A Brief History of Corvettes of Bakersfield

A Brief History of Corvettes of Bakersfield

By Marilyn Owen

Not too many COB members know the history of how our club came to be. Associated Corvettes formed in November1967 with 10 charter member cars. In one year it grew to 25 cars. My husband, Freddie, was President & I was Secretary for the first 3 years.

We joined Western States Corvette Council (WSCC) and Incorporated in 1968 and I also became WSCC Secretary from 1969 to 1971. We hosted a huge All Corvette Event in 1969 for the Council here in Bakersfield.

We learned from the Council how to put on autocrosses at Famoso Raceway and Concours auto shows as well as show & shines. This gave us revenue so we could publish a newsletter, have poker runs and rallies, volleyball parties, camping trips, and parties with Cor-vettes of Fresno. We traveled to meet other WSCC member clubs for events and still found time to sponsor fund raisers for BARC, here, locally.

We had a great bunch of people and they were all instrumental in our success. I believe it was 1973 when Associated Corvettes dis-banded and our members became Corvettes of Bakersfield. As can happen in any organization, there were some that valued the travel, partying with other clubs, newsletters, fundraising and then there were others that thought the money should be for parties at Hart Park so Associated Corvettes abandoned their corporation and morphed into Corvettes of Bakersfield with the members that wanted more local activities and less stress. I have to thank Greg Cline and Greg Marling for their initial efforts to see that the club continued on and with the help of many others that came afterward over the years a solid basis was established again. Today we have the best and biggest club I could ever have imagined and I’m so proud to have been a part of this grand journey with my Corvette Family.

 

COB Logos Over the Years

The Year 1967

Important News & Events

Corvettes of Bakersfield was established in November by a group of Corvette enthusiasts. The first ATM, Strikes by US teaching staff throughout country for pay increases, The first Super Bowl played between Green Bay Packers and the Kansas City Chiefs, Six Day War Arab Forces attack Israel beginning the Yom Kippur War, the first Boeing 737 takes its maiden flight, the Concorde is seen for the first time in public, Apollo 1 destroyed in a fire on the launch pad, Pulsars are discovered, Texas Instruments releases the first pocket calculator.

Cost of Living


Year end Close Dow Jones Industrial Average 905 
Average cost of new house $14,250.00 
Average income per year $7,300.00 
Average monthly rent $125.00 
Gallon of Gas 33¢
Average cost of a new car $2,750.00

Cost of a base model Corvette $4,240.75 
Movie ticket $1.25 
The Federal Minimum Wage is increased to $1.40 an hour 

Culture

The continued presence of American troops increased further and a total of 475,000 were serving in Vietnam and the peace rallies were multiplying as the number of protesters against the war increased. The Boxer Muhammad Ali was stripped of his boxing world championship for refusing to be inducted into the US Army. In the Middle East Israel also went to war with Syria, Egypt and Jordan in the six day war and when it was over Israel controlled and occupied a lot more territory than before the war. Once again in the summer cities throughout America exploded in rioting and looting the worst being in where 7000 national Guard were bought in to restore law and order on the streets. In England a new type of model became a fashion sensation by the name of Twiggy and mini skirts continued to get shorter and even more popular with a short lived fashion being paper clothing. Also during this year new Discotheques and singles bars appeared across cities around the world and the Beatles continued to reign supreme with the release of “Sgt. Peppers Lonely Heart Club Band” album, and this year was also coined the summer of love when young teenagers got friendly and smoked pot and grooved to the music of “The Grateful Dead. Jefferson Airplane and The Byrds”. The movie industry moved with the times and produced movies that would appeal to this younger audience including “The Graduate” Bonnie and Clyde” and “Cool Hand Luke” . TV shows included “The Fugitive” and “The Monkees” and color television sets become popular as the price comes down and more programs are made in color. 

The 1967 Corvette

The 1967 Corvette Sting Ray was the last Corvette of the second generation, and five years of refinements made it the best of the line. Although it was meant to be a redesign year, its intended successor the C3 was found to have some undesirable aerodynamic traits. Duntov demanded more time in the wind tunnel to devise fixes before it went into production.

Changes were again modest: Five smaller front fender vents replaced the three larger ones, and flat-finish rockers sans ribbing conferred a lower, less chunky appearance. New was a single backup light, mounted above the license plate. The previous models’ wheel covers gave way to slotted six-inch Rally wheels with chrome beauty rings and lug nuts concealed behind chrome caps. Interior alterations were modest and included revised upholstery, and the handbrake moved from beneath the dash to between the seats. The convertible’s optional hardtop was offered with a black vinyl top, which was a fad among all cars at the time. The 427 was available with a 1282 ft³/min (605 L/s) Holley triple two-barrel carburetor arrangement, which the factory called Tri-Power. The ultimate Corvette engine for 1967 was coded L88, even wilder than the L89, and was as close to a pure racing engine as Chevy had ever offered in regular production. Besides the lightweight heads and bigger ports, it came with an even hotter camshaft, stratospheric 12.5:1 compression, an aluminum radiator, small-diameter flywheel, and a single huge Holley four-barrel carburetor. Although the factory advertised L88 rating was 430 BHP at 4600 rpm, the true rating was said to be about 560 BHP at 6400 rpm. The very high compression ratio required 103-octane racing fuel, which was available only at select service stations. Clearly this was not an engine for the casual motorist. When the L88 was ordered, Chevy made several individual options mandatory, including Positraction, transistorized ignition, heavy-duty suspension, and power brakes, as well as RPO C48, which deleted the normal radio and heater to cut down on weight and discourage the car’s use on the street. As costly as it was powerful – at an additional $1,500 over the base $4,240.75 price – the L88 engine and required options were sold to a mere 20 buyers that year. With potential buyers anticipating the car’s overdue redesign, sales for the Sting Ray’s final year totaled 22,940, down over 5,000 units from 1966 results. Meanwhile, Chevrolet readied its third-generation Corvette for the 1968 model year.

