Born Alvis Edgar Owens, Jr. and nicknamed "Buck" as a child, Owens was a guitarist/singer who had a total of 21 hits on Billboard's Country Music Charts with his band, the Buckaroos. From 1969 to 1986, Buck hosted the popular TV show Hee Haw, but left the show when he felt his television exposure had overshadowed his musical career. He continued to play with the Buckaroos until he passed away in 2006, just hours after a Crystal Palace performance.
Always an astute businessman, Buck opened the Crystal Palace nightclub, museum, and restaurant in 1996. Buck and the Buckaroos performed there every Friday night for nearly 10 years until his death. The Crystal Palace is still a booming business today. Buck's son, Buddy, now sings with the Buckaroos every week.
Several hotels are within walking distance of the Crystal Palace. Closest are the Best Western Crystal Palace Inn and Suites, just south of the Crystal Palace on Buck Owens Boulevard, and Holiday Inn and Suites Bakersfield Central (north of the Crystal Palace on Buck Owens Boulevard, past the Sillect Avenue intersection). Both have rates that range from $70-100 per night as of 2011, with Best Western slightly less expensive overall. Rates depend on the type of room and the night of the week.
Next closest is the La Quinta Inn Bakersfield South, on Riverside Drive, just south of the Best Western Crystal Palace. As of February 2011, this hotel has rooms in the range of $45-60 per night. Expedia.com gives the La Quinta Inn two stars, but guests give the hotel a rating of 4.2 out of 5, and 82 percent of reviewers (more than 20 reviews) recommend the hotel. For the price-conscious, this may be the best close-yet-affordable option.
For a slightly more upscale experience, the Doubletree Hotel on Camino Del Rio Court (across Highway 99) gets a 3.5-star rating, the highest in the immediate area. As of February 2011, rates are around $75-100 per night, and guests give a rating of 3.2 out of 5. Eighty three percent of reviewers recommend the hotel. The Doubletree also offers an airport shuttle.
Other hotels in the area include the Clarion Hotel, the Hilton Garden Inn Bakersfield, and Springhill Suites by Marriott, Bakersfield. All three are located in the vicinity of the Doubletree, west of Highway 99 and south of the Crystal Palace. Other hotels are found in Bakersfield, but are further from the Crystal Palace destination.
