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Matt Gush\/Shutterstock<\/p>\n
You may have heard of the California Gold Rush, but what about the California Oil Rush? A few decades after the Gold Rush took off in 1848, oil production began in the Golden State \u2014 by 1930, California supplied 25%<\/a> of the world’s oil. At the heart of this boom was Taft, a historic city with strong ties to California’s oil industry \u2013\u00a0a fact that the people of Taft celebrate with great pride at the massive Oildorado Days festival.\u00a0<\/p>\n Taft was founded in the late 1800s as a railroad settlement, but didn’t begin to thrive\u00a0until 1909 when oil was discovered at what is now the Midway-Sunset Oil Field. The city grew as oil companies and workers moved to the area, and a\u00a0vibrant\u00a0downtown developed.\u00a0Today, the Midway-Sunset Oil Field remains one of the\u00a0largest oil fields in the country.<\/p>\n Oil may be central to Taft’s story, but it’s far from the only thing this city has to offer. With a population of around\u00a07,000 residents, Taft looks and feels like a small town, with a charming historic downtown\u00a0and family-owned eateries. Located less than\u00a045 minutes\u00a0west of Bakersfield and\u00a0two hours from Los Angeles, Taft is a unique destination for a day trip or weekend escape.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Museums and iconic celebrations in Taft<\/p>\n Taft’s famous local festival, Oildorado Days, was first held in\u00a01930\u00a0and continues to draws people from all over. The 10-day event features\u00a0parades, a carnival, an air show, an oil field skills competition, and The Maids of Petroleum beauty pageant, which determines who will be crowned the next Oildorado Queen. The celebration takes place\u00a0every five years in the month of October, with the next one scheduled for 2030.\u00a0The festival’s organizers initially planned to host it every year, but after facing various challenges, settled on every five years instead, reports ABC23<\/a>. The tradition stuck, turning it into a much-anticipated event.\u00a0“To just see the mass of people that comes into this town […] it’s really staggering,” one Taft resident said in a video interview on the festival’s Facebook<\/a> page.<\/p>\n Taft also has a number of must-visit historic sites. The\u00a0West Kern Oil Museum<\/a>\u00a0dives deep into the city’s petroleum heritage and honors the people who made it all possible. The 8-acre museum\u00a0includes a recreation of an early 20th-century oil company camp,\u00a0a 1917 wooden derrick, and vintage buildings to transport visitors back in time. The nearby Taft Oilworker Monument is also worth seeing \u2014 at\u00a0more than 40 feet tall, it is the largest bronze sculpture in the state. The\u00a0Taft Historic Fort,\u00a0listed on the National Register of Historic Places, is another relic of the city’s past, dating back to the 1940s. For even more historic immersion, head to the\u00a0Silver City Ghost Town museum, a real-life Western movie throwback<\/a>\u00a0about 90 minutes from Taft.\u00a0<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n Dining, shopping, and attractions in downtown Taft<\/p>\n Taft’s historic charm extends to its\u00a0tree-lined downtown streets, with the Art Deco-style\u00a0Fox Theater and vintage shops like\u00a0Old’s Cool Antiques and More. “The shopkeeper is a very friendly and helpful, passionate person,” reads one Tripadvisor<\/a> review. Visitors can also expect warm and friendly service at Taft’s restaurants. Boasting a 4.5 star rating on Google, Jo’s Restaurant offers classic American cuisine. One past customer described the chicken fried steak as one of the best he’s ever had, according to a\u00a0Yelp<\/a> review. Also highly-rated is La Salsa Restaurant and Cantina Taft, known for its delicious Mexican cuisine. “I’ve been coming to La Salsa for decades,” reads one Google<\/a> review, highlighting its reasonable prices, kind staff, and authentic flavors. For a cold drink,\u00a0head to Black Gold Brewing Company, another Taft hotspot loved for its\u00a0cheerful\u00a0service.<\/p>\n As for lodging, Taft offers a typical smattering of chain hotels and motels \u2014 for a more unique overnight stay, check out The Padre Hotel<\/a> in downtown Bakersfield. Built in 1928, the restored boutique hotel\u00a0has a saloon-style restaurant, rooftop lounge, and an Art Deco vibe. Those who prefer a more outdoorsy experience can stay at\u00a0Cuyama Oaks Ranch<\/a> around 45 minutes from Taft, with glamping yurts, campsites, and a petting zoo where you can “cuddle with the pigs,” according to its website. The closest commerical airport is the Meadows Field Airport in Bakersfield (BFL), less than an hour’s drive away.<\/p>\n Taft also offers ways to escape into nature. About one hour west of Taft is Carrizo Plain National Monument, one of the top five national monuments in California<\/a>.\u00a0Home of the state’s largest remaining native grassland, it is recognized a top place to see California’s iconic spring wildflowers<\/a>.\u00a0Just over\u00a030 minutes east of Taft is the Wind Wolves Preserve, the largest nature reserve of its kind on the West Coast.\u00a0<\/p>\n
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