I’m so sorry. I was born and raised in Bakersfield and we used to enjoy camping at our local campgrounds in the 1980’s . Today, I wouldn’t step foot in them! I just wanted to let you know it wasn’t always like this here. It’s very, very sad! :(
It’s so sad man I’m Latino and our people have no respect for other people when it comes to camping, those generators are ridiculous and music and the lights, like cmon man if you want to have a party stay at home .
Yea Hispanics need to relax with that music they’ll pull up next to you fishing and pull out a boom box have their dog off the leash. Hart park and Ming are riddled with modelos and little Cesar boxes and diapers
College English professor from B-field here with book recommendations as requested: - Robinson Crusoe (classic; if you haven’t, you def should, especially good for the lonely camper) - Baudolino by Umberto Eco - Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee - The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin - 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami - Frankenstein - Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon - Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood - The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson - The Magicians by Lev Grossman Enjoy and thanks for all the fun content!
I don’t know how you stayed. I would have gotten up, purposefully set my car alarm off, turned my brights on and packed up. I cannot believe how rude people can be. But I totally love these videos, I constantly check to see when you put out a new one. I’d love some reviews on the campgrounds up around Kernville…the existing reviews make them sound like this campground lol. Also you don’t need to be skinny, you’re not awkward, you are funny & charming & good looking! Keep up the great content!
Another fun and informative video. The storytelling is becoming epic. Humorous, witty, surprising like a superb monologist. Kern River is in an area too brutal and barren to enjoy. The river (like almost all rivers) has its moments, but the rest of the area seems bleached by the Central Valley sun. BTW the deadly area of the river are upstream in the mountains, but all waters have their hazards. Camping in my youth was better, more respectful of others, and less wildly annoying. The late night behaviors are not in my experience a few decades ago. I’m serious, but I’m not a camper today to accurately compare. That’s why I count on YOU!
Another reminder (and we appreciate you Jordan) why we love to go dispersed camping. Yeah, we're pooping in in a bucket but there are never anyone near enough to bother... Great channel man, looking forward to you hitting the hills at Rowher Flats in Santa Clarita CA.
Dude, you are way too hard on yourself a lot of the time!! You’re a fun, funny, young, healthy, good looking guy!! Dare I say- hot, even!! You do fun stuff, make entertaining content and have an awesome rig to boot!!! Rock it !!
Love this channel! Always a highlight for me when a new one pops up. I don’t even camp and find this extremely entertaining and interesting. You might try the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. Start with the 1st one.
Oh, Bakersfield. You never disappoint. After my last experience at the Kern River two years ago, I won't be returning. What an asstastic experience that was. I'll gladly keep driving to the other side of the Sierra.
Thanks for having the knowledge not to go into the Kern River, so many people see the top current but fail to realize the severity of the undertow, we lose a lot of visitors from LA to it, the only part of the kern I was ever comfortable going in is the shallows in Kernville
At least that place is consistent. I was there over the summer and that shot when you let us hear the sounds of the campground was exactly how it sounded when I was there for two days--the generator, the people partying...exactly the same 😅
Karrpool lane never disappoints, thanks! I was a little worried for El Gato, but it fortunately cat was not one the menu that weekend ( I think the neighbor ate sum cat with all that moaning 😂 ). Well... someone had a good time at least.
Good thing you didn't say to swim in this river,it's very treturous from what you dont see under the water ,because 140 people have died in it. I love your videos, and they are very entertaining as well as informative, keep it up⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Skinny Jordan! That’s awesome to see that you are trying carnivore. Lookin’ Good man!! I started carnivore on Aug 1st, 2024… Starting weight 210lbs… Today, Wednesday, September 25, 2024… weigh in day… *drumroll 170lbs!!! 👏💪😁 Love your videos man!! Come to San Diego, I’ll pay for your campground 😊
@@karrpoollane Thanks man! Come on down to San Diego soon. You pick the place, I’ll pay for the site. My treat!! Love your videos, you make me crack up, and you’ve given me a new perspective for online reviews. Keep doing your thing, my guy. 😂 💵🏕️ 👍
Love your videos! I’ve camped at most places you have reviewed. I was just at zeipher cove campground in Tahoe, Highly recommend it! You’re great at what you do and I wish you much success on your channel sir! You are a gentleman and a scholar
Absolutely love your campground reviews!! And this one confirms why I prefer to boondock in the middle of nowhere, I'd go insane with so many campers around! lol
Can't wait for you to try the Bombay Beach Campground along the shore of the infamous Salton Sea. It's particularly memorable after a talapia die-off when there are clouds of flies and a stench that just won't quit. Could be right up your alley.
The bathroom photo is old. They did a lot of bathroom "upgrades" at most of our parks and campgrounds. That is the reason I don't camp around here. If you want to camp somewhere very nice I suggest Balch Park. It is very nice up there. It is first come first serve camping.
Still gotta review Ocean Cove Campground in Jenner Ca. It’s that place x 100 except with beautiful ocean views. Never a dull moment day or night. 🤯😆 Regardless it’s still my favorite place to camp. Loved the video! Keep it up!!!
This is what happens when you only charge $24 for a site. Keep the riff raff out and bump up the price. For what I'm seeing with this place, the river and lake , they can easily charge $50 plus a night.
