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A group of language-learning tourists from Germany made a whirlwind stop in Taft Wednesday to take in the West Kern Oil Museum and have lunch at the Historic Fort.
Those things were on their itinerary, but they got a bonus too.
The stopped by the Oilworker Monument and got a sneak peak at the two new bronze figures that will be dedicated on Saturday.
They were impressed but seemed even more delighted to be able to hobnob with renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor, who was in town to guide the figures of a mother and son onto a pedestal.
The 22 visitors were from five cities in Germany, including Berlin.
Taft was selected so they could learn about oil production.
They did that with their tour of the Oil Museum and a 45-minute program during lunch at the Fort that focused on how oil is extracted.
The tour was arranged through Friendship Force, an international organization that promotes cultural exchanges.
This specific tour targets language learning, said Steve McCalley, president of the Kern County chapter of Friendship Force.
“The goal is to allow them to practice their English,” he said. “The neat thing about Friendship Force is these folks stay in our homes. By sharing in the community, it’s a lot more personal.”
A farewell dinner was held Thursday night in Bakersfield before the group headed to Furnace Creek in Death Valley for two days before concluding their U.S. stay in Albuquerque, N.M.
The group concluded its visit to Taft by making a donation to the Oil Museum.
“They certainly were an interesting group,” said Don Maxwell, director of volunteers at the Museum. “They were truly interested in what we had to offer and asked lots of questions.”
A group of language-learning tourists from Germany made a whirlwind stop in Taft Wednesday to take in the West Kern Oil Museum and have lunch at the Historic Fort.
Those things were on their itinerary, but they got a bonus too.
The stopped by the Oilworker Monument and got a sneak peak at the two new bronze figures that will be dedicated on Saturday.
They were impressed but seemed even more delighted to be able to hobnob with renowned sculptor Benjamin Victor, who was in town to guide the figures of a mother and son onto a pedestal.
The 22 visitors were from five cities in Germany, including Berlin.
Taft was selected so they could learn about oil production.
They did that with their tour of the Oil Museum and a 45-minute program during lunch at the Fort that focused on how oil is extracted.
The tour was arranged through Friendship Force, an international organization that promotes cultural exchanges.
This specific tour targets language learning, said Steve McCalley, president of the Kern County chapter of Friendship Force.
“The goal is to allow them to practice their English,” he said. “The neat thing about Friendship Force is these folks stay in our homes. By sharing in the community, it’s a lot more personal.”
A farewell dinner was held Thursday night in Bakersfield before the group headed to Furnace Creek in Death Valley for two days before concluding their U.S. stay in Albuquerque, N.M.
The group concluded its visit to Taft by making a donation to the Oil Museum.
“They certainly were an interesting group,” said Don Maxwell, director of volunteers at the Museum. “They were truly interested in what we had to offer and asked lots of questions.”
