Tulare, CA

Monday, May 4, 2015

Today we move from Bakersfiled, CA to Tulare, CA which is fairly close to Sequoia National Park and Kings Canyon.  We plan to visit both while we are in Tulare.

About half way to Tulare we noticed there were flowering bushes in the median and lots of crops growing.  Shortly after we noticed this, we saw a sign saying we were in Tulare County.

First we saw lots of fields of grapes.  Some fields were even labeled "table grapes".  See the ghost car?  It must have been a reflection on the coach window, as I took the picture through the window as we were driving along.

Now there a fields of orange trees.  Also see all the flowering bushes in the median?  If California is in such a drought, why so many miles of plants in the middle of the highway?

A truck full of oranges passed us.  There is a different crop growing here.  

We are at Sun & Fun in Tulare, CA.  This park is full of mostly long-term people.  There are 3 pull-through sites all with full hookups and 30/50 amp service.  We are in the largest site and both the coach and Jeep just fit.  We are here using Escapees with a 50% discount.  The 50 amp plug at our site said it had an open ground so we had to use the 30 amp to start with.  I must say they immediately called an electrician and we had 50 amp power by late afternoon. These pull-through sites are fairly level.  I don't think our coach would fit in any other site in this park.  This park is just off the freeway and apparently very close to a train track.  With the air conditioning running, we did not hear the freeway traffic.  BUT trains come by regularly all night and when they blow their horn, it is very loud.  Oh well, we are only here 3 nights.

I have been reading about Tulare County and it has gone from the 2012 #3 agriculture-producing county in the US to the 2013 #1 agriculture-producing county in the US.  No wonder we have seen so many crops.  However, upon further reading the top commodity is milk.  The top 10 commodities are listed from #1 to #10; milk, grapes, oranges (naval & Valencias), cattle & calves (due to milk industry), pistacios, walnuts, almonds, corn, nectarines & alfalfa.   We have seen some fruit stands offering cherries and strawberries.
If they are reasonably priced, we may get some.

Tomorrow we plan to go Sequoia National Park.