I'm gonna suggest you go check out the campground at Pinnacles National Park. Go in November, which apparently is the best time to see California condors. I was there in October 2022 and got to see one. I would give the campground a 3 out of 5 for being mostly a dirt lot. But you'll see tons of wildlife - turkeys, quail, deer, roadrunners.
That's not camping, that's chaos. Too many people. Read books by Richard Marcinko. Originator of Seal Team Six. Thank you for your sacrifice, Karrpool.
Lake Ming (another man made lake) and the adjacent campground were originally purposefully constructed as a water skiing lake by Kern County and a private water skiing club in the late '50s. The lake at its deepest point is probably about 8' deep. The water ski club eventually fell apart and control of the lake and campground went to either the state or the county, I can't recall who was in charge when I was a frequent visitor in the early '90s. Because the lake is so shallow but also constantly refreshed by the Kern River it became renowned for smooth, clean water. Full on Top Fuel Drag boat races were held there and it was not uncommon to occasionally see some folks testing their race boats using the lake as a test track because it was so smooth. I lived in the LA area and had some friends that had boats and we'd congregate at Ming on summer weekends rather than opting for the shorter trip to Castaic or Pyramid or even Buena Vista (even way back then Buena Vista was kind of a dump). Lake Ming, at least back then, had a clean, quiet campground and room to park your tow vehicle and your boat on a trailer in your camping spot. Our normal method was to load everything up on Thursday night, take a half day on Friday and leave the eastern San Fernando valley at about 1pm. We'd get there at about 3-4pm, put a boat in the water and wakeboard until sunset and then put it back on the trailer and go set up camp. We were young and dumb and although there might've been some loud boats we couldn't afford generators (what would we plug into them?) and we were all pretty tired after a week of working and after a few beers around a campfire we'd retire to whatever accommodations we'd brought with us, for some it was a van, others had tents, some slept on the bench seat of or in the bed of their truck. We'd all groggily exit our sleeping situation when the sun came up on Saturday have a quick cup of coffee and a bit of whatever sustenance we'd brought for breakfast and then head for the ramp to drop at least one boat in the water so we could play on the lake. I'm unsure what the shoreline looks like now but back then it was like someones lawn all the way to the waterline, remember this lake is engineered, not natural, so the level is pretty consistent since it's fed and sits right next to a raging river that kills hundreds of people per year. Anyways we were early adapters to "pop up" canopies, one group would go set up "camp' on the shoreline as the other group went and attended to our nautical pursuits. This ended up being a wonderful way to spend a Saturday, you go out and have a ride either in or behind the boat and if you got tired you could just beach the boat on the shore right in front of your "camp". I'm not going to whitewash it, there was an inordinate amount of adult beverages and perhaps some illicit products being consumed, but if you were otherwise respectful and helpful to your neighbors and followed the rules it was almost a free for all. At the end of the day we'd pack up our stuff, put the boats back on the trailers and head back to our campsite. At this point most folks were either tired from being out in the sun exerting themselves or perhaps overly "lubricated" with Coors Light. We'd BBQ dinner (I learned a life hack regarding potatoes from one of my friends moms on one of these trips, but that's a story for another day) and have a fire to sit around as the moon and the stars came out and tell each other either jokes or lies, but we weren't running generators, playing music or being otherwise untoward to our neighbors, sometimes you could hear the cars running over at Mesa Marin Speedway a few miles away (Mesa Marin is the birthplace of the NASCAR truck series) We'd do the same routine on Sunday except we'd cut it off at about noon, pack everything up and head back south. I have a couple of things to say about my experience in those times you all might consider, we weren't there to camp, we were there to have fun on the lake, if a Motel 6 or a Super 8 was as convenient we would have done that instead. We were polite and courteous but if you've never been sitting around a campfire at almost midnight and a kid that might've been 8-10 years old completely covered in dirt walks into the circle and proudly announces "I'm from Bakersfield!" You might be startled, consider it funny but simultaneously sad and tell him to get back to his parents, when his mom brings him back and starts trying to proposition your friends for beer or food it gets really sad. I love Lake Ming and all of the weekends I spent there as a much younger man, I'm very sad that it's so unpleasant currently. About the lake being shallow, a friend of mine had one of those jet boats with a big block and big headers (river boat) that I'd either board behind or drive, one day he let his brother drive it and it sucked up the rope. It wasn't capable of self propulsion so we literally jumped in the water and walked it across the lake by pushing on the transom, we'd take turns submerging ourselves to get traction on the lakebed but there was very little swimming involved, we walked it across the lake. And then we fixed it and got back after having a good time. Lake Ming is magic, you might've been mistaken in your pursuit of a great place to visit as a tent or overland camper, the campground is not the attraction. Do they even let gas powered boats there anymore? If someone says it's environmentally unfriendly I'd suggest someone should mention to them they should recognize the lake is purpose built for waterskiing. Just a number of miles south Six flags has a lake built for waterski shows. The last time I was up in that area a friend and I were camping a bit further up the Kern River towards Lake Isabella to do a little fishing and we were woken up in the middle of the night and told we needed to evacuate the campground because they'd lost control of the floodgates upstream and we needed to pack our shit and bail immediately. They didn't offer any help, it was basically just info, you need to leave right now and we're not waiting for you. Back then I had my trusty '84 Toyota SR5 4X4 and as we were leaving I remember seeing coolers and other detritus gathering around other picnic tables in other campsites next to the river as the water continued to rise. I'm unsure if my tires even got wet. I did see something I still can't explain in the sky that night but that's another story for another day.