Photos

MacBook Pro HD:private:var:folders:11:pgzp190n4zl0z501t_1dhk880000gn:T:TemporaryItems:twiggy_zps800a719c.png
https://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/beatles/images/f/fc/Sgt_pepper_cover.jpg/revision/20100617190248
MacBook Pro HD:private:var:folders:11:pgzp190n4zl0z501t_1dhk880000gn:T:TemporaryItems:c3e151e7197251a4432fef2f1c506881.jpg
MacBook Pro HD:private:var:folders:11:pgzp190n4zl0z501t_1dhk880000gn:T:TemporaryItems:maxresdefault.jpg
MacBook Pro HD:private:var:folders:11:pgzp190n4zl0z501t_1dhk880000gn:T:TemporaryItems:baf04039cf0edc7f8e936ff073a89425.jpg
Brunch of Corvettes at Mamma Mia’s Italian Restaurant

Brunch of Corvettes at Mamma Mia’s Italian Restaurant

Corvettes of Bakersfield had 18 Corvettes and, ahem, one Porsche converge at the Mamma Mia‘s Italian Restaurant where we enjoyed our choice of steak or chicken dinners. Mamma Mia‘s is located at 1804 18th St. in downtown Bakersfield. They were voted the best new restaurant in the 2019 Bakersfield Californian readers poll and the quality of the food confirms this prestigious honor. The food was served very efficiently by the friendly staff who served our 46 or so COB members that attended.

A big thank you to Liz and Chris who arranged for Mamma Mia‘s to open on Sunday to cater to the Corvettes of Bakersfield Brunch of Corvettes event. They were also great at parking cars as the club members were arriving.  

After a very filling meal which included ice cream as dessert, a small group of ice cream fanatics enticed other members (a total of 18) to go to Rosemarys Creamery for more ice cream. Boy this club sure knows how to have a good time. Everyone had a great time as there was lots of loud conversation and laughing at both locations. 

Click on this Flickr link for more pictures of this event:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157712647379233

2019 COB Christmas Party

2019 COB Christmas Party

This past Saturday was an eventful evening for the Corvettes of Bakersfield club members who celebrated their annual Christmas dinner and gift exchange held at the Brighton Estates Clubhouse. The drinks were flowing and after dinner, there was a lot of nefarious thievery going around as we were allowed to steal a chosen gift from one other person as your number came up as an alternative to grabbing a new gift from under the tree. Once that item was stolen, it could not be stolen again. The thievery was all in good fun, though. All I know is that a lot of liquor changed hands.  After the gift exchange, a variety of gift baskets and poinsettias were raffled off as well as all the centerpieces on the tables.

The dinner was catered by Too Fat Catering and consist of prime rib, chicken, mashed potatoes, mixed vegetables, rolls and cheese cake. Wow, was it ever good! Everyone had a great time and boy was the Corvette camaraderie ever present. 

Unfortunately, many members couldn’t make it for a variety of reasons and hopefully they will enjoy going through these pictures. Thanks to Gregg Brott and Adrian Medina for all the photography. If you click on the link you’ll see over 440 pictures on our Flickr page:    https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157712224502361

2019 Bakersfield Toy Run

2019 Bakersfield Toy Run

Bakersfield toy run. What a wild morning it’s been as we waited for the toy run to begin at 10 AM. We get up early in the morning and discover that it’s been raining all morning long. It continued pouring down as as Mark and Tina and Chris and I were driving to Beach Park. We were amongst  the few earlybirds at the park in what is, normally, usually starting to pack up with bikers and other vehicles.

Click on our Flickr link for more pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157712224276966

COB/COB at the Riverlakes Links

COB/COB at the Riverlakes Links

We had another fine COB/COB at the Links at Riverlakes Ranch clubhouse on this fine, rainy Wednesday morning. Three brave souls brought out their Vettes to share with us. Lots of talking and information was exchanged and on top of that we had a fine breakfast. Everyone is invited. Join us every third Wednesday for our COB/COB. Corvettes of Bakersfield Corvette Owners Breakfast.

For more pictures of this event, click on our Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157712225905983

2019 Bakersfield Veterans Day Parade

2019 Bakersfield Veterans Day Parade

What a totally awesome and fun way to honor our local veterans by participating in the annual Bakersfield Veterans Day parade. 20 Corvette owners from the Corvettes of Bakersfield carried veteran friends and family amongst the thousands of people lining the streets of downtown Bakersfield showing love and respect to these men and women for their service and sacrifice for the great USA. 

We started out with a breakfast at the American Legion Hall where veterans can be overheard swapping stories of their youthful endeavors. Later on, the Vettes were all decked out with American flags and red, white and blue decorations. As we proceed  with the parade, it’s always a joy to see the kids shouting “Thank you” and waving to the passing veterans.

