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We drive for a few more hours having intermittent conversations but mostly listening to music and enjoying the silence. About two hours into the trip, we reach a bridge that leads into Lake Richardson, a town just outside of Bakersfield. It's one of the few ghost towns left in California, and there's barely anyone on the road as we drive in.
"It’s a fixer-upper,” Ava comments, and looking at most of the buildings, I have to agree. But, it has potential and that's the important thing.
Ava whips out her phone and begins taking pictures. We drive into a more residential-looking cul-de-sac, bordered by a forest and Ava takes pictures of that too. There aren't any major chain stores or restaurants around town. It's mostly smaller establishments and mom-and-pop shops.
The sun starts falling and we get back on the highway. We meet a roadblock at the bridge.
A bunch of men in construction gear stand around and one of the builders comes to us. I roll down the window. "What's wrong?"
"The road's closed. Bridge drawn in at five pm curfew."
Curfew. That's the most ridiculous thing I've ever heard.
The man must have read my thoughts because he shrugs. "It's usually later, but we have to do maintenance work, so they brought it early. We put a warning in the paper."
Yeah, but no one reads the paper.
"Can't they let it down for one more person?"
He shakes his head. "No can do. We're working on the mechanism too, so it won't be down till tomorrow morning."
I sigh. Great.
"Is there another way out of town?"
"No. Y'all are kinda stuck here." He gives me a little laugh although I fail to see the humor in the situation.
"What do we do?" Ava asks.
"We'll just get a hotel for the night," I say. "You guys do have hotels, don't you?"
"Sure do. And Bertha's Inn is the best of them all."
Doesn't sound like it, but it'll have to do for the night.
"It's right around the corner," the man says. "So, it should be easy for you to be on your way tomorrow morning."
"The conference isn't till Wednesday anyway, so it should be fine," Ava says and I finally concede. I follow the man's directions to the old-fashioned Bertha's Inn, which is far from being a five-star hotel, but it looks clean enough and isn't surrounded by a forest, so it will do.
Ava glances around the full parking lot as we emerge.
"Think they'll have room?" she asks.
"They better," I say.
But as we walk into a packed lobby, I'm doubtful.
"Is there a convention in town?" Ava murmurs as we approach the smiling plump woman at the front desk.
"Hiya!" she says with a joviality that's almost grating. "My name is Patience, how can I help you?"
"Hi. Two rooms please."
"Oh no!" The sound reverberates throughout the room. "We just gave out our last double. We only have one room left, single bed."
Amazing. I feel a headache coming on.
"Are you sure?" Ava asks. "There's nothing else?"