No way I stayed at that exact spot 8 years ago !!!! We had a family reunion with my parents and brothers and sisters and our kids .. we took the floaties up the river, and at the time, the water was super calm . The only thing we had a church group to come threw our campground and did a baptism of a huge group of people . They came and left no biggie . Also, your generators have to be off at a certain time, no noise after 10, I believe . But it was super hot, and we had our trailer with no AC 😅. If you have guests like we did, everyone has to park in the extra lot for overflow parking lot . Only 2 cars can park inside the spot, I think . Our neighbors caught catfish . They tied a rope on the tree and used it to jump into the water . Super cool review 😎
Taking firewood 10pm at night is sociopathic level energy… I wouldn’t dare walk up on someone’s camp after dark requesting to take their firewood much less simply walk up and take it. Maybe I should start finally uploading videos and sharing my east coast campground experiences.
Bakersfield is the crowned jewel of the San Joaquin Valley bro. That should tell you how terrible it is the further north you go. Come up to Lake McSwain in Merced County. I promise you'll hate it. 5 star video!
Meet me at Lake Nacimiento in November! I’ve got a playmate for Kobe. We had the whole place to ourselves last year, & the bathrooms were impeccable! Hot showers & tons of shade, no additional charge! ✌🏼
@@karrpoollane IT IS!!! I stumbled across it trying to get around the mudslide on PCH last year & plan on making it an annual destination! There were actual DEER sleeping on the picnic tables when we drove up! 🤯
I quit going to Buena Vista Lake , when I ended up in the hospital with Giardia in 2012. They traced it back to the Buena Vista . I don't recommend anyone go there, especially children.
Glad “El Gato” still has his 9 lives…. I live about five miles from there. Loud “uhm-paw” music is normal weekend ambience.. kinda glad I work weekend nights..
Your videos keep coming up in my feed so I opened and was not only entertained but you make me laugh 😂 so I subscribed! Never been to Cali but if I do I’ll take all of your advice concerning the camp grounds you review!!!❤
I know it has a decent star rating but I'd love to see a review of La Jolla Indian campground. I'm a little hesitant to check that one out since it's so close to mtn biking and river floating but it looks appealing when I pass it because of the river too. I can't believe a dude tried to set up in your space again. 😅 What the heck Bakersfield.
The original Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy is really good. Wasn't what I would normally read, but gave it a chance and really enjoyed it. Michael Crichton's Airframe was a good read as well, another type of book I normally wouldn't read.
When the bathroom has the old Civil Defense logo........ Is that supposed to mean something else? Did someone recycle and re-meaning the Civil Defense logo? If so, that is kind of hilarious. A whole new meaning to all those 55 galleon drums stashed all over America for dooms day. Thank you California.... You made me giggle again.
Always encourage reading! Do you like Detective novels? Maybe some urban fantasy? Try The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher! The neighbors in that campground sound WILD and not in a good way. The campground itself doesn't seem bad, though.
Yeah I like detective novels. I’ll add that to my list! Thank you for the suggestion. Yeah the grounds were nice and could be fun. The people though were out of control 😂
Jordan, my fellow carnivore! So glad you didn’t eat El Gato for dinner…or your rude neighbors! 😂🥩🐱 Icky bathrooms, noisy neighbors, but you did have some nice shade at your campsite! 🏕️ The mullet is coming along…maybe by Christmas, it will be revealed in all its glory! 😆
As long as you're a decent swimmer. Tried to take someone just a bit up from the campground and they almost died, despite having just droned on and on about being such a strong swimmer. I broke a finger getting him out of a tree in the water.
Any tips and tricks on how to book these camp grounds? Nowadays CA campsites book up so quickly, you normally need to be prepared 6-months in advance. Or are you showing up and hoping for an open spot?
I thought the pad was bad.. and then the moto squatter.. but the scene of the blazing lights and the generator.. after that I was just waiting for a massive fireworks display.
Oh book rec: City of Thieves by David Benioff, and camp suggestion: Benton Hot Springs campsites up 395.. you just deserve a quiet campsite with a private hot springs tub after this Kern Co Jail weekend.
😢😮 just started this vid. Hope the overlord is still there. We stayed one time and the campground host was crazy. He obviously has never had any power. He was yelling at everyone and saying he would give a ticket for this or a ticket for that. We slmost thought we would have to leave because of that dude. Eventually he chilled a little when he found out my dad was a Lt. Col and i was not going to take his crap. I cant help but wonder if they fired that guy🤔 nice camp site other than him.
@@karrpoollane Huntington Lake up there is really, really nice. It's pretty high altitude, though, so if that's a thing for you, consider it. Shaver Lake has a really good burger place and a great pizza place there in town.
@@karrpoollane I would highly recommend Vermillion Valley Resort during peak PCH hiking season, the road, the drive, top tier, also do Kennedy Meadows or Monache Meadows with your nice OHV rig
"Imagine if I had to fight some people for shade again, I would 1-star this whole city." As a Bakersfield resident, please feel free to 1-star this city anyway.
