It was sunset on the trail... I had never been to Ridgecrest before…read more An important little place in the middle of a desert. As for this trail hike, we took a moderate one up the mountain to the peak to sit and take in the views on all sides. It really depends who you go with. The desert can be a lonely place. Especially as the day comes to a close, it is so quiet here, it could be just you and your thoughts. Sobering. We saw some rabbits and lizards. Be on the watch for coyotes and rattlesnakes. The steep trek down I thought, was harder than going up. Make sure you have really good hiking shoes. If you come here on a whim let's say, sandals or flip flops are not going to cut it. Bring plenty of water, very hot in summer and keep in mind that there are no bathrooms here. Please pick up all your trash. This was a beautiful, clean place. The parking area felt safe and fortunately for us, there were not a lot of people there on this given Sunday. I would go back in a heartbeat. The summit views were spectacular and I always welcome the exercise and time to reflect. It can also feel very romantic. I love the desert.

When I first found this hiking spot, gotta be honest, I wasn't too excited because of the lack of…read moregreenery, trees, trash cans, etc. but once my hubs started walking through the pathways, I was excited to come back. The few times I've come, I brought our pup and have left him off the leash when were far away enough from the parking lot. This place is pet friendly but it doesn't seem like a lot of pet owners clean up after their pups. And that may be because there aren't any trash cans in sight. We've dumped our pups poop behind the CCC's children center or a trash can on campus. Even though this hiking spot lacks trash cans, it does have a ton of trails to take that starts behind CCC and goes out towards the mountains. We haven't ventured out too far just yet, but I can't wait to see how many other trails we find. Also, another huge plus is there are markers you can follow...not to mention, it's hard to not be able to find your way back. Honestly, there are some many trails you're not likely to run into anyone else. I have seen quite a bit of bikers and people on dirt bikes/dune buggies, but it can be a bit hard to see through the desert plants. There's a few signs before entering the hiking trails that gives info about desert turtles, but we haven't seen any yet. The only critters I've seen are lizards and ants. One thing to be careful of is the broken glass all throughout the desert. It can be pretty, but sharp!

This is a beautiful park for children and teens of all ages. There are basketball courts to lots…read moreof grass to play sports in. Newer play structures. It loses one star because there are no bathrooms.

If you're looking to camp and you don't want to drive too far from Los Angeles, Red Rock Canyon…read moreState Park is a great option. They have several campgrounds which is first and first serve. There's also several hiking spots in the area, which are less than a mile. There's also a visitor center, which has a lot of information about the park and clean bathroom. Great spot for photos!

+ Interesting hiking spot. There isn't one defined trail at Ricardo Campground. Rather, it's more…read morelike a network of paths. Please come and create your own adventure. + The highlight of this hiking area is the badlands that resemble Badlands National Park in South Dakota. Lotta ridges and cliffs formed by millennia of erosion. . 2 restrooms by the trailhead. First hiking parking lot restrooms I've seen without roofs. Has its own pros and cons: + The stench doesn't condense in one room. - But no weather protection. + Easier to communicate for help in case of emergency. - Less privacy. Also, - Hot, dry climate. - No shade. + Nice that there are restrooms throughout the grounds, - but the water fountains aren't working. -- Have to pay $6 digitally to park there. Can't we just slip $6 in physical bills somewhere and call it a day? Better yet, make it $2 or free altogether? lol

WOW! I can't believe we have such a high-quality escape room venue here in our little town of…read moreRidgecrest! I wish I could give an extra star or two. We had two groups of four that played Alice's Dream last night, and everyone had a blast and walked away extremely impressed. This was Room #16 for me, with the majority of those having been rooms highly recommended by the escape room enthusiast community. So I've experienced a dozen top-notch rooms. I'm very excited to report that The Game Vault rivals the best rooms I've experienced! It is readily apparent that an extraordinary amount of time, effort, love, (and probably money) went into developing this room. The room was extremely immersive, made good use of tech, and was right on theme. The puzzles were diverse and a solid level of complexity that should appeal to both the less-experienced and the enthusiast. This is not a chain or someone looking to cash in on a concept that is surging in popularity. This is created by people who are apparently Ridgecrest locals and obviously have an appreciation of the craft. The owners were very friendly, and we thoroughly enjoyed chatting with them about escape rooms, Ridgecrest, and their venture in bringing the two together. The entire experience was amazing! I will definitely be returning as they open more rooms in coming months. I highly suggest you check them out as well!

Don't let the current exterior fool you or concern you, the game vault is a great experience here…read morein Ridgecrest. My family and I had never done an escape room, and we had a lot of fun, once we figured out the idea ( still got the 3rd fastest time). Cool artwork, great props, clever puzzles, solidly constructed. We can't wait til they get their next room ready!

