Bakersfield, CA
January 19, 2023 - January 22, 2023
Hey everyone, it's Ben! Bridget and I recently took a trip from the sandy beaches and stunning craters of Hawaii to the “Nashville West” or “Country Music Capital of the West Coast” otherwise known as Bakersfield, CA. I had never really heard of this reference but the google machine says that it is renowned for its contribution to country music and is home to country legends like Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.
We had planned to fly standby out of Honolulu and make our way to San Francisco, but as it sometimes happens, every single seat was taken. So, we ended up jumping on a flight to Los Angeles where our friend Curtis drove 2 hours each way to pick us up.
When we finally made it to Bakersfield at 11 PM we were all starving from the late night drive, so we picked up some local chain tacos and headed to Curtis and Landre’s fancy new digs. Landre and baby Zane were already asleep, so we didn’t get to see them until the next day. We got a tour of the new swanky house and had a few night cap cocktails and headed to bed after a long day of traveling.
In the morning we got to meet Zane! Bridget being a much more natural (some might say motherly) human around kids was immediately comfortable. I, on the other hand, was naturally overly cautious while holding him but after a couple times it was easy peasy and he even took a bottle from me!
While in Bakersfield, we caught up, watched some Iowa State basketball (unfortunately we lost) and NFL football, and feasted on some delicious homemade guac. Curtis and Landre even went the extra mile and made a special dinner to celebrate our engagement - tri-tip steak, homemade fries, and green beans. They also got this extra-large bottle of champagne - it was probably 2x the size of a normal bottle - could do some real damage if you used it to defend yourself from an intruder or something. But as I have found out in the past - these champagne bottles sometimes retain a lot of pressure and when you go to release the cork - the thing goes FLYING! I felt it might happen here but I was struggling enough just getting the cork off that as I was getting near the end I misjudged it and pretty sure it caused a dent in the ceiling and champagne went all over the kitchen like a fountain at the Bellagio. OOPS!
The trip to Bakersfield was exactly what Bridge and I needed before our big trip to New Zealand. It was a great reminder of the importance of friendship and the joy of catching up with old friends. Plus, we got to meet the newest member of the Schaefer family! Next stop…
Auckland, New Zealand!!
