Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
Ridgecrest
Ridgecrest (population 28,325) is a service town where you can find gas, supplies, inform-
ation and cheap lodging en route to Death Valley or the Eastern Sierra Nevada. Its main
raison d'être is the China Lake US Naval Air Weapons Station that sprawls for a million
acres (one third the size of Delaware!) north of the town.
US Naval Museum of Armament & Technology
( 760-939-3530;
www.chinalakemuseum.org
; 10am-4pm Mon-Sat)
, right on the base, is an unapologetic celeb-
ration of US military might that is likely to fascinate technology, flight, history and milit-
ary buffs - and perhaps even utter pacifists.
Many of the rockets, guided missiles, torpedoes, guns, bombs, cluster weapons etc on
display were developed or tested on this very base before seeing action in wars from
WWII to Afghanistan. If you ever wanted to touch a
Tomahawk missile
or have your pic-
ture taken with a 'Fat Man' (the atomic bomb that was dropped on Japan, that is), this is
the place to do it. A documentary takes you on a helicopter flight of the base for bird's-eye
views of the 4-mile-long
supersonic research track
and the anti-missile testing grounds.
To get to the museum, you need to stop at the base's visitors center on China Lake Blvd
(near Inyokern Rd), fill out a form and present your driver's license, car registration and
vehicle insurance. Foreign visitors must also show their passport.
Trona Pinnacles
What do the movies
Battlestar Galactica, Star Trek V: The Final Frontier
and
Planet of
the Apes
have in common? Answer: they were all filmed at Trona Pinnacles, an awesome
natural landmark where tufa spires rise out of an ancient lakebed in alien fashion. You'll
want an off-road vehicle for this trip. Look for the turnoff from Rte 178, about 18 miles
east of Ridgecrest. From there it's another 5 miles south along a rutted dirt road to the
scenic driving loop and short walking trails. Free primitive campsites are available.
