I've a bit of the wanderlust running through me, and it's getting stronger with each day passing…read more To try and negate some of this growing restlessness, I thought perhaps reviewing one of my past adventures would help to calm the stormy seas inside of me before I go insane. I have a dirty past. Quite literally. I am one of very few chicks that dug dirt and rocks from a very tender age (mind the bad pun). And they continue to excite me even after a decade away from school. There's hardly anything more exciting than hiking to gods know where for some geologic/paleontologic mindjob. Was that TMI? Oops, my bad. But, please, don't go anywhere! Allow me to share one of my fondest geology trips with you. I loved my majour in college. What's not to love about a study that allows you to spend more than half of your collegiate time outdoors, rain or shine? I was never much one for classroom settings. Don't let the geeky exterior fool you. I'm the type to bring a laptop out into the wild unknown to play my video games. ^_- Whoever said you can't have it all? All that's missing is a wonderful companion to share it all with. My Spring Fieldtrip assignment was to map Rainbow Basin, outside of Barstow, California. I believe the area we had to map was about 3 square miles, up and down peaks and in and out of valleys. 9 glorious days did we spend out there. Rainbow Basin is a gorgeous stretch of land. If you haven't been there yet, promise me you will. If only for a day. The best part is during sunset in the main valley. There's a specific point in the valley where you crest a rise and just sit there, waiting for the magickal moment where the sun dips just low enough in the sky to light up the cliff face where there's a huge syncline composed of various oxidized layers (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Rainbow_Basin.JPG). These layers, composed of various different minerals, oxidized over time to produce different shades of colours - red, purple, yellow, green, blue... The beauty is when the sun lights up these different layers to give you the most amazing display of coloured rock ever. Hence, the name of the basin itself. I'm thinking of a road trip back there this summer to view this phenomenom once more; only this time, I'll be bringing a camera to document my memories. Will you join me? Bring your sleeping bag, but forget the tent. We'll snuggle under the summer stars together.

Beautiful place. Love the colors and formations. Geology is wonderful. Enjoyed the scenic drives as…read morethe valley walls get closer and closer as your car wanders through the basin. The road Is nicely graded that goes through a wash. Very epic, scenic panoramic views. Highly recommend spring, fall or winter times to visit as it can get hot!! We went in February, Not too far of a drive from Barstow or on the dirt road. We also hiked among the Mojave desert vegetation and enjoyed the Joshua trees. Think we got a glimpse of the lakebed with Goldstone. Great picture taking opportunities!

Great trip and escape from civilization. Be prepared for no phone reception. Lots of beautiful…read moretrees. Also had a chance to see how much damage was done from the fires. $12 for parking. You can pay using an envelope in a box and detaching part of the slip and putting it in your window or walk about one block down to the gift store and pay with debit. Gift store has water and snacks. Can be pretty populated during the weekend so you don't get a chance to absorb the full nature of quietness and peacefulness but still a great visit. Parking is fairly Limited.

It is a paved trail, technically a hike trail but mentally and physically not. Cool little trail…read morefor city people to learn about the sequoias and history of the trees. Please stay on the trail and pick up all your trash

Just a few comments on the local Mojave area around Edwards, not on this specifically posted…read more(business)location. Although the posted commentary of the first reviewer certainly sounds typical, I'd somewhat question the comment about hot nights in the Mojave. My personal experience has been that typically, about 4 PM every day, a strong wind comes up across the Mojave and temps usually can drop over 50 degrees from day to night. North of Edwards, in the eastern reaches of California City, there used to be (not sure if still there) a long dirt road-trail across the desert, that one might drive, knowing that you were traversing the old and famous 20 mule-team Borax Trail, from Death Valley to the railhead at Mojave. (See: http://home.earthlink.net/~cyberkiwi/desertexploration/trborax.htm) East of Edwards, there is an area famous for Hot-Air Ballooning. South of Edwards, east of Lancaster, off a desert road, a hillside encropment, host an open mine entrance, with old tracks and an unsafe old wooden ladder, that descends into the almost vertical depths of the old mine, only to find the bottom-of-the-shaft filled with water. A friend once slowly descended into the water, to find a horizontal water-filled shaft with air-pockets under the roof. (Not recommended!) If you can access Edwards itself, South Edwards may yet have traces of the old Edwards Sled-Track, on which the Astronauts rode a rocket-sled across the desert, to experience G-forces. The track was moved to Holloman AB, New Mexico years ago. Along the south rim of Rogers Dry Lake Bed, are the old remaining buildings and roads of the original Edwards, nee Muroc Army Air Station, made famous in air-flight history, with famous names like Chuck Yeager, X-1 rocket ship and more. Just walking through this area, when the wind blows, one can almost feel the winds of history! And finally (here), there is the famous Edwards Rocket Base, on the ridge overlooking Rogers Dry Lake, somewhat south-east of Edwards. Here is a website (link) to another website with a quote that 'paints-a-magnificent-picture', of the time-and-place of Rocket Base in history, as told in the Foreword to an online Hollywood Documentary screenplay. Enjoy! http://www.fiwd.org/Reality.htm

+ 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

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!

