Whiskey Flat

Whiskey Flat.  Why they ever changed the original name to Kernville is beyond me.   I think there's a movement afoot to change it back though.    I saw lots of Whiskey Flat this and that signs.  Every President's Day weekend there is a 4-day festival called "Whiskey Flat Days" in celebration of the Wild Wild West.  They have a parade, a rodeo, gunfighter skits, melodramas and lots of country western and blue grass concerts.  Nevertheless, the little town of Kernville is a charming place, full of antique stores and restaurants and places to rent a raft for a wild ride down the Kern River.  My travel buddy and I spent a morning here wandering in and out of shops.  I even bought a long sleeve linen blouse, which I ended up wearing almost every day.  Mimi wanted this hat!

  The whole Kern River Valley in California was part of a second gold rush boom in the 1850's.  Mining camps sprouted up over night.  The men panning for gold often left after a few months, poorer in pocket, spirit and health,  The smart ones were the men who followed the prospectors and sold them shovels, blankets and booze.  One such entrepreneur was Adam Hamilton.  He followed the gold from camp to camp and ended up at Quartzburg, but was booted out because it was a no alcohol camp and he had some kegs of whiskey he wanted to sell.  He moved down to the flats, put up a stand and started pouring.  Well, guess what?  Those poor tired miners followed him down and Whiskey Flat was born.  So much for temperance!

We didn't have shots of whiskey while there, but we did have lots of Isabella Blond and Red Sequoias, ales made on site at the Kernville Brewing Company.  We got addicted to their hamburgers, too.  Big, juicy and grilled on multi-grain buns and served with a side of waffle fries.  Yum!

Oh, I almost forgot.  The original Whiskey Flat is now underneath Lake Isabella.  Those temperate guys got their revenge!