So, When we took our road trip up the CA 99 this month we had some ups and downs [and I'm not just talking about the grapevine].
I wanted to stop at 3 roadside attractions.
1. Fresno’s underground gardens: Only open on Fridays after Memorial Day, so that was a no go.
2. Pollardsville the ultimate combination of Old West and Chicken Memorabilia.: Closed and for Sale. The ghost town is a ghost town.
3. The Mammoth Orange in Chowchilla.: Closed for a year AND moved a mere 5 DAYS before my trip. It was put in storage and is waiting to be incorporated into a new mall if they can find a place for it. I hope they do.
So what to now?
Look a little harder. Here is what we found.
Tulare, which turned out to be an adorable little town, has a hot dog stand inside a vintage airplane. And it was really nice! These places usually turnout to be a bit….shabby, but NO. This place was gorgeous, clean and the best part the BBQ Tri Tip sandwich was so yummy! In fact, I think we will make this a regular stop. It is really worth the 5 minutes from the freeway.
AERO Dogs
240 N. L Street
Tulare, CA 93274
Phone: (559)685-1230
Next Stop, Allensworth.
I read online that it is a “Black Ghost Town”. Black Ghosts? hmmm.
It is actually a town founded by an African American Man as a Black town. You can see the whole story here.
Now I will tell you that at first, I was a bit let down that the homes were all totally restored. Not the type of rustic charm I expect from my ghost towns. But then I really started to love the place. The homes felt so fresh and bright, like you could move right in. I think it was a perfect reflection of the optimism of the people who chose to leave their lives elsewhere and settle in Allensworth.
It took about 20 minutes from HWY 99 [including a stop to get directions]. So worth it.
They seem to have campgrounds there. What a great halfway stop, giving you lots of time to explore the home and meet the many local jack rabbits and chipmunks.