I dunno, I would avoid public bathrooms in California. The problem is the difference between the bathroom etiquette and plumbing. Mexican public plumbing really sucks, so they put their used toilet paper in a trash can beside the toilet, where it gets burned every day. Unfortunately, when immigrants come up to California to work in the dish washing areas of restaurants, they don't see any trash cans to deposit their toilet paper in to when they poop, so it goes on the floor. Got to protect that plumbing!
@@karrpoollane lol, All I am saying. If you had a playlist of just touring around Bakersfield, I would watch it. Much love from Norcal, bro Hope your channel blows up
Good thing you didn't go there when the bike run was there. Every year there is a bunch of bikers that flood that campground for the weekend. Well at least it was every year, not sure if it happened this year or not
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I’m so sorry. I was born and raised in Bakersfield and we used to enjoy camping at our local campgrounds in the 1980’s . Today, I wouldn’t step foot in them! I just wanted to let you know it wasn’t always like this here. It’s very, very sad! :(
Thanks for reminding me why I go backpacking instead of car camping! Great concept idea.
I can use a good backpacking reset after this
It’s so sad man I’m Latino and our people have no respect for other people when it comes to camping, those generators are ridiculous and music and the lights, like cmon man if you want to have a party stay at home .
It's not so much the mexicans, it's the new wave, Venezuelans, colombians, peruvians....... the Mexicans are safer there than here
Don't tell them to party at home. I live in a decent neighborhood in Bakersfield and we still have people blaring accordion music into the night.
@@TheTwilightStormlol nothing like Mariachi band at 3am. Surely none of the neighbors want peace and quiet at there house at that time. 😢
EXACTLY!
Yea Hispanics need to relax with that music they’ll pull up next to you fishing and pull out a boom box have their dog off the leash. Hart park and Ming are riddled with modelos and little Cesar boxes and diapers
College English professor from B-field here with book recommendations as requested:
- Robinson Crusoe (classic; if you haven’t, you def should, especially good for the lonely camper)
- Baudolino by Umberto Eco
- Waiting for the Barbarians by J.M. Coetzee
- The Left Hand of Darkness by Ursula K. LeGuin
- 1Q84 by Haruki Murakami
- Frankenstein
- Gravity’s Rainbow by Thomas Pynchon
- Oryx and Crake by Margaret Atwood
- The Years of Rice and Salt by Kim Stanley Robinson
- The Magicians by Lev Grossman
Enjoy and thanks for all the fun content!
I don’t know how you stayed. I would have gotten up, purposefully set my car alarm off, turned my brights on and packed up. I cannot believe how rude people can be. But I totally love these videos, I constantly check to see when you put out a new one. I’d love some reviews on the campgrounds up around Kernville…the existing reviews make them sound like this campground lol. Also you don’t need to be skinny, you’re not awkward, you are funny & charming & good looking! Keep up the great content!
Thank you so much. I appreciate how kind you are
Great video Jordan ! You make me laugh. Thanks for taking us along.
Great vid as usual. I love all the editing sound effects and commentary! Very entertaining.🎉😂
Another fun and informative video. The storytelling is becoming epic. Humorous, witty, surprising like a superb monologist.
Kern River is in an area too brutal and barren to enjoy. The river (like almost all rivers) has its moments, but the rest of the area seems bleached by the Central Valley sun. BTW the deadly area of the river are upstream in the mountains, but all waters have their hazards. Camping in my youth was better, more respectful of others, and less wildly annoying. The late night behaviors are not in my experience a few decades ago. I’m serious, but I’m not a camper today to accurately compare. That’s why I count on YOU!
Thanks Daniel. I appreciate it. You can count on me friend!
I literally laughed out loud at the cat!
Me too! The meowing got me. haha
Thanks. He’s up for adoption now 😂
Another reminder (and we appreciate you Jordan) why we love to go dispersed camping. Yeah, we're pooping in in a bucket but there are never anyone near enough to bother... Great channel man, looking forward to you hitting the hills at Rowher Flats in Santa Clarita CA.
Dude, you are way too hard on yourself a lot of the time!!
You’re a fun, funny, young, healthy, good looking guy!! Dare I say- hot, even!!
You do fun stuff, make entertaining content and have an awesome rig to boot!!!
Rock it !!
Wow, this is so nice. I appreciate this more than you know. It’s comments like these that inspire me to keep going. 🤘🏾
Love this channel! Always a highlight for me when a new one pops up. I don’t even camp and find this extremely entertaining and interesting. You might try the Jack Reacher books by Lee Child. Start with the 1st one.
I would definitely like that series. Thanks for the suggestion.
Oh, Bakersfield. You never disappoint. After my last experience at the Kern River two years ago, I won't be returning. What an asstastic experience that was. I'll gladly keep driving to the other side of the Sierra.
