China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station

[Togman]

My son is due to spend 3 weeks at China Lake at the end of this month with the RAF. Any suggestions on places to visit during any spare time that he has?

Thanks,

Togman.

[timmer]

Not sure about China Lake, but I bet I bet there are more than a few folks that will tell them where he/they should go.

Not all reputable!

[cowboytwang]

I've done some time in Ridgecrest, in fact I played the 4th Of July celebration on the base a couple of years. This time of year it's almost a ghost town feel around there and not much to do.
If he has a vehicle, and feels like driving a little, Bakersfield is about 100 miles away with some cool stuff to check out.
Death Valley is just over 100 mile away. It's always fun to drive out there this time of year and step out of a nice air conditioned car and lose your breath in 125+ degrees with about 2% humidity. Just take plenty of water as your body can lose a gallon of fluids an hour in that climate.

For a little cooler climate, Lake Isabella is about 60 miles from the base.

If you have a whole day or so to kill, Vegas is about a 3 1/2 hour drive away. You could make a nice day long trip of it by going through Death Valley, then through Pahrump over to Vegas then I-15 to Barstow and back up to Ridgecrest.

[avagadro]

Run up to Lone Pine. it sits at the base of Mt Whitney. it was the site for MANY classic movies like "Gunga din" etc. Once you see Whitney you'll recognize it in many classic films sepecially old westerns. they even have a film festival there every year.

[Joe-Bob]

China Lake is in the middle of nowhere, IIRC.

[Rasputan]

If he wants to get out of the heat, he
could go up to Kennedy Meadows. It's
a left turn off of 395. Good Trout fishing
there.

======================================

<><> Raspy <><>

[boris bubbanov]

Originally Posted by Rasputan

If he wants to get out of the heat, he
could go up to Kennedy Meadows. It's
a left turn off of 395. Good Trout fishing
there.

======================================

<><> Raspy <><>

There's two different places called Kennedy Meadows but they'd both be good areas, one on the Ridgecrest side and another on the Lake Isabella side. Anywhere up in the high elevations around Mount Whitney BUT he will need PERMITS to go back country (which is what you want). I think servicemen get dispensation or they did at one time - I had a permit canceled one time to accommodate some servicemen (I was told) but believe me I think that's perfectly fair. Cottonwood Pass is a great way to get back in there. Also Lone Pine, Big Pine.

Don't bother with Lake Isabella or the Kern River below the dam - that whole section, Democrat Springs and all that, the water is boiling hot right now. Yuck!

Death Valley, right now? Not me, brother!

[electricbody]

He should head north on 395 to Mammoth Lakes area and to Yosemite. Mt. Whitney and Lone Pine are worth a look too. Lake Tahoe is about four hours north on 395 and then a left on 207 or 50.

There's still good floating water in Bishop.

Oh, and it's hot there. Really hot.

[Bako]

Boris is right about Lake Isabella. It is just about as hot as Bakersfield in the summer. A word of warning about the Kern River, especially below the dam towards Bakersfield, over 200 people have drowned in the river since 1968. It is a very dangerous river.

[cowboytwang]

Originally Posted by Bako

Boris is right about Lake Isabella. It is just about as hot as Bakersfield in the summer.

but that's about 10 degrees cooler than Ridgecrest & China Lake.

When it does get hot, headin' North 395 is the way to go. Yesterdays record temps in North America was Death Valley with a high of 117(China Lake was 105), and Mammoth Lake with a low of 32. That's an 85 degree temperature change within a couple of hours of driving.
I once had a girl friend, whose parents lived at June Lake, I really loved spending time up there. I drove past it a few weeks ago coming back from a gig on the other side of Yosemite. I also stopped in Bishop, "The Mule Capital Of The World", and went to the annual "Mule Days" gathering.

I would have to say that HWY 395 may be one of my favorite roads to spend time on.

[PraiseCaster]

Yeah, China lake is out on the middle of nowhere, BUT, there are some great fishing spots all around. Lone Pine and Bishop have some great lakes and streams there. The higher elevation lakes in bishop even ice over in winter, and there is some good ice fishing there.

[stevieboy]

Everyone is going with more desert, or mountain. Inland California. In July.

Go south young man! LA, Hollywood, the beaches with beautiful wimmins in bikinis! Disneyland!

Maybe a guitar for Dad.

[PraiseCaster]

Originally Posted by stevieboy

Everyone is going with more desert, or mountain. Inland California. In July.

Go south young man! LA, Hollywood, the beaches with beautiful wimmins in bikinis! Disneyland!

Maybe a guitar for Dad.

Yeah, as long as he's willing to invest at least a 3 hour drive to get near anything resembling that? And depending on the traffic (mostly two lane highway on 395).

If he goes about 4 hours to the north, he can hit Yosemite.

[PraiseCaster]

Or, 4 hours to the east, and he can hit Vegas.

[brandt]

As the others have said - China Lake is in the middle of nowhere on the way to nowhere. If he has time and hasn't seen Los Angeles then that's where he should go. Beaches, Hollywood - fun times (I grew up in LA). If he want's to see some nature - great suggestions above. Big Pine, Lone Pine and Bishop are all pretty close and a hike to Whitney Portal is easy and pretty. Lots of great early California history in the Owens Valley. Read up on Mulholland and the history of water in Los Angeles, great story and the sub plot of the movie Chinatown with Jack Nicholson. This is really spectacular country and very different than anything you would see in the rest of California. Kern River, great advice above - be warned - it is not for the novice.

[stevieboy]

Originally Posted by PraiseCaster

Yeah, as long as he's willing to invest at least a 3 hour drive to get near anything resembling that? And depending on the traffic (mostly two lane highway on 395).

If he goes about 4 hours to the north, he can hit Yosemite.

The definition of "the middle of nowhere!" And certainly others were recommending places farther away, like Yosemite.

Of course I don't know the young man, but if he's like many young men, I think he might remember the wildlife on the beaches a lot longer than the wildlife in the desert.