After we ran the parade route, we took a quick drive to Mexicali on 18th Street and had a delicious lunch. A special thanks to Rod and Bev Hayden for the wonderful gift they gave to those who attended the lunch at Mexicali. They are truly special people.

Click on Link to our Flickr page for more pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157712224077721

Trunk or Treat at the Firehouse Rosedale Station

Trunk or Treat at the Firehouse Rosedale Station

Corvettes of Bakersfield participated in the Trunk or Treat event at the Firehouse Rosedale Station this evening and saw some humongous crowds of kids and families who came to trick-or-treat. At least 17 Corvettes and one member’s NSX attended. John and Cher also brought their fire truck and their beautiful dalmatian who loves to pose and take pictures with the kids.  The kids looked cute and adorable in their Halloween costumes and many of them politely took just one candy from the bowls provided. Monster music was provided by the inimitable Lugnut Larry.


Click on this link to our Flickr page for more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157711755679462

Brunch of Corvettes at the Crest RV Resort 2019

Brunch of Corvettes at the Crest RV Resort 2019

We had another very successful and well attended Corvettes of Bakersfield Brunch of Corvettes at the Crest Bar and Grill at the Crest RV resort on Wible Road in Bakersfield. Approximately 35 members attended and 18 Corvettes were displayed in the beautiful RV grounds of the resort. It was a gorgeous day to eat in the patio and everyone was in good spirits and enjoying the camaraderie of good friends getting together and having a great meal.

If you haven’t eaten the Crest Bar and Grill, you are missing out of one of Bakersfield’s best kept secrets in dining. The food is delicious and the drinks are plenty powerful and come in large glasses. The wait staff was extremely friendly and efficient and took care of all our needs. The Corvettes of Bakersfield has been here several times in the past and we will make it a point to come again soon.

Congratulations to Carol Brott for winning our 50/50 drawing of $120.00. Many thanks to Chris Espitia and Liz Zaninovich for putting on this great event.

For more photos, click on our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157711457093473

Prescott, Arizona All Corvette Car Show

Prescott, Arizona All Corvette Car Show

By Don Allen

13th Annual Historic Prescott All Corvette Car Show 

October 10-14, 2019

A group of five Corvettes and ten COB members recently traveled to Prescott, AR and entered the Annual All Corvette Car Show hosted by the Prescott Vette Sette. We met at the Shell station at Comanche and Hwy 58 and traveled to Peggy Sue’s just outside Barstow for lunch at the 50s style nostalgic diner. From there we traveled on to Laughlin experiencing a short stretch of old Route 66.

The next morning we set out for Prescott with a quick stopover in Kingman to visit the Arizona Route 66 Museum and shop for souvenirs at the Powerhouse Visitors Center. The museum features several displays of vehicles, clothing, and artifacts to demonstrate the many challenges early travelers faced during their journey west. A small movie theater features a video of the history of Route 66 in Arizona from a dirt trail to the final I-40 bypass.

Our stay at the Hotel St. Michael in Prescott was a special experience. Rumored to be haunted, it was built before automobile and featured an old Otis traction elevator, the hotel reminded us of traveling in days past. The elevator was quite the experience, especially when it failed on our last day providing us an opportunity to exercise and tote our luggage down the stairs.

The three day event kicked off Friday evening with a Pub Crawl through historic Whiskey Row which included taverns, night clubs and fine eating establishments; several with live bands. Thank goodness we didn’t have to buy an adult beverage at each place or we would have been crawling for sure.

On Saturday, 275 Corvettes were on display around the courthouse square and COB cars were staged front and center on Whiskey Row. While we didn’t take home any trophies, we did hear lots of compliments.

We all got up early on Sunday for the poker run only to discover that Larry’s C7 had been damaged sometime overnight in the parking garage. Someone left a note saying that a truck had cracked the right front fender and left. It didn’t take a keen eye to figure out the note writer and the culprit had probably stayed at one of taverns too late. Hopefully the Prescott PD can find the truck’s driver so Larry won’t be out the deductible.

The “See Why We Love Prescott” poker run was designed to show off the many wonderful sights and beautiful areas in and around Prescott. Unfortunately some of the roads were more challenging than the Vette Sette originally intended and Bill’s C6 suffered some bruises to the side skirts. Lesson learned for next year’s run: Always pre-run the poker route as close to event day as possible in a Corvette. Chris and Liz got to celebrate as they won the prize with three aces.

Next we were headed back to Laughlin and at Danny’s request, we took the high road (5242 ft elevation) and traveled 87 miles on old Route 66 between Seligman and Kingman. Every May, this road is part of the annual Route 66 Fun Run which drew nearly 800 cars of all kinds in 2019. Danny wanted to scope out the venue for a potential future COB event. The group stopped for dinner at the Mojave Steakhouse (a local favorite) in Bullhead City. After a great steak, we enjoyed a night of relaxing for some and gambling for others in Laughlin.

On Columbus Day we set out for home with a quick photo-op at the High Sierra Oasis, an old Route 66 stop near I-40 and then lunch at Penny’s Diner in Barstow, a 50s décor café in what appears to simulate a railroad car. We had a wonderful holiday weekend, we saw some great scenery, ate some awesome food, and shared lots of laughs.

For more photos, click on the link to our Flickr Page:

https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157711454498232

Harris Ranch/Coalinga Run 2019

Harris Ranch/Coalinga Run 2019

John and Cher did it again! They organized a simple run that turned out to be a great event. 

