We took a tour of this site today as part of a conference we attended in Las Vegas. It was a very…read moreinteresting tour showing both above ground and below ground results of nuclear blasts. Much of the items tested remain and the level of power displayed is impressive. I'd highly recommend it if you get a chance to see it. Oh, no photos are allowed.

The NNSS (or Nevada Test Site, colloquially) is normally closed to the public...but they give a…read moreFREE tour once a month, to those interested in nuclear power and secret gub'mint stuff. The tour is only available to U.S. Citizens (I think), and gets booked up far in advance...so reserve a spot early (like, 6 months early! Not kidding -- you really have to plan in advance). This tour will take an entire day -- departing the Atomic History Museum just off the Strip at 7:30am, and returning around 4:30pm -- so you should bring a lunch and/or snacks. There is also the option to buy food at the commissary at the Test Site, which offers reasonably priced but greasy fare like burgers, etc. Most of the time is spent driving -- the NNSS is about 70 miles out of town, in the middle of the desert. I recommend sitting on the right-hand side of the bus, as you will have the best view of Creech Air Force Base on the way up, as well as the approach to the Test Site. This is a SLOWWW moving tour -- most people who take it are older, and it takes about 15 minutes for everyone to get off the bus at each site, and then another 15 for everyone to get back on. Additionally, we made no less than three stops at two different cafeterias, for everyone to use the restroom and get coffee/food....so I'd say fully half the tour is just getting on/off the bus to eat, drink and pee. The other half is spent driving around to various areas at the Test Site, some of which they let you get out and look around at. They let you out at a bomb crater, a tower that used to house an underground bomb, and an area where they detonated an above-ground bomb. They drive you through many other areas, including the fake houses they built to see the effects of a nuke blast on suburban homes, and the area where they store hazardous waste. This was the most interesting part of the tour for me -- it was astonishing to see how they stack up shipping containers full of hazardous waste, then bury them in an unlined pit covered in 8 feet of dirt. Overall, prepare to spend a lot of time sitting on the bus. They do show semi-informative videos on the way up, and the tour guide talks about the history of the place and points out interesting sights along the way....but it's still a long, slow day. So be prepared. No cameras or cell phones are allowed, but they do take a group photo at one of the craters, and everyone gets a free copy back at the museum. For a FREE tour this is an exceptional value, and although it's frustrating at times to keep to the slow, kindergarten-field-trip pace...it's your only option to get on this base, so it's totally worth it. Everything is FREE, but many guests did tip the bus driver and the tour guide at the end.

Whats not to like about NASA? When people think about NASA its always space but we all tend to…read moreforget that "A" stands for Aeronautics and alot of their groundbreaking research and development never leaves the atmosphere. The Armstrong Flight research Center (formerly known as the Dryden Flight Research Center) is located at Edwards Air Force Base. They do have an annex located at Plant 42 in Palmdale, but this is the main center From here they conduct a variety of research. Past projects are a who's who of aviation legends from the Bell X-1, F-104N, The F-15 ACTIV, F-8, SR-71, HL-10, HiMat, X-29 etc etc etc. and they are all on display. They are currently working on a variety of X planes that take advantage of the massive runway and facilities there. It is difficult to get a tour and even stop to look at the static displays unless you have business at AFRC.

Um. It's NASA, they literally get all of the stars…read more Came for #NASASocial event for the #StateOfNASA and it did not disappoint. We got the grand tour of the air flight research hangar, inside scoops on their latest discoveries and what's prioritized for "next up."

idk what to really say. there are good ones that understand your pain and troubles. and there are…read moreidiots that can't tie there own shoes. all I can say is would not be out 11k right now if it was not for 2 Ridgecrest police officers. I would not be broke every day borrowing money to survive if it wasn't for their two ignorant idiot officers.

In trying to grab a bite to eat before leaving town, BF apparently made an illegal U-turn…read more Honestly, we BOTH missed the No "Left" turn sign. It didn't say No "U" turn, but regardless, we didn't see it. Of course, this happened right in front of one of RC's men in blue. The officer was very nice and super cool. He let BF off with a warning. Thank goodness since he got that Fab speeding ticket last time we went to Ridgecrest. Thank you, Sir. We really, really appreciate it! :)

