The Trek North — Airports and Wineries
Minter Field Historical Air Museum at Shafter – our next overnight stay. https://minterfieldairmuseum.com Level parking for three RVs. We were the second to arrive – a big 5th wheel already there. As there was supposed to be another big rig arriving later in the evening, we (being smaller) moved to the far end . . . actually a better spot.
An important training base during the second World War II, it is run by volunteers – most of whom are getting on in years. What will happen to all this memorabilia and stories after they go. Despite its modest size, the museum has managed to cram an inordinate amount of important documentation, artifacts, models, photographs, uniforms, etc. into every available nook and cranny – covering WWI, WWII (including U-boat models), Korean War, the war in Vietnam, and the US Space Program. The large teddy bear was sitting in the first ‘flight simulator’ . . . . it had air bellows to give motion and was connected to a fairly primitive type of computer and chart, and still worked. The fellow who took us round (now aged 84) had grown up helping his father on the base during the war, and brought much of the history to life. He did an amazing job. We went on to the hangers with an assortment of helicopters, single winged plane, and even a tri wing (think Red Baron). Glen got to sit in one . . . the car with the ‘suicide doors’ was most comfortable too. Great tour . . . would have enjoyed poking around further. Outside, a helicopter with suspended sensing equipment was probing for oil deposits under the surface, and there was even a dirigible tethered out on the runway.
Drove into the nearby town of Shafter for some groceries and discovered a delightful tree-lined main street, mostly Mexican shops (great for practicing one’s Spanish) . . . and local youth . . . in pickup trucks . . . window down . . . elbow out . . . each overlapping the next with radios at top volume trying to catch the eyes of las chicas. Wonderful stuff.
One of the 5th wheels had a noisy generator going for a couple of hours (probably watching tv or using a washing machine, or such like) – we just turned up the stereo a bit more while eating dinner, to drown out the sound.
Phones are one hour ahead of watches this morning . . . didn’t realize it was Daylight Saving Time this weekend. Hate ‘losing’ an hour.
Drove the entire day through the San Joachim valley and all you could see were orchards of almond, pistachio, walnut, cherry, grapes, oranges as far into the distance as was possible to see – in every direction. The only breaks were for huge Dairy farms – some with thousands of cows . . . Jersey, Guernsey, Holstein, Friesen. Talk about intensive agriculture. Bee boxes – brought in just as the various fruit/nut trees were about to blossom, to help with the pollination. Many trees are given a ‘short-back-and-sides’ pruning, or trained in open Ys to aid with mechanical harvesting. Some of the almonds and cherries were just starting to open their buds. Another week and they’d be covered in pink or white snow.
Signs spotted: “Build More Dams; Stop Man-Made Drought” (haven’t figured that one out yet. Place selling bar stools: “Come check out our stool samples!” In Corcoran, a town official had obviously spent a lot of money having a beautiful colourful brick sign built, claiming, “Corcoran . . . Farming Capital of . . . . . . ‘ – not realizing the height of the newly paved road completely blocked off the bottom line “California” until one was right beside it, looking down. And Madam Sophia must have been fed up with ongoing road works preventing potential customers from even seeing her boutique above the roadside boards, so she’d hoisted a plywood cut out of a hand with “Palms Read” . . . that’s all that could be seen.
Fresno didn’t appear to have a single redeeming feature . . . at least not from the highway. Just a sprawl of Bill Boards with smarmy-looking lawyers leering down, Car Dealerships and RV Sales vying to see who flew the largest American Flags; cramped, run-down trailer parks, railway yards, Fast Food franchises . . . . you get the picture.
On a freeway at rush hour, a motorcyclist cut right in front of us, then wove back across the lane, leaned in and literally pushed the front passenger fender of the car beside him, and squeezed through. Heart-stopping to watch.
Quite relieved to reach our Host for tonight, another winery – this time in Merced. Beautiful setting – used for weddings, wine tastings, coach tours. Original wooden house with wide verandah now used for wine tasting – couples or small groups can sit inside or out. Very personable hostess (name of Momi) immediately sensed that wine was needed (we must have looked shattered) and started pouring samplings. How pleasant to relax on a sun-drenched verandah, glass in hand, listening to the birds singing in a nearby olive tree. Ahhhh!
With the air still balmy and dusk descending, we strolled back to our campsite to prepare dinner. While I peeled potatoes, Glen pulled out the BBQ to cook the sausages. “Erm . . . Houston . . . . we have a problem!” I heard waft through the kitchen window. “There’s water leaking from the fresh water tank”. Oh dear.
Best to drain the tank (it was only 1/3 full) before it did any further damage, and assess things in the morning.
