Wednesday, October 16 Edwards AFB, CA

There were a "gazillion' turbines on the hillsides off CA-12.

After a magnificent night of sleep, we had a leisurely (for us) departure from Travis FAMCAMP at 8:40 AM.  First we encountered construction on our route to I-5 S.  We were entertained, however, by the largest wind turbine "farm" we have ever seen, off CA-12 near Fairfield.  It makes the turbine farm, north of Indianapolis on I-65, pale by comparison. We estimated over 300 turbines were stretched over a 2-3 mile area.  We mused about how much electricity they sell to the local grid.

Once we got on I-5 S it was clear sailing or should we say driving.  It was a cloudless, blue-skyed,  beautiful day starting at 47 degrees F in Fairfield and going up to the mid-80s by 3 PM before we hit the mountains.  We drove through the San Joaquin Valley most of the day on excellent hiway without wind!  The greatest challenge was to keep RB II from exceeding 60 MPH as the speed limit for vehicles 3 axles-and-over is 55 MPH.  

This is truly the bread basket of America.  Between acres and acres of dry, yellow grassland on which sheep and cattle were grazing, were large tracts of fruit and nut trees, flowers (looked like knock-out roses from the road), and sod, all under irrigation by California's aqueduct systems. Many of the creek and river beds were dry!   There were numerous signs lamenting the laws limiting water rights.  (Google western states water rights for more information.)

There were "gazillions" more turbines near Tehachapi, but these varied in size and had bases which were triangular, the first of this kind we had ever seen.  Again there must have been over 200 stretching across both sides of CA-58.

We started the day at 15 feet elevation at Fairfield and climbed to over 4000 feet (over a 15 mile stretch) at Tehachapi and will spend the night here at Edwards AFB FAMCAMP at about 2000 feet.  Last night in Fairfield it was about 75 when we went to bed with the fan on and windows wide open  During the night it chilled down fast and at 2 AM we were both cold; Ann got up and put the comforter on the bed and we both turned on our electric blanket's controls!  It was 47 when we woke up.  So we expect out here in the desert it will get just as cold or colder.  Both locations are quite dry, but the Edwards desert is probably drier

We are camping tonight at Edwards Air Force Base, a research facility where much aviation history has been made.  We had dinner in the trailer as the sun set:  baked tilapia, asparagus, rice and salad with Ann's Mom's homemade sweet/sour dressing.  As we stepped out of the trailer to take a walk, a coyote rambled past the campground.  It was followed shortly by an evening jogger.