Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2021/2022

13 2021-2022 Scenic 395 Ridgecrest records and artifacts of the history and development of Ridgecrest, the Indian Wells Valley, and the surrounding areas. This museum owns and has restored the community’s first civic buildings for you to explore. These include the Historic USO Building – this USO Club started in World War II when Ridgecrest had about 100 citizens! There is also the first county jail in Ridgecrest, the first firehouse, and the first fire engine houses. Recently, a one-room schoolhouse built in 1905 has been restored and used to create the region’s only Veterans Memorial Building. The China Lake Museum, founded in 1993, features the history of the U.S. Navy and Civilian workers accomplishments in the Indian Wells Valley. This museum displays a large variety of weapons sys- tems – past and present – as well as technology developments used by both military and civilian. At their new facilities in Ridgecrest, you can view a variety of displays inside and walk outside around some of the military aircraft that have been used by the Navy here in China Lake. All three of these museums have Gift Shops that offer books, DVDs, hats, shirts, and many other gifts that capture the histories of the area. But that is not all there is for you! After enjoying your stay in Ridgecrest and visiting our three muse- ums, you can head east toward Death Valley using Highway 178 Sce- nic Corridor. You can stop by the nearby Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals (BLM) four miles straight east of the His- toric USO Building to feed or pet wild burros and horses – or maybe even adopt one! If you continue on toward Death Valley you’ll run across the Trona Pinnacles, a geological feature that has more than 500 tufa spires, some as high as 140 feet. These have been featured in many films (like Star Trek V or Planet of the Apes). When you pass through the remote town of Trona, you can stop by the Searles Valley Historical Society and visit the Old Guest House Museum, built in 1917. When leaving Ridgecrest heading west into the Sierra Nevada Mountains using Highway 178 Scenic Corridor, you can stop by the Kern Valley Museum in Kernville. At this museum they have thou- sands of photographs of the early settlers, miners, cowboys and Indi- ans, a wonderful back porch and yard full of historical artifacts. Plus, a restored and furnished 100 year old cabin. If you’re heading north from Ridgecrest using Highway 395, you can stop in Independence and visit the Eastern California Museum. At this museum there is a rich display of artifacts and narratives of the history of Inyo County and the Eastern Sierra, from Death Valley to Mono Lake. According to China Lake Museum Foundation officer Alice Camp- bell, conceptual art for Phase II was recently unveiled. The second phase includes a building designed to look like a hangar. Campbell said the foundation is still researching the costs and stages of construction for the second phase, but once complete, could host the majority of displays still located at its old site aboard China Lake. Funding for Phase I came from years of donations and fundraisers, and a $250,000 grant secured written by now-CLMF President Lau- ra Hickle from the California Cultural and Historical Endowment Museum Grant Program. Continued from Page 12 PHOTOS BY AARON CRUTCHFIELD ABOVE: The China Lake Museum is located on East Las Flores Av- enue next door to the Maturango Museum. BELOW: The Historic USO Building, home of the Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert, is on West Ridgecrest Boulevard.