Tehachapi California
- Sheryl Linn
- Mar 24, 2023
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 25, 2023
Roger and I enjoy stopping in the town of Tehachapi when we travel from Arizona to California to see our family and friends. We took the time this trip to see some of the histories in this small, quaint railroad town.
Tehachapi is a city incorporated in 1909 in Kern County, California. The city sits in the Tehachapi Mountains between the cities of Bakersfield and Mojave. Tehachapi is at an elevation of 3,970 feet.
Previously known as Old Town, Tehachapi was established in the 1860s and is now registered as California Historical Landmark #643 as the oldest settlement in the Tehachapi Valley.
The area is known for the “Tehachapi Loop,” which is a popular railfan site, and the Tehachapi Pass Wind Farm.
Construction of the original Southern Pacific railroad depot was the beginning of the downtown area and was the oldest building in downtown Tehachapi until it burned to the ground in June 2008. The depot was in the final stages of becoming a museum when the fire happened and has since been restored using the original plans with only a few minor modifications to meet current building codes; the new depot was dedicated on June 5, 2010.
The Tehachapi area has also been the center for renewable wind energy, including 4,531 wind turbines that produce 3,200 megawatts of electricity as of 2019. Amazon also announced that it would begin sourcing wind energy from Tehachapi as part of its goal to become carbon-neutral by 2040. The Tehachapi Energy Storage Project was commissioned in 2014.
After a day of travel and checking out the history of Tehachapi, we went to TK Pasta and Pizza for dinner. Excellent food, family-friendly, and relaxing.
A Tehachapi Landmark
The SS Minnow--(not the one from Gilligan's Island, but that's a thought) is located on Highway 58 near Tehachapi, California. This boat has been sitting here for decades; why?? I cannot find the answer.
Unfortunately, one day this field caught fire from a boat trailer that got a flat tire, and the sparks from the rim set some bushes on fire. The boat survived the blaze, but there was nothing left of the top cabin area. The picture above was taken before the fire (photographer unknown). Below is the picture I took on our way home from Tehachapi on March 20, 2023.
The next time we visit Tehachapi, we plan to check out the Railroad Museum
as well as the city self-guided tour, seeing the murals painted throughout.
People of the Mountain Mural
Tehachapi Loop Mural
