Now renamed the NASA Armstrong Flight Research Center, this particular location is the Plant 42…read moreAnnex for the main center that is located on the lakebed at Edwards Air force Base. When people think about NASA, they tend to lean towards the space aspect fo the agency, but at its core the first "A" stands for Aeronautics. NASA has been at the forefront of everything aviation since its earliest incarnation (NACA). From research into basic flight to the exotic, it drives innovation that we the public may never see but experience every time we fly. The center is involved in many ongoing projects such as the Lockheed Martin X-56, X-57 Maxwell, X-59 QueSST etc. They also as other reviews noted the home for SOFIA. SOFIA is a heavily modified 747 SP that houses a huge airborne telescope. This way it avoids all of the moisture int he atmosphere and get better images. While we may never know the impact of these projects, its history is staggering The Bell X-1: The first supersonic aircraft that Chuck Yeager rode into immortality , NB-52B aka Balls 8 (see my separate review) the mothership of the jet age. Dropped so many experimental craft its legendary. The F-15B ACTIVE and just about every X Plane ever made. I could go on for hours. The portion of the center on Edwards AFB is generally off limits unless you have actual business on the base and there does not appear to be any tours of the Plant 42 location. However, the plane spotting in the area is fantastic and if you are lucky you can catch many of the aircraft conducting flight operations.

NASA in our own backyard!…read more Even better, this location is SOFIA's home! From the NASA website: "SOFIA, the Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy, is the largest airborne observatory in the world, capable of making observations that are impossible for even the largest and highest ground-based telescopes. During its lifetime, SOFIA also will inspire the development of new scientific instrumentation and foster the education of young scientists and engineers." https://www.nasa.gov/mission_pages/SOFIA/index.html

Nice movie set with a old countryside feeling. Awesome place in a small town. Great ride to escape…read morethe city!

I had no idea this place had an actual name, but when I wanted to find it, I knew typing in…read more'filming locations in Lancaster, CA' would get me there. Was here several years ago for a foreign movie over the Christmas holiday. It definitely isn't my territory, nor was it the easiest to find for a newcomer, but once I found it, I spent the next two days out here for work, and it wasn't so bad. What you don't see on camera is how dusty everything is; I suppose it goes along with the 'scene' but I swear no matter where you sat, you made sure to wipe everything down before you did. When walking by the 'motel/pool' area, it definitely gives off the horror movie feeling where you'd never actually want to stay here, but that kind of sets the scene I suppose. Found out Lady Gaga did a music video out here (Telephone) so that was interesting to see her make use of this. If you manage to find a way out here, check it out just to say you did; most likely you'll recognize it from somewhere.

Camped there as a child with my family over 50 years ago we called it Echo Tunnel. At that time it…read morejust had a chain link fence in front of it and a nice creek running from it. Sometimes there would be a hole cut in the chain link fence and we could go in but me and my brothers were never brave enough to go in very far. That's probably why they buried it. Good time for sure

This is the site of the south portal entrance of the Elizabeth Tunnel. Even though the entrance has…read morebeen filled-in with dirt and barely recognizable, you can still stand in it's presence and appreciate it's history. If you do a little searching you can even locate remnants of some the structures that were located nearby. It took four years and seven months to complete in 1911. The tunnel was an important part of the LA Aqueduct and an engineering feat in it's day. The northern and southern crews battled it out to see who could be the first to reach the middle. They finally met 250 ft below Lake Elizabeth through an 1 1/2 inch hole. The two tunnels were remarkably accurate, meeting at about the same level and almost perfectly aligned. The south portal crew also set an American record for hardrock distance tunneled in a single month. To get to the site from Santa Clarita, take San Francisquito Canyon Rd north to the Forest Service Rd and take a left. If you've reached Green Valley then you've gone too far. Take it north for 1.6 miles. I recommend ditching the car and hiking at least part of the way there.

