http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/ Travel adventures in journals and photos from North America , United States , California , Bakersfield en-us Mon, 07 Dec 09 13:40:52 +0000 Mon, 07 Dec 09 13:40:52 +0000 We spent Thursday night at Dos Reis County Park in San Joaquin County CA.Ok I didnrsquot get to see the Civil War on television but I look forward to seeing the Ducks play in the Rose Bowl. Since there are no longer any college or pro football teams worth watching in Washington State we must look southward to Oregon for caliber football.But I did get some nice photos at Dos Reis and the San http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-458278.html After driving all morning we arrived back home this afternoon. Got to talk to the neighbors about the local happenings. The lawn is looking sad overgrown and brown Irsquom sure our local watchdog is not very happy with us. Oh well I clean up next week. For now Irsquove got to finish up the work I brought home and we leave for Santa Barbara tomorrow for a couple of days. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-414947.html Finally the claims are completed and now it isrdquosit back and wait for the moneyrdquo time. In the meantime before China Irsquod signed Justin and I up for a claims conference with Crawford which takes place in Dallas TX this week. We have signed up for workshops to get our earthquake and flood certification. Justin also will have the opportunity to meet with HR and have the estimating pro http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-408756.html For those of you following our trip Nate just sent a new itinerary. Yongzhou is out too difficult to get to quickly. x Arrive in PRC tiananmen BeijingJade Market Forbidden City BeijingGreat Wall Great Wall Great Wallbus Great Wall Evening Train to XinXiang XinxiangXinxiangvillage Xinxiang village XinxiangXinxiang Evening bus to Luyang LuoyangLongmen Grottos Hekeda University LuoyangAM train http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-399084.html Last night Nate let me know that we will only have a guide for 1 day in Xinxiang otherwise I am the guide. He will get me names of hotels in Chinese and places to go but it is up to me to get my brother and I around. This makes me just a little nervous. Irsquove been on my own in China but to places I know how to get to. I really want my brother to have a good trip so donrsquot want to mess http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-398489.html Got our itinerary todayMay 15 Leave LAXMay 16 Arrive in PEK. Check in to visit Tiananmen Square and go out to dinner.May 17 Forbidden City Jade Market Old Summer Palace if time allowsMay 18 car to Great Wall night at hotel at the Wall.May 19 car to Beijing train trip to Xinxiang night at hotel in XinxiangMay 20 Yellow River Chinese Opera visit villages night at hotel in Xinxiang http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-398270.html Early this morning I left and drove to Lancaster to pick up my mom then off to L.A. again. This time we didnrsquot need the GPS we knew the way.We were at the Chinese Embassy by 1130 and found a parking place in the shade. A good signOnce in the embassy we went to the 3rd floor where ones apply for the visas. The room is a large room with one wall of windows at which embassy people help thos http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-396957.html Since my son Nate has another tour going to China we decided that Irsquod get the visas for the people in the other tour as I was getting ours. I checked the site Monday night to check the address as it has been some time since Irsquove been there. What a surprise to see that they were not issuing any 1 day visas and had extended the time to process visas from 4 days to now 6 days.Today Tues http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-396690.html The next destination on my spring break trip is a bit of a conundrum because on the official California State Parks map that I have it is listed as a California State Recreation Area but when you go to the parks department website the area is not listed anywhere on the site. The lake is also included as part of the massive Angeles National Forest which consists of 650000 acres. While driving http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-395989.html Just when it is getting down to the wire for any trip it seems that hell breaks loose and whatever can happen will happen. So it goes at our house.Last week I thought that my retina was starting to detach a surgery would put me out for 3 weeks right when Irsquod be leaving for China. The eye Doctor found that the vitreous gel sac has started to detach not as dangerous as the retina. I stoppe http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-395788.html Friday morning we said goodbye to Gena and Bob before heading out ourselves. Hwy 99 is a horrible road so we elected instead to head east to Porterville and go south on Hwy 65 through farm country. We again enjoyed the orange blossoms and stopped once at a farm store in quest of garlicstuffed olives. Unfortunately they were out but recommended we try Trader Joe's in Bakersfield.We got to Ba http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-394194.html As I wrote yesterday I was going to the gym today working toward getting ready for trekking in China. I did put weights in my lightweight backpack the one I carry every day instead of a purse and went off to the gym. I got to the gym and met the trainer at the entry but then the head of trainers Frank came by. I told Frank what I was going to do and that I had the weights in my pack. Frank http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-393647.html As my husband and I were working out at the gym today I started thinking that Irsquod better get in a few extra workouts before heading off to China. Irsquoll be hauling my camera and tripod along in a backpack up the Great Wall and around the country.I have a meeting with a trainer tomorrow morning at 10am to see about getting trimmed up once Irsquom home from China. I decided that Irsquo http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-393430.html Finally my new passport came in the mail yesterday. I called Mike and he said that he is working in the Bay area still and hasnrsquot had any time to get in for his visa. Irsquoll take care of his when I get mine next week.Downloaded the Visa application and filled it out online then printed the app ready to take to the Chinese Embassy. For Mike I mailed his that I partially filled out. He http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-393094.html This is the first entry for my spring break trip 2009. Really this is the first time I have taken a road trip on spring break so I was actually pretty excited. Three of us ended up going the trip. Myself my girlfriend Mena and my good friend Phil. I also need to mention that the car rental that we ended up with was a Toyota Prius which turned out to be a totally sweet car. I swear it was al http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-392608.html We had to go to Santa Barbara to take grand kids home on Sunday night so Nate and I thought that it would be a good time to start the final plans for the China trip which is only a month away. Nate put our trip mostly together while I sat there Beijing Luoyang Xian Yangzhou Three Gorges he just needs to make sure of the flight schedules. I know that we will need to cut some activities in Bei http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-390763.html Just when I thought things were under control I told my brother Mike that we needed to get our visa for China and we had a plan. Irsquod download the form leave it at my momrsquos this next week Mike would fill it out over next weekend and then Irsquod take both of our info to the Chinese Embassy the next week and get the visas. Great Plan RightToday I got onto the embassy site and found http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-389493.html Thinking China and JapanA few years ago our oldest son Nate his wife Bekki and two kids went off to China to teach English at a Chinese University. I was able to visit 4 times during their stay. A year ago my brother Mike wished that he had visited our son with me so I offered to go with him.My son said he would help with our travels.My mom had decided that she would give us her frequent flier m http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-389357.html Hello AllOkay so I now have about 10 days until I leave for Italy and still about 600 pages to read from a book......But I'm getting pretty excited. Sorry there hasn't been any posts lately but I haven't had anything to write. I was just posting this blog to let you all know that this is the blog site I am going to use I opened another one through gmail but I couldn't use it because I co http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-368608.html HelloThis is my second shot at opening a travel blog in order to keep in touch with my friends. I tried one through google but I don't think I can upload pictures so that's no good So this is a test run blog to see how this blog site works. http://www.travelblog.org/North-America/United-States/California/Bakersfield/blog-362890.html