• Menu
  • Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer

Travel Notes & Beyond logo

The Opinionated Travelogue of a Photo Maniac

  • Home
  • DESTINATIONS
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • South America
    • Pacific Islands
  • FOOD & WINE
  • TRAVEL GUIDES
  • TRAVEL RESOURCES
  • OTHER TOPICS
    • Rants & Raves
    • Reviews
    • Travel Blogger Interviews
  • ABOUT
    • Contact Form
    • Privacy Policy
    • Media Kit
    • Featured Elsewhere
  • Search
  • Home
  • DESTINATIONS
    • Africa
    • Asia
    • Australia
    • Europe
    • Middle East
    • North America
    • South America
    • Pacific Islands
  • FOOD & WINE
  • TRAVEL GUIDES
  • TRAVEL RESOURCES
  • OTHER TOPICS
    • Rants & Raves
    • Reviews
    • Travel Blogger Interviews
  • ABOUT
    • Contact Form
    • Privacy Policy
    • Media Kit
    • Featured Elsewhere
  • Search
Bravo Farms

Bravo Farms: More Than a Refueling Stop on Highway 99

Home » DESTINATIONS » Bravo Farms: More Than a Refueling Stop on Highway 99

Last Modified: March 20, 2022 //  by Anda //  10 Comments

If you are ever driving on Highway 99 between Los Angeles and Lake Tahoe, make sure you stop at Bravo Farms in Traver, Californiato refuel your car and your stomach. You’ll have a very pleasant surprise!

Bravo Farms

Overview

  • A Brief History of Bravo Farms
  • What Made Us Stop at Bravo Farms
  • What to Expect at Bravo Farms
    • Charm Inside and Out

A Brief History of Bravo Farms

Bravo Farms in Traver, California, started in 1976 as a small gas station and café. Back in the day, Bravo Farms was known as the “Hitching Post”. Over the years the place has grown into a mini Knott’s Berry Farm, a favorite destination for the locals and the travelers of Highway 99 alike.

What Made Us Stop at Bravo Farms

We discovered this place a few years ago, while traveling towards Lake Tahoe. The drive from our house to the famous ski resort is about 8 hours long and we don’t usually stop on the road for more than a few minutes, to pump gas. But this particular time we needed a break.

Bravo Farms
Bravo Farms

What caught my eye were some very enticing signs on the side of the highway. The first one was just an ordinary one, advertising Bravo Farms some miles ahead. I wouldn’t have paid much attention to it, but for the following ones.

The next sign was a little more imposing: “You Must Stop!” This already caught my interest. “Must Stop?” But why?

The next two ones were pleading: “Please, Please, Stop!”

By now we were really intrigued. What can be so great about this place? Why would we stop? But at the very last sign we gave in. There was no call to action, no pleading, just a faint, almost hopeless “Please…” 

That was it! We just couldn’t resist the pretty ‘please’. They won us over, so we stopped.

Back yard of Bravo Farms
Bravo Farms back yard

What to Expect at Bravo Farms

Bravo Farms is not your regular gift shop/café on the side of the road. Once you go inside you will be amazed at all of the things they have.

First of all, there is a restaurant with very tasty food and a large selection of beers. You can choose to eat anywhere in the yard, or inside. On week-ends they make barbecue outside in the backyard.

Food at Bravo Farms
Food at Bravo Farms

The food is a bit pricey, but portions are big. This is a great place to stop and have a meal. If you have kids, they’ll have a great time.

After you finish eating, you can browse the store which is filled with everything, from food to very unique gifts, antiques and metal works. You can easily spend an hour just walking around.

Hand-Crafter Cheeses

They sell hand-crafted cheese, jarred food, packaged nuts, sausages, salami, wasabi peas, and a wide variety of wine. Their antiques and goods for sale are overpriced, but some of the stuff they sell is really unique.

Bravo Farms
Bravo Farms back yard

Charm Inside and Out

The back yard is where this place gets its charm. It is very rustic, decorated with a lot of vintage stuff and antique signs, all of which are for sale.  There are tree houses, an old fashion swing, animals to feed, and many little things you can explore. The tree house is absolutely adorable.  The inside is very tight. There is only room for 1 person up or down the stairs at a time.

Bravo Farms tree jpise
Bravo Farms tree house

There are a few little goats that people usually feel. The little goats are very cute and are obviously aware of their celebrity.  The moment they notice you, they come quickly to check if you have any food for them. And if you do, they’ll take the food from your hand with a giant lick.

Goat

And if you aren’t into feeding goats, they also have chickens that you can feed. They are also very eager to check your palms for some food.

