Tehachapi Off The Beaten Path

4 more images

I am very proud of the murals Tehachapi has. I think it is a lost art that is surely making a come back. I personally rather see beautiful art than a blank cold brick. So browse around and check out the murals.

The Historic Tehachapi Loop ~Ace Hardware on Tehachapi Blvd dowtown.
Our Beloved Symbols~VFW buidling on Tehachapi Blvd downtown.
Pony Express Rider~Inside the Closed Cattlemans Cafe building on Steuber Rd off of the Tehachapi Blvd Exit~Update: It has been painted over by Cafe 58.
Tehachapi Summit~La Quinta Inn on Steuber Rd off of Tehachapi Blvd Exit.
T-hacha-P Brand-Apple Shed on Tehachapi Blvd downtown
1915 Street Dance~Tehachapi Pioneers accross from the Chamber of Commerce on Tehachapi Blvd
Kawaiisu indians, "Nu-oo-ah, "the people" ~(It is so beautiful)Tehachapi Hitching Post Theatres on F Street and Green
Monolith, Ca "Wishing You Were Here" Mural~across from the Hitchinig Post Theatres F Street and Green Street.
First Flight from Tehachapi to Bakersfield ~To the right of the Tehachapi Hitching Post Theatre
Red Front Blacksmith Shop ~Moose Lodge on Curry & Tehachapi Blvd
Winter Wonderland~Inside the bakery in Tehachapi Market Place on Tehachapi Blvd
Avelino Martinez~Japanese Restaurant across from Sheriff Station on F Street.
Mother Mary~A tile mural on the St. Malachy Catholic Church-Located on E Street
Jave Loop Cafe~Mural on Valley Blvd & Golden Hills Blvd
The Brown Family Mural and Tehachapi Mounatain Side Mural~behind the Tehachapi Valley Arts Association building on Green Street and Tehachapi Blvd.
Harmony Mural~located in the music room at Jacobsen Jr. High School at 711 Anita Dr.
"Warrior Pride" Tehachapi High Mural~801 South Dennison Road.
"Dreaming of the Future"~Tehachapi High Scool Builidng 1101-1108 at 801 South Dennison Road.
Centennial Plaza Mural~BK Theater Pioneers ~110 South Green Street
Tehachapi Centennial~ Philip Marx, one of the city's founders. Tehachapi Blvd, across from Circle K mini Mart.
Tompkins Elementary School~Tigers~1120 South Curry Street

Check out my travel logs to see more of murals...please enjoy!

1 more image

One of the largest wind farms owned by several companies is located in Tehachapi with over 5,000 wind turbines and is the second largest collection of wind generators in the world (The largest is at the Altamont pass, near Livermore and the San Francisco Bay area), but is now the largest wind power array in the world in output. You can see these giant props turning in the wind like the windmills of old using only the power of the wind to spin. Just east of Tehachapi, you can see them from Hwy 58. One of the better ways to see the monterous propellers is close up on the Tehachapi Willows Springs Road south of town off Hwy 58. You can drive all the way to Rosamond on this stretch of wind turbine country. Now if only these companies would look at Desert Center, California between Indio and Blythe. I have some acreage out near the Cockscomb Mountain that is always windy. lol

2 more images

Tehachapi Pass became the preferred route connecting the Mojave and the San Joaquin Valley after John C. Fremont and Kit Carson passed this way during the 2nd Fremont Expedition in 1844. Situated at the Southern edge of the Sierra Nevada. Tehachapi Pass provided a reliable way to enter and leave the San Joaquin Valley during the winter. In 1853, while surveying the area for the U.S. Government, Lt. R.S. Williamson learned from the Indian Villagers the name of the principal creek that flowed west through the pass. They called it, Tah-ee-chay-pah. Soon settlers began to arrive and prospectors discovered Gold in the nearby streams. By 1869, the town of Williamsburg or Tehichipa had emerged in the Golden Hills, five miles to the east. On July 10, 1876, the Southern Pacific Railroad arrived in the Tehachapi Valley, and a new town was established beside the line on August 13, 1909. The settlement was incorporated as the City of Tehachapi, which for a hundred years has served as a commerical center for miners, farmers, ranches and travelers. Today Tehachapi leads the country in wind turbine generation technology.
Dedicated April 25, 2010 by Peter Lebeck Chapter #1866 of the Ancient and Honorable Order of E. Clampus Vitus.

Located on Railroad Park on Tehachapi Blvd, underneath the water towers.

Tehachapi Chamber of Commerce
209 E. Tehachapi Blvd.
P.O. Box 401
Tehachapi CA 93581

3 more images

I am sure not too many know about this, but at the entrance our Police department is this window display of memorabilia of past constables of Tehachapi. It is like a hidden find. I was just browsing my wonderful little city when I discovered it.

Located at: 129 East “F” Street Tehachapi, CA 93561

Hours
8:00 am - 5:00 pm
Monday - Friday
Patrol Services: 24/7/365

4 more images

If you want to go on a mini adventure, this might be the place for you. Located in Sand Canyon that is south east of Tehachapi is a beautiful peaceful retreat. Called Mountain Spirit Center, which is affiliated with the Chogye Order of Korean Buddhism. It's located way back into the canyon and is completely off the grid with its own solar and wind power for electricity.