We started off on a very chilly morning at 7:30 and we’re on the road by 8 AM with 14 Corvettes and 2 “tin” cars. We hit all the quiet, farm back roads on the way up to Blackwell’s corner on Highway 33 and 46. These are not very heavily traveled roads, but they were awfully dusty as harvesting was going on in the orchards along the way. After our dusty and curvey drive, we reached Blackwells corners and enjoyed the quirky memorabilia and treats they had to offer. The store is almost a destination in itself as it the last place that the famous actor, James Dean, was seen alive before his crash in Cholame, California. Inside that huge store are bunch of snacks, homemade chocolate candy and sandwiches to enjoy on the long drives. Inside, also, is a tribute to the dustbowl travelers known as Okies that migrated to California as well as James Dean memorabilia.

As we left Blackwell’s Corner, we,headed  down the back roads towards Coalinga, California. Coalinga was originally a Coaling station for the Southern Pacific Railroad Company named Coaling Station A where steam locomotives would stop to load up on coal mined from the foothills up north. While in Coalinga we had our Corvette’s pictures taken in a vintage Richfield service station at the R. C. Baker Automotive Museum. Inside the museum we saw many artifacts, tools and even fossils of life in Coalinga and surrounding areas. What is really neat is that many of the antiques were donated by residents of Coalinga.

After leaving Coalinga, we headed for Harris Ranch, famous for its legendary beef and hospitality. The restaurant offers casual and fine dining and sells fruits, nuts and bakery goods from the Harris Ranch Farms. We had a great time amongst our Corvette family to go with our delicious meal. Congratulations to Matt Collins who won our 50-50 cash raffle. As we broke up to head for home, a few of us made a trip to Tachi Palace Casino in Lemoore, California. Others decided to go to Hanford for some ice cream at Superior Creamery. We had a very eventful and enjoyable day.

For more pictures and video go to our Flickr page:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157711324576436

2019 Corvettes of Bakersfield Wine Run

2019 Corvettes of Bakersfield Wine Run

Many thanks to Tony Ennis and Chevy Garza for putting together the 2019 Corvettes of Bakersfield Wine Run To Paso Robles this past weekend. As usual, we had a great time with 9 Corvettes caravanning in addition to 6 “tin” cars, quite a bit less than the normally 20-30 Vettes that attend. The three wineries we visited this year were Jada Vineyards and Winery, Brecon Estates Winery and the Derby Estates Winery.

Jada is an old favorite with the Corvette club with their beautiful scenery and an upstairs patio overlooking the vineyards (and our Vettes). The daytime weather was still cool in the 60’s and the wine flowed freely as we went from one sample to the other.

Our next stop is Brecon Estate Winery with  a beautifully landscaped tasting area and a large patio. We enjoyed their wine and then later had our lunch break at the picnic tables down a grassy walkway. It was a very wonderful and relaxing atmosphere and the weather had warmed up to the gorgeous 70’s.

Our last stop for wine tasting was the Derby Estates winery. The building was originally built in 1922 as a warehouse and processing plant for the Paso Robles Almond Growers Association. The building went up for sale in 1936 and was owned by several businesses and associations where it became, eventually, in disrepair. It was in purchased by Ray and Pam Derby in October 2010 and completely renovated. Ray and Pam were retirees in Paso Robles who let their hobby of growing grapes and making wine become an obsession. A special thanks goes to Danny, our bartender, who gave us many an illustrious story of the making of the wines and of the landmark building. While most of our crowd drove off to check in to our motel to get ready for our barbecue, Danny enticed a few of us stragglers to tour the building and view the winemaking process. Danny was very hospitable and engaging and very proud of his work at the Derby Estates winery. 

As we arrived to the Best Way Inn to check into the motel, our barbecue caterer, Big Ed’s Bar B Que and Catering from Bakersfield, was already preparing our delicious meal of ribs, tri-tip, chicken, rice and salad. As the evening wore on, we struggled through our raffle in the now windy cold, chilly air. We appeared to look like the homeless, bundled up under blankets, trying to get through the evening. Generally we stay up till very late at night but as soon as the raffle was over, we all turned in early to our warm beds.

Thanks to Gregg Brott for this awesome video of our Corvettes of Bakersfield Wine Run. Click on picture/link to watch video:  http://web.photodex.com/view/2ppw47x4/?watch-2ppw47x4 
For hundred of more pictures, Click on our Flickr Page link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157711156455766

Breakdown, Shakedown at Larry’s Shop

Breakdown, Shakedown at Larry’s Shop

This event was a first for COB. Our president, Larry Young, graciously offered his shop to the membership to bring their Corvettes over to do some minor repairs. First he moved out his wonderful collection of Sunbeam Tigers and his partner’s Triumph TR7. That freed up three bays for the participants to work on their cars. One bay had a car lift which allowed us to get underneath and examine what was really under there. One by one we lifted up the car‘s to do some minor repairs or just to look and see what needed to be done. For instance, my car needed to have the front splitter repositioned after a minor bump pulled the bumper skin tabs out of its slots. Virgil made a very detailed examination of what gaskets needed to be replaced on his ‘54 C1. Note the excellent job of using speaker wire to secure his tail pipe. Don did extremely good job of polishing his car and wheels and Terri discovered the source of an assortment of noises underneath her beautiful ‘65 C2. She also got her engine timing adjusted. Annie had her interior trim worked on and Mark had his engine scanned for error codes. Chris Espitia did an excellent job of buffing Annie’s car and used his mighty muscles to take the lugnuts off of Terri’s Vette. We all hung around and looked at each other‘s vehicles and gave our expert opinions. We also enjoyed some coffee and donuts (thanks Larry) and some fruit salad supplied by Annie. There may even have been a can of beer here and there. Many thanks to master mechanic David Kielty for helping all of us and doing a majority of the work involved. Again, thanks to Larry for offering the use of his shop. It was a fun and fruitful event and we look forward to doing it again.