If I didn’t live here, I wouldn’t come back either :(
Thanks for having the knowledge not to go into the Kern River, so many people see the top current but fail to realize the severity of the undertow, we lose a lot of visitors from LA to it, the only part of the kern I was ever comfortable going in is the shallows in Kernville
Low credit score people always make the best camp neighbors
🤣🤣🤣
Hahahah you are 100% true
Facts
The entire credit score of the neighbor's camp was so bad, it defaulted the web query with a negative number
That’s a polite way to describe them😝
At least that place is consistent. I was there over the summer and that shot when you let us hear the sounds of the campground was exactly how it sounded when I was there for two days--the generator, the people partying...exactly the same 😅
I see! So we’re the weird ones for going there and expecting peace 😂
Karrpool lane never disappoints, thanks! I was a little worried for El Gato, but it fortunately cat was not one the menu that weekend ( I think the neighbor ate sum cat with all that moaning 😂 ). Well... someone had a good time at least.
The transal saga was pretty good also I think I was golfing when u flew the drone lol
Dem Pit Vipers be lookin cleaaaan, bruh
Good thing you didn't say to swim in this river,it's very treturous from what you dont see under the water ,because 140 people have died in it. I love your videos, and they are very entertaining as well as informative, keep it up⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Thank you so much for the 5 stars. I’ll keep it up. 🤘🏾
Those Generators would drive me mental, they were so loud!
They fire up early there too lol
Skinny Jordan!
That’s awesome to see that you are trying carnivore.
Lookin’ Good man!!
I started carnivore on
Aug 1st, 2024…
Starting weight 210lbs…
Today, Wednesday, September 25, 2024… weigh in day… *drumroll
170lbs!!! 👏💪😁
Love your videos man!!
Come to San Diego, I’ll pay for your campground 😊
Woah! That’s amazing! Congratulations. Thanks for watching. I would love to go camp and spend time in San Diego.
@@karrpoollane Thanks man!
Come on down to San Diego soon.
You pick the place, I’ll pay for the site. My treat!!
Love your videos, you make me crack up, and you’ve given me a new perspective for online reviews.
Keep doing your thing, my guy.
😂 💵🏕️ 👍
Love the Frank Zappa "Willie The Pimp" background music!
Much love Jordan. Hope you have a great day
Thanks! You too Deborah!
Love your videos! I’ve camped at most places you have reviewed. I was just at zeipher cove campground in Tahoe, Highly recommend it! You’re great at what you do and I wish you much success on your channel sir! You are a gentleman and a scholar
You're adorable! 10:04 "It's so awkward, though. I'm shy, okay!?" 😂 You are perfectly fine! I love your videos. You're too funny!
Absolutely love your campground reviews!!
And this one confirms why I prefer to boondock in the middle of nowhere, I'd go insane with so many campers around! lol
I can tell you are from Bakersfield only people from Bakersfield call it "Bako"
Can't wait for you to try the Bombay Beach Campground along the shore of the infamous Salton Sea. It's particularly memorable after a talapia die-off when there are clouds of flies and a stench that just won't quit. Could be right up your alley.
The bathroom photo is old. They did a lot of bathroom "upgrades" at most of our parks and campgrounds.
That is the reason I don't camp around here. If you want to camp somewhere very nice I suggest Balch Park. It is very nice up there. It is first come first serve camping.
Great content!
Thank you so much.
Well...at least El Gato survived. Another great video👍
Still gotta review Ocean Cove Campground in Jenner Ca. It’s that place x 100 except with beautiful ocean views. Never a dull moment day or night. 🤯😆 Regardless it’s still my favorite place to camp. Loved the video! Keep it up!!!
Wait 😂 so it’s like worse than this at night??? But by the ocean? 😂
as long as you don't play with the pad... now that was funny!!!! 😂😂😂.. almost as funny as your Crocs!!
I would probably avoid Bako from now on how terrible 😂. Love this video as always!!
You crack me up! El Gato was hilarious. Are you selling your stickers or tee shirts yet?
This is what happens when you only charge $24 for a site. Keep the riff raff out and bump up the price. For what I'm seeing with this place, the river and lake , they can easily charge $50 plus a night.
Can’t wait for Lightning in a Bottle at buena vista next year.
You should head north to Samuel P Taylor in Lagunitas
A handful of people contracted Valley Fever after that festival- be careful!
I'm gonna suggest you go check out the campground at Pinnacles National Park. Go in November, which apparently is the best time to see California condors. I was there in October 2022 and got to see one. I would give the campground a 3 out of 5 for being mostly a dirt lot. But you'll see tons of wildlife - turkeys, quail, deer, roadrunners.
That's not camping, that's chaos. Too many people.
Read books by Richard Marcinko. Originator of Seal Team Six.
Thank you for your sacrifice, Karrpool.
