Our favorite Tehachapi campsite is the one located on Barbara's quiet cul-de-sac. After a morning catch up, we said goodbyes to her and met Leslie at the new Golden Hills Nature Park.
This wonderful space was once was a place where golf balls sailed through the air. Now, visitors can see birds in flight, along with other local wildlife.The Golden Hills Community Services District bought the defunct for decades golf course in 2014. Since acquiring the land, the district has addressed the problem of the Tamarisk trees (invasive water wasters) around Tom Sawyer Lake, and got rid of the old clubhouse that was an eyesore and a haven for vandals.“With vast open meadows, an historic lake and a seasonal creek, the property offers a unique opportunity for enhancing the quality of life for area residents.""There are almost five miles of fire access roads and non-motorized multi-use recreational trails in the Nature Park for walkers, hikers, equestrians and cyclists."The flora and fauna exceeded all expectations. What fun.Once we left the Park, Tehachapi continued to delight.Can you see the real fawn amongst the lawn decorations?As we left town, we detoured to Monolith: the vanished little town to the east and the home of Lehigh Southwest Cement Company’s plant.The townsite was originally known as Aqueduct and dates to about 1908, when the plant was being used by the City of Los Angeles to supply cement for the L.A. Aqueduct and other L.A. Department of Water and Power projects. Across the road from the plant, the company built homes for workers with families and a bunkhouse for single men. In the early 1920s, a group of investors bought the facility, renamed it Monolith and began producing cement for general use and sale.
The community had its heyday in the 1950s, when new cars and trucks drove the paved streets of Monolith and the company thrived on the post-World War II building boom in Southern California and the accompanying need for concrete.
In the 1960s, the company decided it didn’t want to own a town anymore. With better roads and better cars, more people were choosing to live and raise their families in Tehachapi and didn't mind the drive out to work at Monolith. When the homes became vacant, the company would no longer rent them (1971). Though, as we found by driving by, the cement factory is still running, over 100 years later. Interesting!
Next trip, we promise to learn more about Tehachapi's mining history.And maybe someday we'll tour one of their many wind farms.I've been visiting Tehachapi since the early 90s and I find it absolutely wonderful to continue to discover new delights to love about this town "of four seasons".
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