Hampton Inn & Suites, Bakersfield, CA: Really?

Hampton Inn & Suites,
Brundage Lane, Bakersfield, CA

I'm in route from Sacramento, California to Scottsboro, Alabama -- a trip that I need to complete in 4 days, and today I've managed to travel only just over 2 hours.  I arrived in Bakersfield around 6:00 pm and decided to stop for the night at a Hampton Inn where I've stayed several times over the past few years.

Personally I like the consistency of Hampton Inns.  They're part of the Hilton Worldwide chain and most were built within the past 10 years.  My favorite thing about Hampton is their clean, fluffy, white comforters and their generally spacious rooms.


The check-in was quick and easy and "Ashton" at the front desk was speedy, pleasant and efficient.  Room 407 -- a nonsmoking King room, was clean and welcoming.  As I set up my desk, I was thrilled to see a double electric outlet on the wall at a height of about 4-feet, just above the desk. It allowed me to plug my computer and phone charger without having to crawl under the desk.  First time I've seen this -- nice touch: 2 points!


All in all my stay was routine, however, there were a few housekeeping items that they need to improve upon:

1)  A lamp on the TV cabinet had no light bulb.
2)  When I checked the time, the clock by the bed said 6:09 and the clock on the microwave said 8:09. The correct time (on my cell phone) was 7:09 pm.
3)  The outside trim at the bottom of the shower enclosure was filthy.  Luckily the inside was clean, but how could anyone miss that buildup on the exterior?!
4)  There were 2 Decaf coffees but no regular cofee.  This isn't something that a caffeine lover wants to find the next morning!
5)  The Waterpik shower head with 7 settings was unable to properly function, probably due to lime buildup inside the head.  When I tried to adjust the head, the outside ring fell off.
6)  As is usual at Hampton Inns, the bathroom lighting is insufficient for applying makeup.

On a positive note, the free breakfast now includes dried cranberries, raisins and chopped almonds for the Oatmeal -- my favorite! And lots of caffeine that I didn't get in my room.


This Hampton Inn & Suites at 7941 East Brundage Lane in Bakersfield is just off Highway 58 between Freeway 99 and Interstate 40 East/West.

Joy Report Rating: Really?

Jack In The Box, Visalia CA: Come On Man!

Today I'm in transit from Fresno to Bakersfield, CA -- the second leg of my cross country trek from Sacramento to Scottsboro, Alabama.  I woke up with a headache and the Holiday Inn Express I was staying at kindly offered to give me a late check out so I could sleep a while.  When I finally hit the road at 1:30 pm and headed for Bakersfield -- a 2.5 hour drive, I hadn't eaten anything and I was both hungry and thirsty. Driving south on Highway 99 through Kingsburg, which is a small town with a Swedish influence just south of Fresno, I saw a sign for Jack In The Box.

Being from California, I grew up with Jack In The Box but you rarely find them east of New Mexico, and they don't exist in Alabama where I currently live.  I pulled through the drive-through at Jack In The Box #3372 and ordered the standard:  a Jumbo Jack with Cheese.  Since I was running tight on time, I decided to eat on the go.  When I unwrapped the burger it didn't look like the Jumbo Jacks I had remembered. First, it was much smaller -- or maybe it just seemed small because of the huge leaf of iceberg lettuce that dwarfed the bun.  I quickly realized that the "meat" on that burger had a nasty odor and flavor. There was no cheese present, or maybe it had dissolved under the mess of ketchup that they poured on.  If I hadn't been on the road already, I would be transferring ownership of that thing back to the restaurant.  Nasty, nasty, nasty.


There's an up side and a down side to this visit.  Up side is that I will no longer want for Jack In The Box.  Down side is that Jack In The Box won't be seeing my smiling face again.

Jack In The Box #3372, 1881 Sixth Avenue, Kingsburg, CA 93631.

Joy Report Rating: Come On Man!