I've been eying these giant rocks for awhile after spotting them on a map; They're also a filming…read morelocation, although I'd never heard of them, but they are pretty damn cool. This stretch of the PCT was nice and had great vistas and you can scramble and play just about anywhere, although I didn't get to see it all because I was losing the sun faster than I expected, but I'll get back out there for certain. Once you reach the first rock, you'll need to take a side trail off the fire road that will lead you directly up to the rock and then follow the base around until a small crevice and climb your way up. Once you get on top you'll realize that you can't get to the others without climbing back down this rock and going either on a downhill adventure or back to the road and then all the way around to the base of the other rocks There are a couple branches off the fire road and trail that you will need to take, so I suggest you download the all trails app and follow those GPS Tracks PARKING: There is a big KOA sign welcome in PCT hikers right off the main road; park here and take the trail down. I pulled into the KOA to ask directions and the girl that worked there told me to go down to the back and that I could park there, but when I got back to my truck the manager (with her undeserved power trip) Had parked their big Duley in front of me and proceeded to berate me about parking there despite me telling her that her own staff told me where to park. So, do yourself a favor and don't even enter the KOA. Park on the road.

To view this impressive rock formation up close you will either have to hike from the west,…read morestarting at the corner of Agua Dulce Canyon Rd and Briggs Edison Rd, or from the south via the Pacific Crest Trail located off of Soledad Canyon Rd (opposite Indian Canyon). From the west it's a an 8-mile round trip hike. You'll start by passing through a locked iron gate with a sign that warns that you are entering a private road. Private land maps clearly show that the road runs through land owned by either Southern California Edison, Santa Clarita Watershed Recreation and Conservation Authority or Bureau of Land Management. The path of the road roughly follows power lines so it's pretty hard to get lost. Unfortunately, the rock formation and 100 acres of land surrounding it is located on private property so you won't be able to venture between the rocks or explore its caves. Never-the-less, it's still a fun hike and you can still appreciate the majestic pinnacles from a close enough distance.

I had never been here before and didn't even know this place existed, but I was absolutely blown…read moreaway. I attended an event as a chaperone with the kids from Micah House, and from the moment you walk in, the Burrage Mansion is stunning. The steps leading up to the home and the beautifully preserved historic house immediately set the tone. The property owner generously hosts events here, and one of the annual events is a Christmas celebration for elementary school kids. He opens up the entire estate for the children to enjoy crafts, a magic show, bounce houses, and even a visit with Santa Claus. There are also two rooms filled with presents where each child gets to choose a gift, which was incredibly special to see. It was such a thoughtful, joyful, and memorable experience for everyone involved. I'm not sure what other events are hosted here, but based on this experience alone, the Burrage Mansion absolutely deserves five stars.

Beautiful property... they're decorating the grounds for Christmas…read more... They were busy today getting things ready... I didn't go inside just watched from the front of the property....

Amazing. At The Commons shopping center with lots of restaurants and stores, you will find this one…read moresingle Egyptian Building sitting at the very end of a lot with lots of parking available. Odd place, but worth it for people looking to explore new photo spots. It's just a very small section outside. Egyptian hieroglyphics and feeling like you are someplace abroad for a moment. This is just one odd building in a rare spot. Maybe the developer didn't get funding during and after pandemic to build something else here or expand from the idea. It's unique. There were contractors working inside/maintenance work. Nothing to see other than exterior of building. Good photo spot. The U.S. needs to build more unique spots like this or more local museums would be pretty cool. Free public viewing. Good work of art to appreciate.

It's an interesting building to visit if you want to take pictures. You won't be able to go in but…read moreyou can take pictures outside for free. Plenty of parking around too!

We were looking for a venue that felt natural and classic and the Garner House was just that. The…read morehistoric nature of the house added an extra nostalgic route 66 charm to our wedding that made it feel feel like home. The intimate size of the property worked perfectly for our smaller wedding and being able to add certain rental spaces helped us tailor the property to fit our needs. Shelly and all of the staff at the Garner House were all so incredibly kind and helpful through the process. They have great teamwork which really reflects in how smooth of a process this ended up being. In the chaos of wedding planning, this was one of the easier parts. We absolutely recommend picking the Garner House as a place to celebrate your forever!

Claremont heritage does a Claremont home tour every October. I took my BF, who was over the moon…read morewith the mid century modern homes. It's 50$ per person and we got to see 7 homes from 10am-4pm. I was thinking about going to a home tour in palm springs, but the prices were sky high We can't wait to go again next year!