There is also a giant scarlet macaw, very friendly and eager to get some bred crumbs.

And since you stopped, don’t forget to fill up your tank. There is a gas station right next to the restaurant and the prices are good.

We are sold on Bravo Farms! Since we first discovered it, we stop every single time we are on our way to Lake Tahoe.

Category: DESTINATIONSTag: Restaurant Reviews

About Anda

Anda is an award winning travel writer, avid globetrotter and passionate photographer. She is the voice behind "Travel Notes & Beyond," a collection of stories and travel impressions from her wanderings around the world. When she is not busy writing, traveling, or editing photographs, you can find her hiking in the foothills behind her house together with her husband and their dog.

Previous Post: « The Tumultuous History of the Queen Mary Ship
Next Post: Interview with Jen Seligmann from “The Trusted Traveler” »

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. The Cowboy Pinoy

    March 20, 2022 at 8:46 am

    When were these pictures taken? Is this the Bravo Farms in Kettleman City? I was there just yesterday with the family and it looks so different! Like Mary, we were there so much longer than planned.

    Reply
    • Anda

      March 20, 2022 at 6:54 pm

      This place is on Highway 99, in Traver, California.

      Reply
  2. Malinda @mybrownpaperpackages

    February 11, 2015 at 5:16 pm

    I love stumbling on little gems like this, they soon become favourites.

    Reply
  3. Laszlo

    February 11, 2015 at 2:23 pm

    The food is good, too, and they sell all kind of stuff from the cowboy times, that you don’t really need but it’s nice to have!

    Reply
  4. Melodie K.

    February 8, 2015 at 4:58 pm

    Those charming road signs . . . marketing genius! 🙂 I would have stopped, too! Then browse at the odds and ends for a while before sitting down to some barbecue . . .

    Reply
  5. Isabella

    February 8, 2015 at 8:12 am

    Looks fantastic! Now, when chain stores and chain restaurants spread around the world everything is standardized and unified (and boring!).
    Such an unique place looks a little surreal 🙂 I’m glad there are people still taking care of such places 🙂

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      February 8, 2015 at 1:19 pm

      Yea, I agree. Big chain restaurants don’t struggle anymore to please their clients.

      Reply
  6. Lyn @thetravellinglindfields

    February 7, 2015 at 2:19 am

    One of the very best things about travelling is chancing on these sorts of quirky little out of the way places that the guide books have totally ignored.

    Reply
  7. Mary {The World Is A Book}

    February 6, 2015 at 5:45 pm

    We love this place! We stop every time we go to the Sequoia/Yosemite area. My kids never want to leave and we always stay longer than planned. They have such great cheese and that BBQ place with pulled pork sandwich is delicious.

    Reply
    • Anda Galffy

      February 6, 2015 at 10:28 pm

      You seem to go everywhere I go, Mary. It seems we have the same tastes.

      Reply

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Primary Sidebar

ABOUT THIS BLOG

Welcome to Travel Notes & Beyond, a collection of travel stories and itinerary ideas designed to encourage independent travel at any age. This blog is as much a tool for inspiring your trip as it is for helping you get the most out of it, once you arrive at your destination.

Opt-in Form

POPULAR POSTS

  • 2 weeks in Europe itinerary 2 Weeks in Europe – 10 Excellent Itinerary Ideas
  • How to dress like a European How to Dress Like a European – The Ultimate Packing List for Europe
  • One Day in L.A. – How to See the Best of Los Angeles in a Day
  • 10 days in Switzerland 10 Amazing Days in Switzerland – Itinerary by Scenic Trains
  • Towns in Sicily 10 Amazing Towns in Sicily That Everyone Should See

Footer

COPYRIGHT NOTICE

All rights reserved © Travel Notes & Beyond. The material on this website is protected by copyright law. Republishing the content on this blog (including text, photography, etc.) is strictly prohibited.

Awards

  • Gold Award Winner
  • Silver Award Winner

AFFILIATE PROGRAM DISCLOSURE

Some of the pages and posts of this blog contain links to products and services that may be useful for my readers. When clicking on these links you will have the option to purchase or register for a service at no extra cost to you, but doing so can help me offset the costs associated with running this blog. Thank you for your support!

See the Sights with HotelsCombined.com
Save On Airport Parking

Copyright © 2023 · Travel Notes & Beyond. All rights reserved

849 shares
  • 828
We use cookies to ensure that we give you the best experience on our website. If you continue to use this site we will assume that you are happy with it.OkPrivacy policy