Click on this Flickr link for many more photos:  https://www.flickr.com/…/158760832…/albums/72157711007707973

September Members Meeting

September Members Meeting

Congratulations to our raffle winners at tonight‘s Corvettes of Bakersfield members meeting. They are Tony Ennis, Skip Schipper, Myna Stewart, Michael Rouw and Kathy Telese. Raffle prizes included two very good sized pumpkins as well as movie tickets, wine and a gift certificate to the Guild House. A couple of videos were shown of our most recent events edited by Danny Ellison and Gregg Brott. Good work guys! Thank you to all who attended our meeting. As always, it was very fun and productive.

For more pictures, Click on the link to our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157710792527238

Chuy’s Cruise-In–September, 2019

Chuy’s Cruise-In–September, 2019

We are a hardy bunch! We had COB members with nine Corvettes braving the 103° heat tonight as we tried to scramble to find shade in Chuy’s parking lot for the weekly Chuy’s Cruise-in. In spite of the hot weather, we got to enjoy our root beer floats handily served by our beautiful Corvettes of Bakersfield ladies. These hard-working girls served up some mean root beer floats and made the gathering all the more bearable. Lots of Corvette talk of the new C8 that was revealed in Tulare the day before and lots of camaraderie as friends and families got together and had a great time.

Thanks to Lugnut Larry for his hard work in putting on this event every week as well as the Fire House event on Friday nights.

Click on Flickr link for more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157710790100422

Merle Stone C8 Reveal

Merle Stone C8 Reveal

We had a nice run up to Tulare less than an hour north of Bakersfield this past Wednesday to view the brand new 2020 C8 Corvette. Nine intrepid travelers plus a guest drove north on the 99 to Merle Stone Chevrolet and were met up by several other members of our club (16 Corvettes in all) that showed up later. The object of our trip was to see the local unveiling of the new mid engine C8 Corvette and boy were we impressed. Many minds were changed and who knows how many members took the plunge to get on the ordering list for the new mid engine Corvette. At least three members have committed to get on the waiting list and put in an order.

Many thanks to the managers and sales people at Merle Stone Chevrolet for hosting this event. We had a great time taking turns getting into the driver’s and passenger’s seat of the gorgeous Elkhart Lake Blue Corvette and asking a multitude of questions about its capabilities.

Food was provided by Mariscos Colima of Fresno, Hanford and Oakhurst. The tacos were delicious and were provided the whole day for all customers coming to the dealership in conjunction to its grand opening.

Click on link to our Flickr page for more pictures: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157710789465271

Run to Ventura–Camarillo

Run to Ventura–Camarillo

Much thanks to John and Cher for putting on a great run to Ventura and Camarillo. Our adventure began with a pitstop at the Santa Barbara Pistachio company on 3380 Hiway 33 in Ventucopa. The Santa Barbara Pistachio Company is well known as “the Original Home of the Flavored Pistachio”. The naturally tree ripened organic pistachios are grown in Santa Barbara County in a farm solely owned by the Zannon family. This wonderful little business had the best tasting flavored pistachios.

As we proceeded on our way to Ojai, an incident happen to one of our fellow travelers. Stephan and Rachel, prospective members of COB, ran over a rock and bent their oil filter leaking oil all over the road. Not a very good memory too have on their first run. Fearing their oil pan was cracked, they called a tow truck and were towed back to Bakersfield. Thankfully, it was a minor fix and they proceeded to become full-fledged members of Corvettes of Bakersfield.

The rest of the gang proceeded to Ventura to the Aloha Steakhouse right on the Ventura Pier. The service was outstanding and the food… delicious! A funny incident occurred when we were enjoying our meal in that there was a rumor that a man was sitting on the bench observing the ocean in the nude. After much debate Tina Pucilowski decided to go out and see for herself if he was, actually, nude. Of course, he wasn’t. He was wearing khaki colored shorts and everybody had a good laugh about it. 

After the meal, some members headed out to the Camarillo Premium Outlet Shopping Center  to look around and shop. Others decided to split up and go sightseeing or visit friends and even spend the night in the Central Coast.

Click on the COB Flickr link for more photos: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157710788644802

Ridgecrest Corvette Club’s Cruise to Kernville

Ridgecrest Corvette Club’s Cruise to Kernville

Ridgecrest may be rumbling due to earthquake aftershocks, but it was also rumbling due to some beautiful vehicles cruising through on Sunday, July 21, 2019—including three from Corvettes of Bakersfield!

Last month, COB received an invitation from Ridgecrest Corvette Club’s Kyle to join them on a cruise from Ridgecrest to Kernville.  Dale and Cathy in a C7, Ron and Bill in a C6, and John and Cher in a C5 made the run and had a great time with some new friends.

John and Cher traveled to Ridgecrest on Saturday after Friday’s C8 Reveal Run, planning to meet up with the group on Sunday morning at the cruise’s meeting spot;  Beansters Espresso in Ridgecrest.  

