If you look on a map of California, you will see the big "central valley" which produces a staggering percentage of the US agricultural products, as well as oil and gas.

Hwy 99 plods along the eastern side of the valley, and unsurprisingly, connects the many small agricultural towns.

Bakersfield on the southern end is known as a big oil town, and big shoe repair center.


Traveling north to Tulare will find the remnants of Mefford Field, where pilots were trained in WWII. Now it is a civilian field.


Across the street from this hangar are a veteran's memorial and a couple fenced-off planes.


On the west side of town is this restaurant known as Richard's Lunchbox. It is the front half of a 1951 Convair T-29A.




Cockpit view.


Fuselage.


Last time I was here it was called AeroDogs. This table top seems to be a remnant of those times.


The potato salad was bland but the tri-tip was mighty tasty.


Rankin Field was another WWII training center in the area.




Maj Bong was the highest-scoring American WWII ace with 40 kills. Ironically, he died in the last days of the war during a P-80 test flight in California.






The Adohr milkmaid, cow, and milkmaid's daughter is a statue from the 1920s. It stood for over 40 years at the Adohr Creamery Co. in Tarzana CA, and was moved to the new company's plant in Tulare.






I pulled off the hwy (on the left) for this shot of a dust-devil between Tulare and Fresno.


The "sit with me bench" in Fresno.


Fresno murals.








In Turlock, United Equipment rents or sells construction/farm equipment.


There is a downtown touristy area about three blocks long in Turlock, with traffic and parking problems.


A slight detour off the highway through Hughson will pass this water tower...


and this Sikh temple.


The local Lakeside memorial park in Hughson has a couple famous people, including the more or less anonymous well-known woman, Florence Thompson. You have likely seen the famous photo of her by Dorothea Lange (google "migrant mother").


Back on the highway proper is Modesto. This big clock is much nicer in the flower-blooming season.


Above it is this fountain.


A block away is this theatre...


And the 10th Avenue Plaza across the street. The sculpture represents Stanislaus county.




A mile or so east is this famous statue...The Paper Boy.


And across the street is the historical McHenry mansion. There is a tour which I did not take.


Hwy 99 turns into Hwy 51 in Sacramento. Happy trails!

[qblade]

Nice travelogue!

[Bob Harris]

Great tour of the California heartland, you really showed the highlight of what I have thought is a downtrodden area. Kyle, that is a great shot of the dust devil and I really did enjoy all of your tour photos, thanks for taking us.

[FreeSpirit9]

Thank you for sharing. really enjoyed seeing all of your photos. Thanks.

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Last edited by FreeSpirit9; 10-31-2014 at 03:37 AM.

[kyricom]

Great set. Thanks for sharing. I LOVE that cafe in the airplane!

[RoxnDox]

Lots of great shots... We drove 99 down from Seattle many times, before the freeways went all the way thru.

Jim

[joip]

Nice shots. You visit the most interesting places!

[SpecialK]

I LOVE that cafe in the airplane!

Here's one more for you :-)

[rrstuff]

These gunshot marks on the airport sign... This is a hell of an american set of photos!

[phoenixvision]

Thanks for sharing that...I have spent years in California and am continually amazed by the breath of diversity....Good work!

[Outis]

Who knew the Central Valley could be so interesting? I'll keep it in mind the next time I go for a vacation in that area.

[GeoJerry]

Wow, quite a challenge to do a photo trip on 99! But you pulled it off well... nice series, fun to see.

[SpecialK]

Thanks for all the nice comments. Also along the route or nearby are the graves of:
Cesar Chavez - farm worker leader
Bob Mathias - Olympian and congressman
Donald Turnupseed - the "other car" in the James Dean traffic accident
Steven Stayner - abducted child who helped another child escape
Elitha Donner - a Donner party surviver (and grave is state monument)
Dirk and Dack Rambo - actors
Neville Brand - actor
Dick Jergens - band leader
William and Lucy Saroyan - writers
Walter Huston - actor/director
Alexander Willard - last survivor of the Lewis and Clark expedition
Dean Jagger - actor
Max and Verda Foster - founders of Foster Farms
Hubert Leonard - Baseball
John Sutter - founder of Sacramento
Andrww Toti - invented the Mae West lifejacket and automated chicken plucker

[GeoJerry]

Thanks for all the nice comments. Also along the route or nearby are the graves of:
Cesar Chavez - farm worker leader
Bob Mathias - Olympian and congressman
Donald Turnupseed - the "other car" in the James Dean traffic accident
Steven Stayner - abducted child who helped another child escape
Elitha Donner - a Donner party surviver (and grave is state monument)
Dirk and Dack Rambo - actors
Neville Brand - actor
Dick Jergens - band leader
William and Lucy Saroyan - writers
Walter Huston - actor/director
Alexander Willard - last survivor of the Lewis and Clark expedition
Dean Jagger - actor
Max and Verda Foster - founders of Foster Farms
Hubert Leonard - Baseball
John Sutter - founder of Sacramento
Andrww Toti - invented the Mae West lifejacket and automated chicken plucker

Hey don't forget the Bakersfield sound... Merle Haggard and Buck Owens.
Did you stop at any of the Basque restaurants in Bako? The Wool Gatherer is one I've been to. Also worth a stop on 99!

[gor80]

I thought at the beginning of the post - is advertising the cafe
Excellent selection of photos - interesting town!