Travel Day to Lake Isabella: The Battle of the Backseat

After a fun Halloween I am thankful we got an extra hour of sleep due to the time change.  Let’s hope that extra hour helps the kids be sweet little human beings on our drive today. 

In and Out Burger is our favourite fast food restaurant when we visit California. So, we plugged In and Out Burger into our GPS and were off. Our destination was Lake Isabella and thankfully it was a short drive, because before long the fighting in the backseat began. No matter how many peace treaties I drafted, we never restored peace for long. Thankfully In and Out burgers ordered animal style lifted Ron’s and my spirits. The kids eventually decided to try their cheese burgers and to their surprise they enjoyed them. We returned to the road, hoping the meal would  help calm our little monsters.  

The scenery was beautiful as we approached Lake Isabella. The trees were so interesting to look at and the hillsides became filled with large boulders and small shrubs. It was a change from the dry hillsides and palm trees of Palm Desert.

Our KOA campground had a cute little playground and the kids were excited to play as soon as their area of the truck was tidied up. I’ve been amazed at the amount of mess two little kids are able to make each day. Ron’s poor truck is going to need a deep clean when we get home.  

Ariel and Wyatt ran off the playground when their chore was done. I was happy to just let them run. Their Halloween hangover made a three and a half hour drive feel like 10 hours. This is normal post-Halloween behaviour, so it was no surprise. I was just thankful they finally took a nap for a portion of the drive, which helped restore some peace to the truck.  

Ron and I set up the camp and were really pleased with this campground. It was quaint and clean and the person at the KOA office was friendly to the kids. She even gave them a free root beer.

Our campsite had a few trees around it which is great for providing some shade for the dogs. One of the large trees was even at a good location so that we could tie the dog’s long leashes to it. I am always so thankful when we can let them have a longer lead. They can’t seem to stay out of trouble. Ever since the day Remi decided it would be fun to chew on some of the wires underneath, we’ve had to make sure their leashes can’t reach the RV. Maggie is convinced that there is a small rodent living under our RV. She likes to scratch at the underside and has lost her RV privileges too.  

The lady who checked us in recommended we drive into Kernville and try the local brewery for dinner. Kernville is a beautiful little town, nestled in the rocky hills beside Lake Isabella.  The service at the brewery was so friendly and their sour beer was delicious. We sat on their outside patio, soaked in the views, and watched the sunset. After a very busy Halloween and a drive today which seemed to last forever, this was a nice way to unwind.

The time change means it gets darker sooner now and I always rejoice at this. Ariel and Wyatt associate bedtime with the dark and so today there was no protest when we got them ready for bed at 7pm. Finally a normal bedtime. Let’s hope after a good night sleep my sweet kids return to us tomorrow. With the kids in bed, Ron started a campfire and enjoyed reading his new novel.  We are all pretty tired, though, so it was an early night.

Goodnight again from California!