Early Sunday morning, Dale, Cathy, Ron, and Bill assembled at the Broken Yolk on Brundage in Bakersfield to head to the meeting spot.  They had a scenic and fun early-morning drive through the Tehachapis and across the desert.  Their route included curvy and hilly Garlock Road, which passes by Garlock Ghost Town.  This little 1800’s town provided water for cattlemen and freighters wishing to avoid the potentially treacherous washes in Red Rock Canyon.  There’s not much there now to see, especially passing by at highway speeds…but it is a fun road to drive.

They met up with John and Cher at Beansters and everyone got a chance to enjoy some good coffee and baked goods while sharing some fun stories of their journeys to Ridgecrest!  

Kyle from RCC arrived and joined the COB group.  He said that he invited several more car clubs to join the cruise—not just other Corvette clubs.  As a result, there was a nice variety of vehicles that started showing up for what would become a fourteen-car caravan.  There were several Corvettes, a couple of Mustangs, a Maserati, a Fiat, and a Toyota truck, driven by some fun car enthusiasts.

The caravan left Beansters and proceeded east on Highway 178 to the southern Sierra Nevada mountains, through Walker Pass and down to the Kern River Valley, travelling around the north side of Lake Isabella on Sierra Way to Kernville.  There were great views of the lake along the way.  The caravan’s destination was Ewing’s on the Kern Restaurant for lunch.   The group sat on the patio overlooking the mighty Kern River.  Both the lake and the river were beautiful and many people were out enjoying them.  

After a delicious lunch and great camaraderie, most of the caravan continued around Lake Isabella on Highway 155 for a photo opportunity at French Gulch.  Afterwards, the COB group split off and proceeded west down the Kern River Canyon on scenic and winding Highway 178, heading back to Bakersfield.  But, the run wasn’t over yet…

Realizing that the best way to end a great run on a hot summer day would be ice cream, the group decided to stop at Rosemary’s Family Creamery on the way home!  Linda also joined the group there and the fun continued.

After a great day of driving, camaraderie, and food, the group dispersed, looking forward to the next event.

Special thanks to Dale for coordinating the run, and to Kyle and RCC for the invite!

John S.

For more pictures, Click on this Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157710017888482

Chevrolet Corvette C8 Reveal

Chevrolet Corvette C8 Reveal

10 Corvettes and many more members enjoyed traveling to Tustin, Ca. to take part in the 2nd day of the C8 Corvette Reveal. The first day was organized for the media and other dignitaries and the second day for enthusiasts and future owners of the fabulous C8 Corvette. Corvettes of Bakersfield managed to caravan all the way to the Tustin Blimp Hangars in ONE GROUP which is quite an accomplishment in the LA area. Once we got there we were amazed at the size and construction of the hangars which were built in 1942 for airship support of the US Navy coastal patrol efforts in WWII. Inside the hangar were displays of the early mid-engined Corvette concepts and experimental mules and, also, cutaways of the C8 to show the all aluminum construction. Colors and upholstery samples were also on display as well as wheel and seat options. Also on display, were C5, C6 and C7 Corvette racers. Snacks and drinks were available to munch on as we moved around the displays. There was also a presentation and films by Tadge Juechter, Chief Corvette Engineer, who was very instrumental in bringing the mid-engined Corvette C8 to life. After freshening up and taking a break, we had a very nice dinner at J. T. Schmid’s Restaurant where are we discussed our wants and desires of everything we’ve seen of the C8. It was a thrill and privilege to be one of the first to sit inside the brand-new C8 Corvette.

Click on link for more pictures on our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157710016965637

Greenhorn Grill Run and then Rosemary’s Ice Creamery

Greenhorn Grill Run and then Rosemary’s Ice Creamery

We had another great run today through the scenic roads and curves leading up to Glenville, California, through Lake Isabella and ending up at Rosemary‘s Creamery in Bakersfield. .

Glenville is a small, tiny community 30 miles north east of Bakersfield in the Greenhorn Mountain foothills, a part of the Sierra Nevada. 18 Corvettes (later joined by one more Corvette owner who is the nephew of the Greenhorn Grill’s owner) made a short pit stop at the Hiway 155 Market and Café where we met the friendliest people; the owners Edwin and Kristine. We got to sample some of their barbecue and boy was it delicious. This place is a definite ‘must stop’ for a meal in one of our future runs.

On we went up the road and over the summit to an area where we pulled over to take pictures of the beautiful countryside as a backdrop for our Corvettes. From there we headed to Lino‘s Greenhorn Grill where we met the wonderful and friendly owners, Lino and Francis and where the waitresses were outstanding and so outgoing. We had a great meal there from a full menu of steaks, tacos, sandwiches and salads and much more. What a great place to eat. Congratulations to Melanie for winning our raffle prize.

Coming down the mountain from the over 3000 foot level, we had a problem with one of the member’s older Vette overheating the brakes. As we waited for help, the rest of the members went on to Rosemary‘s Creamery in Bakersfield to enjoy some ice cream made on the premises. That was a wonderful, cool way to end a very hot day.