Lake Ming (another man made lake) and the adjacent campground were originally purposefully constructed as a water skiing lake by Kern County and a private water skiing club in the late '50s. The lake at its deepest point is probably about 8' deep. The water ski club eventually fell apart and control of the lake and campground went to either the state or the county, I can't recall who was in charge when I was a frequent visitor in the early '90s. Because the lake is so shallow but also constantly refreshed by the Kern River it became renowned for smooth, clean water. Full on Top Fuel Drag boat races were held there and it was not uncommon to occasionally see some folks testing their race boats using the lake as a test track because it was so smooth. I lived in the LA area and had some friends that had boats and we'd congregate at Ming on summer weekends rather than opting for the shorter trip to Castaic or Pyramid or even Buena Vista (even way back then Buena Vista was kind of a dump). Lake Ming, at least back then, had a clean, quiet campground and room to park your tow vehicle and your boat on a trailer in your camping spot. Our normal method was to load everything up on Thursday night, take a half day on Friday and leave the eastern San Fernando valley at about 1pm. We'd get there at about 3-4pm, put a boat in the water and wakeboard until sunset and then put it back on the trailer and go set up camp. We were young and dumb and although there might've been some loud boats we couldn't afford generators (what would we plug into them?) and we were all pretty tired after a week of working and after a few beers around a campfire we'd retire to whatever accommodations we'd brought with us, for some it was a van, others had tents, some slept on the bench seat of or in the bed of their truck. We'd all groggily exit our sleeping situation when the sun came up on Saturday have a quick cup of coffee and a bit of whatever sustenance we'd brought for breakfast and then head for the ramp to drop at least one boat in the water so we could play on the lake. I'm unsure what the shoreline looks like now but back then it was like someones lawn all the way to the waterline, remember this lake is engineered, not natural, so the level is pretty consistent since it's fed and sits right next to a raging river that kills hundreds of people per year. Anyways we were early adapters to "pop up" canopies, one group would go set up "camp' on the shoreline as the other group went and attended to our nautical pursuits. This ended up being a wonderful way to spend a Saturday, you go out and have a ride either in or behind the boat and if you got tired you could just beach the boat on the shore right in front of your "camp". I'm not going to whitewash it, there was an inordinate amount of adult beverages and perhaps some illicit products being consumed, but if you were otherwise respectful and helpful to your neighbors and followed the rules it was almost a free for all. At the end of the day we'd pack up our stuff, put the boats back on the trailers and head back to our campsite. At this point most folks were either tired from being out in the sun exerting themselves or perhaps overly "lubricated" with Coors Light. We'd BBQ dinner (I learned a life hack regarding potatoes from one of my friends moms on one of these trips, but that's a story for another day) and have a fire to sit around as the moon and the stars came out and tell each other either jokes or lies, but we weren't running generators, playing music or being otherwise untoward to our neighbors, sometimes you could hear the cars running over at Mesa Marin Speedway a few miles away (Mesa Marin is the birthplace of the NASCAR truck series)
We'd do the same routine on Sunday except we'd cut it off at about noon, pack everything up and head back south. I have a couple of things to say about my experience in those times you all might consider, we weren't there to camp, we were there to have fun on the lake, if a Motel 6 or a Super 8 was as convenient we would have done that instead. We were polite and courteous but if you've never been sitting around a campfire at almost midnight and a kid that might've been 8-10 years old completely covered in dirt walks into the circle and proudly announces "I'm from Bakersfield!" You might be startled, consider it funny but simultaneously sad and tell him to get back to his parents, when his mom brings him back and starts trying to proposition your friends for beer or food it gets really sad. I love Lake Ming and all of the weekends I spent there as a much younger man, I'm very sad that it's so unpleasant currently. About the lake being shallow, a friend of mine had one of those jet boats with a big block and big headers (river boat) that I'd either board behind or drive, one day he let his brother drive it and it sucked up the rope. It wasn't capable of self propulsion so we literally jumped in the water and walked it across the lake by pushing on the transom, we'd take turns submerging ourselves to get traction on the lakebed but there was very little swimming involved, we walked it across the lake. And then we fixed it and got back after having a good time. Lake Ming is magic, you might've been mistaken in your pursuit of a great place to visit as a tent or overland camper, the campground is not the attraction. Do they even let gas powered boats there anymore? If someone says it's environmentally unfriendly I'd suggest someone should mention to them they should recognize the lake is purpose built for waterskiing. Just a number of miles south Six flags has a lake built for waterski shows. The last time I was up in that area a friend and I were camping a bit further up the Kern River towards Lake Isabella to do a little fishing and we were woken up in the middle of the night and told we needed to evacuate the campground because they'd lost control of the floodgates upstream and we needed to pack our shit and bail immediately. They didn't offer any help, it was basically just info, you need to leave right now and we're not waiting for you. Back then I had my trusty '84 Toyota SR5 4X4 and as we were leaving I remember seeing coolers and other detritus gathering around other picnic tables in other campsites next to the river as the water continued to rise. I'm unsure if my tires even got wet. I did see something I still can't explain in the sky that night but that's another story for another day.
No way I stayed at that exact spot 8 years ago !!!!
We had a family reunion with my parents and brothers and sisters and our kids ..
we took the floaties up the river, and at the time, the water was super calm .
The only thing we had a church group to come threw our campground and did a baptism of a huge group of people . They came and left no biggie .
Also, your generators have to be off at a certain time, no noise after 10, I believe . But it was super hot, and we had our trailer with no AC 😅. If you have guests like we did, everyone has to park in the extra lot for overflow parking lot . Only 2 cars can park inside the spot, I think . Our neighbors caught catfish . They tied a rope on the tree and used it to jump into the water .
Super cool review 😎
Taking firewood 10pm at night is sociopathic level energy…
I wouldn’t dare walk up on someone’s camp after dark requesting to take their firewood much less simply walk up and take it.