Like I said in my tip, don't come in with any expectations…read more I'm one of those people who truly believe that your mindset will determine your experience. Yes, the base is extremely isolated, if you don't already know that then now you know. You either deal with what you have on post or you drive down the Fort Irwin Road speedway to get to where you need to go. We always opt for the latter. The schools on base are great! I can tell how much my children's teachers love teaching, especially if they're willing to make the drive out here. I've felt welcomed in their classrooms and on their campuses. The middle school sports program at Fort Irwin Middle school has been surprisingly competitive. My 6th grade daughter has played for both their volleyball and basketball team and we've loved making the drive out to watch them play at away games. The housing isn't the best we've lived in, but we've lucked out again with being placed in newer housing with less issues. I recommend for anyone PCSing over to make sure you video tape and photograph any discrepancies with your home and submit that with your list to housing. Also, invest in a ring doorbell. I haven't really had any issues with our food establishments, but then again we do more cooking at home and my kids are easy to please with the selection here. If I had to choose to eat out I'd go to Smoothie n Things and the bowling alley before anywhere else. Getting visitors on base is easy if you follow procedures. You can send in the visitor pass request early and your guests can do all the waiting at the gate without needing you to drive up to accompany them on. From what I understand they cannot clear backgrounds until they arrive, so they should expect a wait for their clearance. Want to not be a "lack for better and appropriate word" at the gate? Then dim your lights, roll down all driver's side windows, have your identification ready and be prepared to open your trunk if requested when entering the gate. Don't fight security procedures. Don't play Pokémon go? Well now's the time to start. You're either a gym rat or a Pokémon go geek. Join the darkside!

Wow ! Talk about the greatest time of my life. One month of excellent training. I was here in…read morebeautiful 114 degree weather and had delicious food in a bag . My favorite is the chicken chunks ! Yummmmm. I sun bathed so much and slept in rain it was an amazing experience. Join the army and come to this wonderful place. If you want a camping experience with no showers for a month , this is the place to be.

This place is amazing! I reeeeeeally want to give it 5 stars but alcohol is not allowed on…read morepremises. Come on, we are in the military! There is a pool table, games, a full kitchen, outdoor sitting area with fire pit, indoor bball court, locker rooms, computer lounge, and the best part.....workout room! There is also a pool but it won't open for another 60-ish days but it looks fabulous.

Though this site gives some amazing history about the pinnacles I would not have known otherwise,…read morethe road to get here is very long, very rocky and in some places questionable if I should cross them. It was extremely hot even though it's April. I didn't walk around as the temps too high. The highlights - you cross over where the salt has dried from the lake ( wash your car as soon as you can as salt bad for it!), the beautiful scenery of the pinnacles (obviously) but the mountains behind them, the history lesson, the train cars sitting on the tracks was kinda fun and interesting and best of all the Navy flying planes doing test runs. Loved that. So hard to believe so much of this was under water and that where these were created. It's other worldly with how alive our planet is and constantly changing. It's free to come here but be warned about deep sand, very rocky roads and the heat. Bring water and have plenty of gas in the tank. There's nothing around for quite a ways.

Out of this world! Free admission but make sure the roads are in good shape. I drove out in an SUV…read moreand some parts of the road were a little sketchy. Once you arrive at the Pinnacles, you can hike up really close to see them first-hand. The pinnacles were created out of tufa ("porous rock formed as a deposit when springs interact with other bodies of water" per Wikipedia), when the area was under a lake. If you visit in spring, you'll see some wildflowers as well. Very interesting spot and worth a stop on your way to Death Valley. Highly recommended!

I took my granddaughter to story time today. She really enjoyed herself. She heard a great book,…read morethen we headed down to the lower level so she could play and color. We happened to be there on a perfect day when High Desert Falconry visited for an educational program. It was so amazing learning about these beautiful birds. We learned so much from the husband and wife team. Definitely check out their website for any upcoming events. During the summer, they also have a lunch program for the kids from 11:30 to 12:30. This is the last week they are having it. It starts when the kids are out of school and runs to the end of July. That is, if they receive the funding to offer it. Hopefully they do, because it's so great. 7/23/25

We visited this location for a quite spot to study and upon entering the building all the tables…read moreare occupied by people traveling by foot. They use up an entire table of four and use it for their dirty items. Only one person sitting at this table by the way. They are eating the entire place smells like jack in the box. They are loud and obnoxious. The employees don't seem to care. A library is supposed to be quiet and peaceful and instead it's distracting for those who are in need of a study area with Wi-Fi. You can do better than this tehachapi

This Saturday the little community of Baker becomes more than the home of the worlds tallest…read morethermometer. It becomes more than the "pit" stop on the road to Las Vegas or L.A. on the I 15. It becomes the center of a relay race across the California and Nevada Desert for several thousand people. Relay teams are made up of law enforcement officers from around California, the US and the World. Men and women run through the desert and through the night to cross the finish line 126 miles away in Las Vegas. They start about noon or 1 PM on Saturday afternoon and the lead teams will finish around 4 AM on Sunday morning It is an amazing event. yes, it bogs down traffic some ...... Teams run from Baker to Shoshone and then on to Pahrump and then run the Blue Diamond highway into Las Vegas. But can you imagine running through the desert at night ?? Can you imagine running through the desert ???? Can you imagine running ?????? .... like a super marathon ...... it is just an astounding event that takes place in Baker each year in April and has for the past 23 years. Check it out It is one of those totally unique "Americana" events .....