For more pictures, Click on this link:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157709628749201

The Creston, CA Pre-run to the Loading Chute (That became a Run)

The Creston, CA Pre-run to the Loading Chute (That became a Run)

Honestly, it was only meant to be a pre-run with several couples attending. Somehow things got out of hand once it was posted on the Corvettes of Bakersfield private Facebook page, “My Corvette”. Instead of just 2 or 3 Corvettes attending, we had 14 Corvettes and a truck heading towards Creston, 10 miles east of Atascadero in San Luis Obispo County. We took the long, winding Hiway 58 from Mckittrick, Ca. through the scenic hills and switchbacks to Hiway 229 just south of Hiway 41. Creston, with the population of 94, was the home of the Cardiff Stud Farm owned by the TV personality, Alex Trebeck. 

The small Central Coast community of Creston was founded in March 1884 by 4 pioneers. It was named after one of the pioneers named C. J. Cressy. The town was once home to three saloons, two restaurants, a couple of delivery stables, two laundries, a pair of blacksmith shops, a hotel, bakery, post office, church, school and jail.

Once we arrived in Creston, we stopped at the restaurant named the Loading Chute.The restaurant was originally built and opened in the late 1800s where it served as a general store and offered everything from groceries, clothing and hardware to horse and farm equipment. In the 1950s, the Loading Chute was deserted and became “tumbled down and ramble shack “ according to local lore. In 1973, lifelong Creston native, Herman Heilman, bought the Loading Chute and opened a saloon, cafe and grocery store. The Loading Chute changed hands over the years several times and burned to the ground in 1992. It was completely renovated and reopened in December 1999. 

It was a warm day when we arrive at The Loading Chute and we walked into the very cool restaurant. Unfortunately, we were sitting out in the rather warm patio. The service was quick and friendly by our three waitresses and the food was excellent. We had a great time with our 50-50 raffle (congratulations Bill Frye who was the winner) and sold 4 of our Corvettes of Bakersfield cookbooks to the local patrons. 

Everyone looked splendid in their red club shirts, the official club color. Afterwards, 13 ‘Vetters’ drove to Cayucos and enjoyed the very cold weather by having an ice cream party outside the Cayucos Candy Counter and Ice Cream Shop. Passerby can be overheard calling us the Red Shirt Club. After strolling around and walking up and down the pier, we decided it was time to come back home. The road back home was taken by small groups going in different directions. Rolling home, our group of 5 cars determined that it was a very enjoyable run that wasn’t supposed to be; but it was.

For pictures of this run, click on this link to our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157709523977562

Summer Solstice at The Habit/Pizza Press 2019

Summer Solstice at The Habit/Pizza Press 2019

Last night, June 21, 2019 was the Summer Solstice event established by Don and Betsy Slauson. Don & Betsy are former members of the Orange County Corvette club and brought along this yearly celebration with them when they moved and joined the Corvettes of Bakersfield. We were blessed with an ideal (for Bakersfield) 90° weather. Normally we suffer over 100° by this time. We had an impressive turn out of 29 Corvettes and Corvette camaraderie was rampant. The Habit Burger Grill and the Pizza Press agreed to help us in a fundraiser by giving us 20% of their proceeds when somebody submits a flyer or mentions ‘Corvettes of Bakersfield’ when paying for their food.  It’s always great to have a large group of Corvettes parked together for the public to see. Many a child will forever remember sitting on the seat in a Corvette. Thank you to all who have participated and brought their families to this event.

For more pictures, click on this Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157709209884248

Corvettes of Bakersfield/Corvette Owners Breakfast

Corvettes of Bakersfield/Corvette Owners Breakfast

At today’s Corvettes of Bakersfield Corvette Owners Breakfast we had quite a few members attend including some new members who have made this their first event. Thank you Boyd and Lorena for joining our club and we hope you have a great time with us. In other news we are planning events and runs for the coming months. Stay tuned with us.

For more photos, click on this Flickr link: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157709209923297

Firehouse Rosedale Station Cruise-In – June 7, 2019

Firehouse Rosedale Station Cruise-In – June 7, 2019

Bakersfield‘s newest Cruise-in location is at the Firehouse Grill Rosedale Station at 2905 Calloway Drive every Friday between 6 and 12 PM. The brainchild of the new Common Ground Car Club, this location has ample parking and a great backdrop for showcasing our vintage and show cars. Also a big plus is the great food, a multitude of TV screens to watch current sporting events and lots of pool tables and games to entertain one’s self. The bar has a great selection of spirits for those who are thirsty for something exciting.

Amongst all the other Corvettes that showed up we had seven members bring their cars, everything from a 1952 C1 to a current year C7. The highlight of the evening was when COB members, John and Cher, brought their vintage fire truck, a 1948 Mack 95LS and their Dalmatian named Xera. What a great sight to see them going down the road. One great big advantage of having the fire truck in the show was that we were able to sit in the shade it provided. A few of the members were fortunate to take a short ride to position it in front of the firehouse for a photo op. Many thanks to Liz and Chris who bought us several pizza boxes full of small Mexican tacos and some ice tea.They were delicious! It was a great evening for all and hopefully will be a regular, weekly event for our members along with the Chuy’s Cruise-in on Thursdays. Click on link for more pictures of this event. https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157709159301516

COB Night at Chuy’s Thursday Night Cruise-in

COB Night at Chuy’s Thursday Night Cruise-in

We had 17 member Corvettes in attendance and 4 others who are not members or were members to be at the Chuy’s Thursday Night Cruisin. Root beer floats were served and a good time was had by all on this very warm evening. We got there early enough to have a very nice spot with shade from a large tree. One of our members to be even brought along a gorgeous ZR1. Thank you very much to Donna and Danny for supplying the delicious root beer floats and to Lillian for helping to serve. We will do this again soon.