My hubs recently was told by a local that a great place to hike is RHV, which is near the 365…read morehighway and where S. China Lake Blvd meet or end depending on where you're coming from. It can be easy to miss if your coming from out of town, but thankfully there is a tall brown sign that helps you find the right turn in spot. Just a word of advice, if you have a truck or a car that sits higher, definitely take that as opposed to a low riding car. My car sits low and was painful to hear the scratching noise it made while I drove into the parking area and out. There's actually no designated parking lot but you do have the option of parking closer toward the entrance or further in. I wasn't sure exactly how far to go, so I parked near a semi circle where there were a row of rocks and noticed while we were walking, if we went in a little further, we would've found another lot. This was our first time there and I LOVED it! We normally go to RH behind Cerro Coso College, but we've been trying to find alternative routes since we like to let our dog off the lease and there tends to be way more hikers/atv/mountain bike/bikers there. There were a few other cars there but we didn't run into anyone walking. We did see a few bikers, but thankfully there's a couple paths to choose from that lead to similar trails. The only thing I didn't like about this area, which like the other is there aren't any trash cans around. But other than that, there are definitely some challenging trails with steep paths, that seem to go on and on for miles. We also saw a couple piles of shingles, broken bottles, trash, shotgun shells and heard what sounded like loud booms (which I've heard on the other side of RH plenty of times. Now that it's getting warmer and soon, very very hot, make sure you take plenty of water, as there are no water fountains nearby. There is a Shell gas station about a quarter of a mile away, so you can pick up a couple bottles if you forgot your own!

We are on a bowling fanatic kick right now since we bought our own bowling shoes. We were on our…read moreway home to Los Angeles but decided on stopping by and trying out this place. It was a Sunday afternoon and it wasn't busy and I asked about the prices which are 33 bucks per hour up to six players. We only wanted to play 1 game but they will prorate it once you start the game. The 2 of us quickly bowled a game and I went up to pay - it only came out to 9 bucks. Now that's more like it and we had a fun time.

Just wanted to leave a shoutout for Rudy! He was incredibly friendly, welcoming, and went out of…read morehis way to make sure everything ran smoothly during our visit. You can tell he really cares about the guests and helps create a fun, positive atmosphere. Great customer service like that makes a big difference, and Rudy definitely stood out. Thanks for making our family night even better!

Just wanted to UPDATE: they are closed indefinitely! Have been for years. We went to the museum…read moreinstead which has a nice little interactive video which is 2nd best to actually being there. Hopefully they reopen.

The Coso Range petroglyphs are America's answer to Notre Dame, Stonehenge, the Eiffel Tower and any…read moreother historical sites mentioned by Europe-centric amateur historians who scoff at our short history as a country here in the USA. Yes, our country is young but our continent is old and its residents have produced beautiful and compelling art for centuries. This stunning, gorgeous site contains petroglyphs up to 12,000 years old (about 4,000 years older than Stonehenge) and has a magnificence that has to be experienced to be believed. The setting is mystical, magical and unlike any other historical or archaeological site I have ever visited in my life (and I've been to quite a few.) The petroglyphs are located in a canyon that is not visible at first as you approach. As you walk over the typical high desert landscape, you see what looks like the end of a little arroyo. But as you get closer, and start to climb down into the canyon itself, the size and magnitude of the canyon and the artwork it contains overwhelms you. You enter another world. As you think about what the artists had to overcome to create the artwork (climbing up to dizzying heights, painstaking hours creating the artwork, not to mention the hardships and short life expectancy of the time), it's like time travel. Thanks to an unlikely turn of events (being protected due to their location on China Lake Naval Base), these petroglyphs are in absolutely pristine condition. It is possible to see the progression of the art work over time. An enlightened tour guide will be able to explain the development and possible meanings and uses of the petroglyphs. Keep in mind: there are many theories but few facts about the exact purpose of the petroglyphs since much of Native American history has been lost. But the artwork itself speaks volumes. Interested? Look here: http://maturango.org/petroglyph-tours/. Jump through any and all hoops necessary. It is worth it. (Make sure you wear good hiking or rock-climbing shoes, take sunscreen, and are physically fit. Hiking all the way to the end involves some rock-climbing skills.) I feel strongly that every American citizen should visit this site to appreciate our history and the natural and artistic beauty that our country has to offer. For all that are able, this site should be at the top of your to-do list. Go!

I wouldn't go out of my way to play this course, it is nice to have something in town. There is no…read moresand in the bunkers, either weeds or water. Very friendly staff and good food.

This course has seen better days and management. Even if your desperate to play, they only have 23…read morefunctional carts and the course maintenance is poor at best. The restaurant is good with a nice view but otherwise this course is a hard pass.