It's very detailed beautiful "Peace Bell" is hand painted with children dressed in their traditional costume holding hands. The words "peace" is translated into hundreds of languages. Also the words, "Living Together In Peace and Harmony."

When we arrived, a three year old ambassador greeted us. We kept bowing to eachother, which made my hubby giggle. The little ambassador escorted us around and he wanted us to especially look at the bell and when it was time to leave I made sure he went right back up to his Mom:).

Visitors are welcome any day.
Sunday Services are held weekly at 11 a.m. until 1 p.m.
The center is open daily from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m

8400 Juniper Way, Tehachapi, CA 93561-9315

Located at: Take Highway 58 east, exit at the Sand Canyon Road/Monolith, turn right at the stop sign, then turn left onto Tehachapi Boulevard and right onto Sand Canyon Road. Travel up Sand Canyon Road 2.5 miles. Turn right onto the dirt road by a huge row of mail boxes and follow the signs to Mountain Spirit Center (Tae Go Sa temple). It is a dirt road and sometimes a little rough.

Caution: There is a area that might have a stream running across it during spring or heavy rains.

3 more images

For many years while passing thru on (Tehachapi Willow Springs Road) or Oak Creek Pass as they called during the pioneer days you can see this little white picket fence perched at the top of a hill right next to the road. I finally made the hike a couple of years ago to investigate it. As I had thought, it was a gravesite of a pioneer who has passed away while trying to get to Tehachapi. It belongs to James Henry Foley all of 21 years young who died of small pox he contracted before leaving Texas. He traveled by wagon train till he got to El Monte, Ca. and then bought himself a horse for the rest of his journey. He made it far as the Oak Creek Station. His brother Francis hurried to his side till he died. He was not allowed to bury his brother in the local cemetery because of the infectious disease. Can you imagine the pain of not knowing where to bury your loved one? I can only surmise that during those times you just did what you had to do. At least his brother picked a wonderful spot overlooking the rolling hill line looking toward the Mojave Desert. The Foley family left the area in 1958 for Washington. Family did return to visit the gravesite to find the little fence fallen. Now you can see that someone rebuilt it and every now and then many hike their way to see James and pay their respects. He will never be forgotten. He is forever part of Tehachapi’s Pioneer history and legacy.

"What James did not find in life, he found in death; a home and peace among the hills of Tehachapi.~Yaqui"

Located on Tehachapi Williow Springs Road and Oak Creek Road

There is a dirty pull off to park safely right across from the intersection of Tehachapi Willow Springs Road and Cameron Road Intersection. A hiking trail sign is present so you should ba able to spot it easily.

PLEASE DRIVE SLOW AND TAKE YOUR TIME....SAFETY FIRST. LOTS OF TRAFFIC HAUL THRU HERE SO TAKE YOUR TIME.

3 more images

September 1932 Engine 3834 was lost in Tehachapi Creek in a flash flood. It was lost for two weeks found under 10 feet of mud. It took a month to free the Train and eventually she was returned to service with great celebration. This plaque honors and reminds us of the eventful day.

Just west on Woodford Tehachapi Rd, about a mile east from the Tehachapi Loop. It is on your left if your heading east. It has a decent pulll off to view it.

Dedicated by the Platrix Chapter No. 3 & Peter Lebec Chapter No.1866 E Clamptus Vitus

The last historical photo is located at Kelcy's dinner. There are lots of wonderful historical local photo's in the back dinning room.

3 more images

If you are a railroad buff, maybe even just curious, then to drive about 10 miles north of Tehachapi to Keene on Hwy 58, get off and go right on the road for about 3 miles and there is a roadside monument marker about the "Tehachapi Loop". Find a pull out off the road and go read the marker then look up and out to the railroad tracks below. The tracks go in a circle but in reality one track is going under and through a tunnel below the top track. If the train is long enough and most freight trains are, you can see this marvel of engineering that was done in the 1870's. Southern Pacific Railroad wanted a route from San Francisco to Los Angeles and the route was to go through the elevations between Bakersfield and Mojave. The 4,065 summit pass, later named the Tahachapi Summit Pass, needed to be crossed and the only way William Hood, the civil engineer for the Southern Pacific Railway Company was to do it safely was to loop the track one over the other to keep the grade within the permitted grade of 2.2%. The track loop using the circular path measured 3,799 feet to make one huge loop that became the "Tehachapi Loop."

It seemed like a long ride out to the area of Keene, but the scenery along the way was wonderful to see with the mountains and wide open spaces. The smaller two lane road from the turn off was a bit of concentration for it had many curves till the marker was seen. It is also a little difficult to turn around on this road with not to many turn-outs. Once I did get turned around and stopped off the road, I got out and saw this view of tracks and was told that a freight train should be by every 15 minutes. It was difficult and for me unable to get the entire track in one photo but with the use of a photo, thanks to Google Earth, could see this marvel in one photo. I did see one freight train go by. No scheduled passenger trains have taken this route since 1971. So, become an engineer for the railroad, or dare to hop a freight (it is against the law and dangerous) to ride the rails on this "Tahachapi Loop." Well, you could be a brakeman or signal man or rail-bed worker to take the ride around the loop. I've been workin' on the railroad, all the live long day. I've been workin' on the railroad just to pass the time away. Don't you hear the whistle blowing?