Scenic 395 - The Official Guide 2025

12 2025 Scenic 395 Ridgecrest records and artifacts of the history and development of Ridge- crest, the IndianWells Valley, and the surrounding areas. This museum owns and has restored the community’s first civic build- ings for you to explore. These include the Historic USO Building – this USOClub started inWorldWar 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 his- tory of the U.S. Navy and Civilian workers accomplishments in the IndianWells Valley. This museumdisplays a large variety of weapons systems – past and present – as well as technology developments used by bothmilitary and civilian. At their new fa- cilities 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. Learn of China Lake’s pivotal involvement in the Manhattan Project and the development of rockets that turned the tide to victory inWWII during your visit. The China Lake Museum is expanded in 2021-2022 by adding a 7,200-square-foot exhibi- tion hall that will provide the space to relocate the many exhibits which currently reside aboard the China Lake Navy Base. All three of these museums have Gift Shops that offer books, DVDs, hats, shirts, andmany 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 museums, you can head east toward Death Valley using High- way 178 Scenic Corridor. You can stop by the nearby Ridgecrest Regional Wild Horse and Burro Corrals (BLM) four miles straight east of the Historic 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 inmany 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 ValleyMuseum in Kernville. At this museum they have thousands of photographs of the early settlers, miners, cowboys and Indians, a wonderful back porch and yard full of historical artifacts. Plus, a restored and furnished 100 year old cabin. If you’re heading north fromRidgecrest 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, fromDeath Valley toMono Lake. Continued from Page 11 The Historic USO Building, home of the Historical Society of the Upper Mojave Desert, is on West Ridgecrest Boulevard. Photo by Aaron Crutchfield If you lose this copy but want to read it again, it’s also available online! Remember this address: www.scenic395.com