Walking the two miles of trails of Panorama Park is definitely a cheap thrill. The fairly new park finally has mature landscaping, which adds to the beauty of the sky, mountains, bluffs, river and oil fields -- all visible from the walking paths.

The other night, I took my grandparents up there as they visited from out of town. It was their first time in Bakersfield and I guess I tricked them into thinking this town is beautiful. They enjoyed the views -- even though the wind was so strong my grandpa had to turn off his hearing aids due to the whistling it was causing, and my frail grandmother had to hold our arms to walk to the edge and see the river.

But tons of people of all ages, with dogs and strollers in tow, were enjoying the bluffs despite the strong winds. We watched as cyclists and horseback riders passed down below along the river and aqueduct. We also watched some brave hikers ascend the steep inclines of the bluffs themselves. We didn't see kites, which are usually abundant out there, but my guess was the wind would have capsized them anyway.

But it was a lovely evening none-the-less. Thank you Kern County Parks for creating Panorama Park for all to enjoy the beauty of the bluffs.

Check out this beautiful photo by a Bakersfieldian of the bluffs a night, too!