Golden Desert Wasteland

A few days ago, I drove back to LA from the Bay Area. I had been at home for Father's Day. There was construction on the 5 South near Bakersfield that resulted in two lanes being reduced to one. Having experienced a 1 hour delay on the 5N at the same place for the same reason, I decided to take a detour. I took highway 46 going West towards Lost Hills / Wasco.

This was one of the most beautiful detours I have ever taken (on any trip). From the 46, I took the 33 South through Taft and at Maricopa, I took the 166 East to the 5. The whole detour took over an hour. I embarked on the detour at around 5pm, which was a great time because I got to experience sunset in this wild country.

These roads were deserted. I could literally drive for miles without seeing another car. At the same time, the roads were nerve-wracking - they were two lane roads (one side going, the other coming), and with no cars on the road, it was tempting to fly by at 80+ mph. When I did see a car, it was usually an oversized 4x4 pickup truck.

Golden hills never looked so beautiful. I guess one of the great things about 5 is that you are driving in a valley - but you have the enormous San Bernadino mountains and 152 mountains in the background / foreground. The altitude difference is striking. The 5 desert can be a quiet, beaufitul place of solitude. No different and just as compelling as the feeling of solitude in Patagonia.  

The economy in these towns seemed weak. One normally doesn't think of California as an oil-producing state, but oil is the main economy in Lost Hills, Taft, etc. The gas stations I saw in these cities were not brand name stations. The convenience stores looked like they were from the 1970s. What will happen to these forgotten towns as we transition to a world of non-oil based energy?

There is something otherworldly about this detour. It's worth taking if you have the time and you can make the trip around sunset.