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.

I just arrived in town and this was suggested to me at the Maturango Museum, as a quick place to go…read moreto become acquainted with some of the local plants. There were a couple of trail heads, the one behind the college having a parking lot close to the road. I walked a bit to see what was there and took some photos. I'm sure it would be more interesting the further out a person could go. It reminded me of bike rides in a state forest in Florida and I'm sure a quicker view would be more interesting but less productive for photography.

+ Pleasant trail. Fascinating views of volcanic igneous rocks. They are black, and have various…read moresmooth, round, and porous shapes. . 3/4mi took 1/2hr. + Opportunity to get some scrambling in around the little canyon of vesicular basalt. . Note: the rocks may be smooth or slippery on the feet, yet they're easy to grip by hand. - No shade. + Free, plenty parking. -- Only 1 restroom by the trailhead. Not well maintained. Outta tp. Trash can full. Stinky. - No hand sanitizer or sink. Didn't see any fossils falling, despite the name. v_v loljk

A beautiful and historical place to see and walk. If you're luck you'll see obsidian, but cannot…read moretake out. Leave as is. Highly recommended.

My wife and I really enjoyed our visit here and our walk through the tunnel…read more The drive in from Highway 14 is tough if you have a standard, low, 2wheel drive car. I don't recommend it. I drive a 2 wheel drive Explorer that is a little higher and wider tires. It took 50 minutes of careful driving to get to the tunnel. No huge rocks or washouts but a lot of loose deep sand that requires your attention. Be prepared, drive the right car and don't let the drive in stop you from visiting. There are enough signs along the way, better to call the trail markers, so you won't get lost. I used Waze and it took out any guess work. Once at the tunnel the opening looks very small and many people think that it means you need to crawl through and won't go. But just go in 15 feet or so and you can stand up all the way and it is good. My wife was very concerned and didn't want to go in until she could see me standing fully upright once I got all the way inside. My wife carried a lantern with 360 light and I had a flashlight with a thinner beam for more distance. It was a perfect combination. When you are inside you can look back and see the light at entrance getting smaller but cannot see light at the far end. Don't worry, there is a 90 degree tun near the end that blocks your view of the exit but it is there. Deep inside it really does feel like an adventure. It's just spooky enough to make you feel like you accomplished something by getting all the way through. My wife was flat out scared but was determined and did it. There is a great view spot at the far end. We walked off to both sides of opening and loved the views. There was a couple coming the other way on our way through and it was kind of fun meeting nice people in such an otherworldly place. Inside the tunnel it does not smell, there was only the tiny amount of dust we kicked up with our feet and no wind. Eerily quiet. You can still see the ore cart tracks in a couple places and it really brings to mind the immense amount or labor and dedication, or possibly obsession, this man had to finish it. It's stunning to contemplate. Go and walk it but don't just walk it, take the time to appreciate this one man, hand dug, 38 year creation.

Always fun to go there with the kids lots of exploring to do here. A high clearance vehicles is…read moreneeded. Awesome place

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!

Definitely a super hidden gem in the Kern River Valley…read more Kern River Preserve has always been on my list of places to visit and finally, over the summer, I had a chance to explore. Mind you, the heat can be somewhat unbearable in July. And in all likelihood Spring and Fall are the more common seasons. A little background of the Kern River Preserve. It's actually owned by the National Audubon Society. It's also located in one of the largest contiguous riparian forests in the stata at 3,000 acres. There is a small visitors center. I highly suggest calling before arriving to find out if there will be a docent or guide. Best times to visit are spring. You'll get the best of flora and fauna with blooming flowers and migratory birds. ' The Kern Audubon Society is a wealth of knowledge and happy to help with info.

I've had great times at the Kern River Preserve. Lots to see and learn about. Very interesting…read more Sometimes, well before Covid anyway, people would come and they would have something going on at the preserve where other people would come and show what animals or plants, just anything that you could literally find at the preserve that they had ppl bring their stuff and teach us about different snakes that are Indigenous to this area and won't harm you, and which will. People have been here before and pointed out the difference in good plants, harmful plants, plants people have different not wonderful reactions to like stinging nettle and what it looks like. It's really interesting stuff. Call and find out if there are tours or if the trails are open for hiking due to covid, as maybe the trails are overgrown??? Some on the backside of the lake look very bad. I was given tours there when we were in jr college at Cerro Coso Community College in Lake Isabella (21 yrs ago). I've had them teach us things too when there's an event, so look for that. I don't know if anything's going on their since Covid? Ask them about the turkey vultures, and volunteer to count them if they're still doing that! That was a blast! Trina (Guerra) B.