Maybe I should start finally uploading videos and sharing my east coast campground experiences.
I couldn’t agree more Tim 😂. Straight sociopathic energy.
You should. Lemme know where I need to check out
Try Big Sycamore off the PCH down the road from Thornhill Broom
You should check out Lake Perris next! Some of the reviews on that campground are wild.
Check out Sandy Flats on the Kern just east of Bako off highway 178 its beautiful!!
Bakersfield is the crowned jewel of the San Joaquin Valley bro. That should tell you how terrible it is the further north you go. Come up to Lake McSwain in Merced County. I promise you'll hate it. 5 star video!
Meet me at Lake Nacimiento in November! I’ve got a playmate for Kobe. We had the whole place to ourselves last year, & the bathrooms were impeccable! Hot showers & tons of shade, no additional charge! ✌🏼
I might take you up on this. Sounds amazing
@@karrpoollane IT IS!!! I stumbled across it trying to get around the mudslide on PCH last year & plan on making it an annual destination! There were actual DEER sleeping on the picnic tables when we drove up! 🤯
Heck NO STAY AWAY!!
So glad that was you and not me!! Yikes!!!! Oh hey, how can get one of your stickers??
I’ll sacrifice myself for y’all! The stickers are available on the website. Karrpoollane.com if you buy a shirt the sticker comes with it.
Try lake piru! Won’t disappoint that’s Forsure!
Ok I’m adding it to my list. Thanks for the suggestion 🤘🏾
@@karrpoollane let me know when you go I’ll take the boat 🚤 🤣
Ugh, I was there last July, it’s JUST NOT GOOD
I quit going to Buena Vista Lake , when I ended up in the hospital with Giardia in 2012. They traced it back to the Buena Vista . I don't recommend anyone go there, especially children.
Try lake success next, Tule campground
Need to check out camp edison at Shaver lake.
Bro I had the same experience, my neighbors brought out a whole Karoke machine and stayed up until 2am. Worse experience ever lol.
Not the Karaoke machine! Sorry brother.
Glad “El Gato” still has his 9 lives…. I live about five miles from there. Loud “uhm-paw” music is normal weekend ambience.. kinda glad I work weekend nights..
El Camino Sierra is an easy read. New subscriber here, great videos.
Awesome I’ll look it up. Thank you for the suggestion. I appreciate you subscribing 🤘🏾
Your videos keep coming up in my feed so I opened and was not only entertained but you make me laugh 😂 so I subscribed! Never been to Cali but if I do I’ll take all of your advice concerning the camp grounds you review!!!❤
El Gato comes pre-stuffed with tasty stuffing
Wait! You’re the hungry hunter from the review 😮
@@karrpoollane never pass up tasty stuffing!
I know it has a decent star rating but I'd love to see a review of La Jolla Indian campground. I'm a little hesitant to check that one out since it's so close to mtn biking and river floating but it looks appealing when I pass it because of the river too.
I can't believe a dude tried to set up in your space again. 😅 What the heck Bakersfield.
I was on the Colorado river last week. 7 people in the entire campground. Nice!
Imma be exploring Colorado soon hopefully.
The original Rainbow Six by Tom Clancy is really good. Wasn't what I would normally read, but gave it a chance and really enjoyed it. Michael Crichton's Airframe was a good read as well, another type of book I normally wouldn't read.
When the bathroom has the old Civil Defense logo........ Is that supposed to mean something else? Did someone recycle and re-meaning the Civil Defense logo? If so, that is kind of hilarious. A whole new meaning to all those 55 galleon drums stashed all over America for dooms day. Thank you California.... You made me giggle again.
Haha I hope what’s in those drums isn’t the same thing I found in the bathrooms.
Always encourage reading! Do you like Detective novels? Maybe some urban fantasy? Try The Dresden Files by Jim Butcher! The neighbors in that campground sound WILD and not in a good way. The campground itself doesn't seem bad, though.
Yeah I like detective novels. I’ll add that to my list! Thank you for the suggestion.
Yeah the grounds were nice and could be fun. The people though were out of control 😂
I concur with The Dresden Files books. I started them in 2001, and got my wife into them a couple of years ago. We both love them.
@@jasoncopple1311 my late brother-in-law turned me onto them. It might be time for a re-read. :)
Jordan, my fellow carnivore! So glad you didn’t eat El Gato for dinner…or your rude neighbors! 😂🥩🐱 Icky bathrooms, noisy neighbors, but you did have some nice shade at your campsite! 🏕️ The mullet is coming along…maybe by Christmas, it will be revealed in all its glory! 😆
More towards isabella and kernville that you need to be concerned with the river.
Got it.
As long as you're a decent swimmer. Tried to take someone just a bit up from the campground and they almost died, despite having just droned on and on about being such a strong swimmer. I broke a finger getting him out of a tree in the water.
Any tips and tricks on how to book these camp grounds? Nowadays CA campsites book up so quickly, you normally need to be prepared 6-months in advance. Or are you showing up and hoping for an open spot?
I thought the pad was bad.. and then the moto squatter.. but the scene of the blazing lights and the generator.. after that I was just waiting for a massive fireworks display.
