on both.

So far there have been many confirmed to join the festivities (whatever they may be).

If you have any questions, concerns or think you can join us please post a reply here or you can private message me, or email me.

Chris

[rt_wolf]

Count me tentively. Right now putting in my time off request for work!

Robert T.

[chris_wlkr]

Okay Robert... sounds good. Hope you can make it.

Chris

[mkstarks]

Sounds good to me! I'll be there (Scary, Eh?)!!! For those who want to stay in hotel I recommend the new Best Western Country Park Hotel. It's very nice and the staff were very accommodating the last time I was there.

[chris_wlkr]

... thanks Marshall. I thought there was a "newer" Best Western there.

And .. hey, cool - glad you can make it ... we just need Dave there and we will have all the SoCal Admin in one place... well Dave will be around for about 2 minutes... then he will take off after a train ... say, who's gonna run the site with all of us out there!! Heh heh... as if that is a problem.

So far we have at least 8 confirmed to show up.

Chris

[chad thomas]

Memorial day. Sounds good and I should be able to get away that weekend.

BTW- The only complaint I have about the Best Western on Tehachapi blvd is the lack of windows faceing the tracks.

[chris_wlkr]

Originally Posted by chad thomas

Memorial day. Sounds good and I should be able to get away that weekend.

BTW- The only complaint I have about the Best Western on Tehachapi blvd is the lack of windows faceing the tracks.

Good to hear Chad... lol about the Best Western. I was thinking that was the same as the one Marshall posted. Which has at least 10 windows facing the tracks (from the picture) Goes to show how much I pay attention to that side of the road as I am speeding by at 60 ... umh, I mean 35... through town.

I think I will change the link with Marshalls as to not confuse anyone.

Chris

[usafrsq]

Wish I could go, but have to work on a train called Thomas the Tank Engine for the next two weekends . Maybe next trip, I hope there will be more .

[chad thomas]

Originally Posted by chris_wlkr

Good to hear Chad... lol about the Best Western. I was thinking that was the same as the one Marshall posted. Which has at least 10 windows facing the tracks (from the picture) Goes to show how much I pay attention to that side of the road as I am speeding by at 60 ... umh, I mean 35... through town.

I think I will change the link with Marshalls as to not confuse anyone.

Chris

I have stayed there a few times. There is one room at the north end of the west wing upstairs that you can see the tracks from (barely) and the end of the walkway is open with a good view of the tracks. But I haven't been there in a few years so mabee they have added some more windows. I have been in so many trackside hotels that lacked windows faceing the right way. It would be nice if someone would start a chain of "railfan hotels" that would cater to railfans, Build some balconeys and punch windows with trackside views. Mabee even put up cameras and distribute on there tv systems. They could even distribute the railroad band on the tv system and provide scanner outlets. Then offer railfan trackside guides / timetables and sell film / batteries and such in the office. If they marketed the chain in the railfan mags I think it could be a successfull enterprise.

[Rictor]

Originally Posted by mkstarks

Sounds good to me! I'll be there.

Glad you can make it, will the Colonel be coming also?