The first four days of our California Road Trip have been action-packed from a day of activities on Lake Tahoe to checking out a ghost town and hiking in Yosemite National Park. Today, Day 5, was the biggest driving day of the entire road trip with over 300 miles to be covered from Yosemite Valley to Bakersfield after a detour into Sequoia & Kings Canyon National Park.
We got on the road just after 10am and headed south towards our first stop of the day.
General Sherman – The World’s Largest Tree
Around 5 hours later we arrived at the General Sherman Tree, located in the Giant Forest of Sequoia National Park. There was plenty of parking nearby and we started the half-mile walk to General Sherman which included a 200-foot descent to the base of this impressive tree.
We quickly snapped our photos and headed back to the car, eager to get to Bakersfield. After leaving the General Sherman Tree, we made a quick stop at some nearby sequoias so that we could give a perspective of just how big they really were!
What we didn’t anticipate was that there were significant roadworks in the Sequioa National Park along the Generals Highway. Delays added at least an hour to our journey (including a 50-minute stop in the hot afternoon sun), which was the last thing we needed.
The Padre Hotel, Bakersfield
By the time we finally got onto the home stretch and California Highway 99, the sun had set and all we could think about was getting to The Padre Hotel in Bakersfield. Following two nights of camping in Yosemite National Park, we were looking forward to three major things:
- Comfortable bedding and a great night’s sleep;
- A long, hot shower; and
- Some great food.
And The Padre Hotel delivered all three of these and more, providing us with the perfect way to unwind after our time camping and nearly 10 hours on the road that day. Entering their lobby and seeing the attention to detail was enough to lift a massive weight off our shoulders – finally we could relax! A speedy check-in made our experience all the more pleasant.
The attention to detail didn’t end in the lobby. As soon as we entered our Double Deuce Room on the 6th floor, we were greeted by an assortment of fresh cookies and a hand-written note welcoming us to The Padre Hotel! Seriously, why can’t all hotels do this?!
Two Signature Serenity queen beds provided us with enough room to sprawl out during the night and we’re not lying when we say they were easily some of the most comfortable bedding we’ve slept on during our journey so far. We probably could have spent the whole day just lying in bed if we had the opportunity.
After enjoying a shower underneath their rain head showers (the H20 Spa & Bath Products smelt fantastic, unlike most hotel-provided bath products), we searched through the extensive Padre Hotel in-room dining menu and treated ourselves to the truffle fries and half-brick chicken.
The food was in our room within 15 minutes and it was delicious and full of flavor, something we hadn’t enjoyed in quite a while. There are several dining options in the Padre Hotel (4 different cuisine options to be exact) and each is also available to enjoy within the comfort of your own room like we did after a long day.
Our visit to The Padre Hotel in Bakersfield was enough to recharge the batteries and give us enough energy to get through the next few days of our adventure in the bustling city of Los Angeles.
So don’t just drive through Bakersfield the next time you’re traveling through California – stop off at The Padre Hotel and treat yourself in one of their luxurious guest rooms. We guarantee that you won’t regret it.
We’re currently road tripping through California thanks to the generous help of Fox Rent A Car. Our stay at The Padre Hotel was complimentary, however as always, all thoughts and opinions are our own.
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