Helicopter and 4-Wheel Drive Tours Coming to Taft Back Country
by Michael Long -
May 8, 2009
Please see the entire photo essay on Page 7 of our Virtual Issue of the Taft Independent on the Home Page.
Local businessman Ryan Van Trees plans to launch back country tours of West Kern County with some advice from Taft resident Darrell Melton.
The tours would take in such sites as the Temblor Range, San Andreas Fault and the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
The tours are an opportunity for tourists to see the unique natural beauty of the back country of Taft and Western Kern County. The tour packages would include 4 wheel drive tours and helicopter tours of the area as well as old oil production sites.
According to Van Trees, tourists would visit the back country roads where they will see historical Indian camp sites, old oil production sites and the natural beauty of the area. The vehicles tours would last up to 4 hours, while the helicopter tours would be 20 minutes long.
The tours would also offer lunch at the popular Tumbleweed Cafe in Derby Acres.
Van Trees also suggested that special tours could be arranged for helicopter flights to the beach or the Sierra’s.
Daryl Melton, who recently took a local group of business persons, media and government officials on a section of the proposed vehicle tour would act as a consultant to the tour company.
Melton has spent many trips to the back country on motorcycle and 4 wheel drive trips as a young man, and today with his family exploring the many Bureau of Land Management public roads. Melton is currently involved with creating a road map of the area.
“The goal is to drive tourism to Taft from Southern and Northern California,” Van Trees said. “We have a lot of history and a lot to see here on the Westside.”
“We also benefit from foreign tourists who have never seen our kind of wilderness,” Van Trees added.
Van Tress and his wife Diane are the owners of the Holland Inn Hotel.
The tours would take in such sites as the Temblor Range, San Andreas Fault and the Carrizo Plain National Monument.
The tours are an opportunity for tourists to see the unique natural beauty of the back country of Taft and Western Kern County. The tour packages would include 4 wheel drive tours and helicopter tours of the area as well as old oil production sites.
According to Van Trees, tourists would visit the back country roads where they will see historical Indian camp sites, old oil production sites and the natural beauty of the area. The vehicles tours would last up to 4 hours, while the helicopter tours would be 20 minutes long.
The tours would also offer lunch at the popular Tumbleweed Cafe in Derby Acres.
Van Trees also suggested that special tours could be arranged for helicopter flights to the beach or the Sierra’s.
Daryl Melton, who recently took a local group of business persons, media and government officials on a section of the proposed vehicle tour would act as a consultant to the tour company.
Melton has spent many trips to the back country on motorcycle and 4 wheel drive trips as a young man, and today with his family exploring the many Bureau of Land Management public roads. Melton is currently involved with creating a road map of the area.
“The goal is to drive tourism to Taft from Southern and Northern California,” Van Trees said. “We have a lot of history and a lot to see here on the Westside.”
“We also benefit from foreign tourists who have never seen our kind of wilderness,” Van Trees added.
Van Tress and his wife Diane are the owners of the Holland Inn Hotel.
