OUR KERN RIVER FAMILY VACATION: In June 2006 the whole Hedges family met in Kernville for a week of fun!
In the 105 degree heat of late-July we arrived at Rivernook Campground, set-up the tents & gear, and proceeded to have a fantastic week of family fun. The river was cool and a nice relief from the hot desert campground, so we spent most of the time floating down the fast Kern River, making riverside kiddie pools, playing in the creeks, and fishing for trout. Dillon caught 7 trout in one day, Grandma Bobbie got 5, Nicole caught 3, and Jeffrey even caught one. We made huge bonfires (thanks to Dillon), made Smores, and watched the clear dark sky for satellites. And we visited the Trout Hatchery and fed hundreds of very large trout! We drove down to Lake Isabella and rented a covered fishing boat for a few hours. Lee ran us aground on rocks and each of the kids got to skipper the boat in very windy choppy conditions. Most of us braved the raging Kern River with its rounded rocks just under the surface of the rapids to float down without inner tubes. Even Allison & Jeffrey got brave and made the perilous adventure! Then Papa Don & Grandma Bobbie led the way into the mountains to see the 100 Giants Redwood preserve. Later we found a cool hidden series of waterslide pools with trout swimming inside!