Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2024

2024 Scenic 395 7 California City California City Is An OHV Wonderland California City is one of the fastest growing areas for Off-highway Vehicle family recreation with hundreds of miles of dirt routes open for riders. Off-Highway vehicles must display a "California City - Street Operating"permitwhilebeingoperated inCaliforniaCity.The fee isexclusivelyused tosupportOHV recreation.Thispermitallows OHV's tooperateonDIRTROUTES thatarewithin thedesignated riding area. The permit application can be downloaded at www.calcitypd.org.Permits available viaPayPal. Information 760-349-0102 By Cheryl McDonald Cal City The City was incorporated in 1965 and is located in the Northern Antelope Valley in Kern County. Since that time, the community has experienced a significant level of growth to the current population of approximately 14,120 residents (2010 US Census). California City is a master planned community with over 52,000 lots and is the third largest city in land area in the State of California. The City maintains two parks, a senior center, a community center, a sports center, tennis courts, and a pool. In addition to the City facilities, the community contains the National Desert Tortoise Preserve. Schools are provided by the Mojave Unified School District including two elementary, a middle, and a high school, Cerro Coso College, and local private institutions. OHV California City has been one of the fastest growing areas for Off-Highway Vehicle families to enjoy OHV recreation. Riders throughout the state come to California City for its easy access for R.V.s and Toy Haulers. There are hundreds of miles of dirt routes that are open for riders. These routes are ideal for all levels of experience and lead to other advance trails in the RANDS MOUNTAIN trail system. The City has opened marked “Blue” trails into California City for visitors to enjoy local establishments. Riders must stay on marked trail system when entering the main park of the City. Borax Bill Park 16363 Twenty Mule Team Parkway California City, CA 93505 What started as an Eagle Scout project in partnership with the Desert Rose Garden Club years ago has blossomed an empty spot into a place of inspiration for California City residents to enjoy. Nestled behind the tennis courts at California City’s Central Park, the InspirationWalk Garden holds a variety of flora planted by community residents. “The Garden Club decided to plant what is a remembrance rose garden,” Ann Richardson, the club’s president, said on a recent Monday during a walk through the garden. The rose garden is one of the first things to greet people as they enter the inspiration walk just to the right of the California City Senior Center. Stonemarkers held in place by cement sit near different species of roses, each one marking a loved one who might have passed away or to honor those who are still living. Richardson said peo- ple donated $100 in order to have a marker placed in the garden. The rose garden has around 43 plants from nine different rose species, including tree roses, groundcover roses, climbing roes and hybrid T roses. The arbor, benches and surrounding fence protecting the gar- den were part of a 2017 Eagle Scout project. From there, the idea for the inspiration garden grew. The area it now occupies used to host the old Holiday Village event, but otherwise sat unused, or muddied with puddles following a rain. Today, dozens of plants from agave cacti and artemisia to Af- ghan Pine and Desert Willow tree grow from the ground. According to Richardson, more than 40 people participated in the planting of the garden in the past. River stones were provided to line the walkways and circle certain plots, while the city helped grade the area. “Bless their hearts, the city has been so cooperative and willing to help create this space,” she said. “They came in with backhoe and cleared the entire dry wash and dug 150 holes .... without the city this wouldn’t have happened.” “The Garden Club tries to make a community effort out of this project,” Richardson said. Most of the plants on the path have labels associated with the type of desert plant growing in the garden. “All of the plants in the Inspiration Walk, with the exception of the roses, are desert plants and drought-tolerant,” Richardson said. “The reasonwhy I want to give tours is that there is somuch to teach the public — some of these plants are available at stores or garden centers and some them are down in Lancaster.” She added Inspiration Walk at its heart is “a display garden for educational purposes ... to show the public that desert plants can be very ornamental and can be planted in their front yard.” Richardson noted some of the plants in the garden will have long term benefits, such as the trees. “As the trees mature, they will eventually provide shade,” she said, pointing out the blazing summer weather Cal City endures. A lot of the plants and flowers in the garden tend to attract wildlife and birds such as hummingbirds, as well as some of the fowl that make use of Central Park’s lake. An addition planned for the future will include a mural created by artist Terri Lucy of the California City Arts Commission. The mural will grace the back wall of the racquetball court and will feature a landscape scene. According to Richardson, Lucy has already created a mock- up of the scene. However, the eventual creation of the mural is pending supplies such as paint, as well as the appropriate time to start painting. Richardson said the goal is to eventually include the communi- ty in its creation. Other future ideas, which Richardson said are only hopes at the moment, include a gazebo to allow people to sit and host events. “Plans and ideas always change, and when you make a plan it can’t be in cement because that theway theworld is,” Richardson said. A recent addition to the garden includes a future community garden established by Shauna Royten. Three plots have already been built and await planting. The community garden would help inspire food security and teach about self-sustainability. An extension of that will include creating a local farmers market to provide a source of local fresh produce, goods and products. A walk of inspiration blossoms The Inspiration Walk garden in Central Park holds a number of desert native plants meant to educate residents on the variety of flora they can plant. Mojave Desert News File Photo