I visited as a total tourist. It's a nice stop for a bathroom break. I walked in there, looked…read morearound and it literally looked like they didn't change much and I could see a scene from an old film being filmed here easily. It's almost eerie, like I could see and get the vibe from what events were held there. It's got to be haunted. Nothing spectacular but it's historically cool to visit and there's not much to do/see out in these parts.

This is a wonderful stop on a road trip to take a break and look around. Limited displays but great…read morehistorical information. It was fun to look at the spaces where the restaurant was and imagine what it was like when it was open. The location is still an Amtrak station. There is a NASA exhibit upstairs which describes a satellite location in the desert. Free admission.

Thanks to the research of Super Elite Yelper Gary I., we were able to tour the Phillips Mansion in…read morePomona prior to dinner nearby. The mansion, built in 1875 and maintained by the Pomona Historical Society, was the home of the one-time "richest man in LA County", Louis Phillips. Tours are conducted by reservation only and as of this writing, can be reserved here: https://www.pomonahistorical.org/phillips-mansion for $15. Our docent, pictured below, gave us many interesting details and pertinent history of the building. The grounds are lovingly maintained; the building itself could be called a "fixer-upper". It's good to see the work in progress and the building does seem to be in good hands. This tour is very highly recommended.

We enjoyed immensely the Phillips Mansion and Currier House tours yesterday afternoon. We…read moreappreciated our docents' enthusiasm and knowledge regarding the history and preservation of these buildings. The main goal for the Currier House currently is weatherproofing it from further damage. I hope that the Pomona Historical Society finds success in obtaining funding and the proper skilled craftsmen to restore it again someday.

I've always wanted to go inside of a Forest Service Fire Lookout, just to check out the view. A few…read moreyears ago I learned that you could actually rent them out and spend the night, like a hotel room but they always seem to be booked way in advance so I've never had the opportunity. Last week I found myself browsing the Recreation.Gov webpage, and came across the Oak Flat Lookout, which is less than an hour northeast of downtown Bakersfield. I happened to come across a vacancy mid last week and immediately booked it for $75. I spent the next several days excitedly reading about the place online, and looking at pictures others have taken up there. My fiancée and I set out for the site last Tuesday afternoon in my '87 4Runner loaded with supplies, beer and food. Rancheria Road north of SR178 turns to gravel about 5 miles in, and there was another 10 miles or so until we found the trail to go up to the lookout, which was secured with a locked gate. I had received the combination via email when I paid for my reservation and got right in, securing the gate behind me. There was another mile or so up a fairly steep and unimproved trail before we rounded a bend and bam! There it was. The Call Fire burning about 25 miles southeast of the lookout made for a hazy sky, but the view was nevertheless outstanding from 4,920 feet. We climbed the 40 stairs thirty feet above ground level, opened the trap door and emerged onto the catwalk to find an impeccable 360 degree view of the entire mountain range and east Bakersfield. We were pleasantly surprised to find the tower and surrounding campsite (and outhouse) in good condition. It was mostly clean, save for a bit of a stench coming from inside the tower. This was especially surprising considering there's really no one that goes up to the tower regularly to maintain it. You are basically relying on the last guest to have cleaned up after themselves. While there is no water or electricity as the site, there is a propane powered stove, heater, and lantern as well as several flashlights and LED lanterns in the tower, as well as two fairly comfortable and clean twin sized beds. There's also a firepit, bench, and picnic table on site. There's also phone service (T-Mobile) on the south side of the tower. We spent the evening preparing dinner, drinking wine and beer, and listening to music before we headed down to make S'mores before bed. All in all this was an awesome, and unique experience. I recommend it to anyone in the mood for something different on their next camping trip.

Pros - Views are awesome. Nice getaway. There's a fire pit, a picnic table and a bathroom. The…read moreactual lookout also has 2 beds, a sink and a stove. The stove is really easy to use. Packing tips: sheets for the beds, covers for the pillow cases, sandals to walk around in, water for drinking, water for washing dishes/hands/etc, food (can of soup, snacks, etc), toiletries, warm clothing (gets cold at night), bug spray for spiders and earwigs, paper toilet, paper towels Price: $75/night Note: No electricity and no running water Cons - Spiders and earwigs! In our first 6 hours we had already killed over 10 earwigs and 2 spiders. It also wasn't very clean - dusty and dirty. For $75/night they could do a better job at cleaning up.