Oh book rec: City of Thieves by David Benioff, and camp suggestion: Benton Hot Springs campsites up 395.. you just deserve a quiet campsite with a private hot springs tub after this Kern Co Jail weekend.
If they would have set off fireworks I woulda just said forget sleep and went and had some beers with them 😂
Awesome! I’ll add all that to my list. Thanks for sharing 🤘🏾
If you haven’t you should read “can’t hurt me” by David Goggins
Also can you review Pyramid Lake in California it’s in between LA and Bakersfield
Man-o-man you are charitable in your ratings!
The 1 star was a bit charitable 😂
@@karrpoollane 😂 Agree!
I love your channel, btw. 👍
I would have packed up, and then drove over to those sites and layed on the horn to say good bye😂
I lost my birkenstocks in the kern when I was a teen haha, they got swept away 😢 … my one sad memory of the Kern lol
Noooo not the Birkens!!!! This river just takes and takes! Sorry friend
You should definitely check out KOH/king of hammers in Johnson Valley 2025. End of Jan beginning of Feb!
What a nightmare lol
Check out Refugio and Carpinteria
I’ve been trying to get out to Carpinteria. It was so full when I checked last. But I can go for the weather there right now.
Hey, I have a really great spot at Faria that I have to cancel. Full hookups, Oct 2 to 4th. I haven’t cancelled it yet, seeing if anyone wants it.
@@karrpoollane It’s busy but I got a spot, it was during the week.
Don't worry Kobe; El Gato has nothing on you!
That ice cream truck music was creepy!
Kobe appreciates that. He knows he’s the favorite 😂
It was creepy 😂
I love El Gato, so cool.
😢😮 just started this vid. Hope the overlord is still there. We stayed one time and the campground host was crazy. He obviously has never had any power. He was yelling at everyone and saying he would give a ticket for this or a ticket for that. We slmost thought we would have to leave because of that dude. Eventually he chilled a little when he found out my dad was a Lt. Col and i was not going to take his crap. I cant help but wonder if they fired that guy🤔 nice camp site other than him.
Love this content ❤. Lasers? Just no
Thank you. I was actually shocked at how much production value was involved in campground partying 😂
Genuinely surprised El Gato hasn't been stolen yet (16 min )
I hate places like this and I avoid them completely. Camping is to get away from people.
I've floated that river many times, it only gets dangerous after about 7-8 beers or so...🤣🤣🤣😜
Do Shaver Lake?
I haven’t. Is there a certain campground there I should do?
@@karrpoollane Huntington Lake up there is really, really nice. It's pretty high altitude, though, so if that's a thing for you, consider it. Shaver Lake has a really good burger place and a great pizza place there in town.
@@karrpoollaneyes shaver lake ! camp edison
@@karrpoollane I would highly recommend Vermillion Valley Resort during peak PCH hiking season, the road, the drive, top tier, also do Kennedy Meadows or Monache Meadows with your nice OHV rig
@@karrpoollanedo Dorabelle its beautiful!
"Imagine if I had to fight some people for shade again, I would 1-star this whole city."
As a Bakersfield resident, please feel free to 1-star this city anyway.
I dunno, I would avoid public bathrooms in California. The problem is the difference between the bathroom etiquette and plumbing. Mexican public plumbing really sucks, so they put their used toilet paper in a trash can beside the toilet, where it gets burned every day. Unfortunately, when immigrants come up to California to work in the dish washing areas of restaurants, they don't see any trash cans to deposit their toilet paper in to when they poop, so it goes on the floor. Got to protect that plumbing!
I never camp on weekends LOL
I hate it 😂. But it’s the only way I can give an accurate review on some of these places. Never again tho
Don’t know if someone already asked this but do you plan on reviewing any campgrounds in Northern California?
Anything Dean Koontz is good reading
The Grey Bastards is a good book
Right?
@@karrpoollane I liked it, I read all 3 books
BUT WHY DIDN'T YOU GET ICE CREAM!!!! i am so devastated.
anyway, you should read "the emerald mile" by kevin fedarko. it's most excellent.
@@madisonambrosehall8219 Yes! My favorite book of all time
Let's just do a series where you check out gnarly stuff around Bakersfield
Let roam the streets gnarly stuff?
@@karrpoollane
lol, All I am saying. If you had a playlist of just touring around Bakersfield, I would watch it.
Much love from Norcal, bro
Hope your channel blows up
I stayed there during the week in February and was empty and therefore a good experience.
This place empty sounds amazing. Probably a lil cold to play in the river tho.
SHAVER LAKE NEXT!!!!!!
Do lake Hemet next
Darwin's Radio by Greg Bear
Thanks for the suggestion
You got something to say about Compton bro. Come by I live here
A one star campground is definitely Success Lake in Tulare County that one is a thumbs down for sure
If you like mysteries, give "Sean Stranahan Mystery Series" by Kieth McCafferty a try. They all take place in Montana.
I would've given 1.5 stars if the lasers had stayed on.
The lasers were interesting 😂
Not gonna lie, my fam can def get pretty loud, but we do observe quiet hours.
Good thing you didn't go there when the bike run was there. Every year there is a bunch of bikers that flood that campground for the weekend. Well at least it was every year, not sure if it happened this year or not
Yup. That sounds like it would be a wild time to be there
Read Dungeon Crawler Carl