For more photos of this event, click on this link to our Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157708978959467

Brunch of Corvettes/Seven Oaks Country Club

Brunch of Corvettes/Seven Oaks Country Club

May 26, 2019

It was a  cold, dark and rainy day but 14 brave Corvette drivers took their cars out in the rain and met up with other members at the Seven Oaks Country Club southwest Bakersfield. We were fortunate enough to have room to dine in instead of eating out in the damp patio as was planned. We had an unusual weather pattern here in Bakersfield where, instead of having 90° weather in late May, we had a cool 65° with rain and hail. We enjoyed a fine meal with hamburgers and all the fixings and, also, enjoyed the camaraderie of our fellow Corvette members. After our meal and a few of photo ops, we drove to Riverwalk Park where a thousand American flags were displayed and blowing in the wind. With permission, we were able to drive up close to the lake and take individual pictures each members Corvette. We braved the cold wind and the rain and took some wonderful pictures of  the Vettes with the American flags blowing in the background. We had a wonderful day on this Memorial Day weekend.

For more pictures of this event, Click on this link to our Flickr page:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157708778810967

Firehouse Grill Friday Night Graffiti

Firehouse Grill Friday Night Graffiti

May 17, 2019

Corvettes of Bakersfield had good turn out at the inaugural Friday Night Graffiti Car Show at the Firehouse Grill at 2905 Calloway Drive. This event is put on every Friday night by the newly formed Common Ground Car Club. Lug Nut Larry will be hosting this event every Friday night in his own inimitable way. Everyone had a good time and either brought their Corvette or other collector car they own.

For more pictures of this event, Click on this link to our Flickr page:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157708762072292

COB/COB–Corvettes of Bakersfield’s Corvette Owners Breakfast

COB/COB–Corvettes of Bakersfield’s Corvette Owners Breakfast

May 15, 2019 

A great turnout for our COB/COB at the Links at Riverlakes Ranch. Service was quick and tasty. Discussions were about anything and everything. This is a nice get together happening every third Wednesday of the Month at The Links at Riverlakes Clubhouse at 5201 Riverlakes Drive. This event had it’s birth thanks to Danny Ellison’s suggestion and was originally held at the Panera on California Avenue. Thanks to the move to the Links at Riverlakes, we now have a full menu to choose from for breakfast. We hope to see more members and guests attend next month.

For more pictures of this event, Click on this link to our Flickr page:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157708762005846

COB May Members Meeting

COB May Members Meeting

May 14, 2019

We had another fun and productive May meeting of the COB  general membership where we discussed many important subjects. Many events are being planned and as the days/months go on, we will see much more activities with the club such as the Corvettes of Bakersfield/Corvette Owners Breakfast at 8 AM at The Links at Riverlakes, the Potluck Run to Mooney Park and the Brunch of Corvettes event at the Seven Oaks Country Club plus many other events just this month. Many thanks to Liz Z. and Chris E. and also Steve D. for supplying the many super nice raffle gifts. The night’s raffle winners are as follows: Bob V., Donna E. (Twice), Carl L., Mark N., Melanie M., Larry Y. Bill F. and Tony E. Many thanks to all who attended and for being such great club members.

For more pictures of this event, Click on this link to our Flickr page:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157708761933093

Visalia Potluck Run To Mooney Park

Visalia Potluck Run To Mooney Park

May 11 2019

We had a fun run to Mooney Grove Park in Visalia in honor of our beloved member, Trudy Frye, who passed away recently. 26 members and guests in 12 Vettes and a support vehicle made the run in what threatened to be rain but was a sunny 84° weather. We had a load of different sandwiches made fresh by several of the girls and a variety of salads to fill us up. What a lunch! We also fed the geese and visited the Pioneer Village located next to our picnic area. Afterwards drove to Superior Farms creamery in Hanford where the servings are enormous. Their small dish of their ice cream consists of at least 10 regular scoops and is known as 1 scoop. Many thanks to members Bill and Janice, who couldn’t make the run, for buying the ice cream for us.

For more pictures of this event, Click on this link to our Flickr page:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157678202754287  

COB Night At Chuy’s–May 2, 2019

COB Night At Chuy’s–May 2, 2019

The Chuy’s Thursday Night Cruise-in is going on every Thursday of every month through October. Corvettes of Bakersfield will be attending on every first Thursday of the month. The Thursday Night Cruise-in at Chuy’s is put on by the great Lugnut Larry who is promoting our club’s first car show. A wide variety of vehicles are displayed at this weekly gathering of car crazies who enjoy showing off their cars. Everything from rat rods to exotic cars drivie in and owners enjoy a snack or meal from Chuy’s or Roadhouse. “Thank you” to Virgil Miller and David Kielty for laying out the cones and reserving spots for COB Corvettes to park together.  About 15 Corvettes from COB attended and there were many more Vettes from non-members that were there. Virgil also organized a meeting for the upcoming Vettes for Vets car show coming in November 9 of this year at Chuy’s and the Roadhouse Steakhouse. A lot of stuff was discussed in setting up for this upcoming car show that will benefit several of our veteran charities. We expect over 200 cars to sign up for this car show. Please make it a point to attend on the first Thursday of every month and support Chuy’s and Roadhouse who will make the  Vettes for Vets Car Show an event to remember.

For more pictures of this event, Click on this link to our Flickr page:   https://www.flickr.com/photos/158760832@N02/albums/72157678202449397