'''Ridgecrest''' is a city in Kern County in the Mojave Desert of California.

Get in

'''US Highway 395''' - Northbound travelers will turn right off the highway onto '''CA Highway 178 Business''' (also called South China Lake Boulevard), which proceeds north and then northeast about 2 1/2 miles to Ridgecrest. Southbound travelers will take the '''CA Highway 178 East''' exit near the town of Inyokern, then proceed east (left) 8 miles to Ridgecrest.

'''CA Highway 14''' - Northbound and southbound travelers will exit onto CA Higwhay 178 East, which drops down the last slope of the Sierra Nevada foothills into Inyokern, then on eight miles into Ridgecrest.

'''CA Highway 178''' - Eastbound travelers take 178 to Highway 14. The roads merge and continue north three miles before 178 East splits off again (right-hand turn). (See '''CA Highway 14''', above.) Westbound travelers coming from the Death Valley area find that 178 goes directly into downtown Ridgecrest, becoming Ridgecrest Boulevard. '''Note''': 178 passes through Ridgecrest, but it involves two 90-degree turns and three different street names. Traveling east from Inyokern, 178 is known as Inyokern Road. In Ridgecrest, 178 turns abruptly south at the intersection of Inyokern Road (which proceeds onto Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake) and follows North China Lake Boulevard. Two miles south at the intersection of China Lake Boulevard and Ridgecrest Boulevard, 178 turns eastward again and follows Ridgecrest Boulevard out of Ridgecrest and on to Trona and Death Valley.

Get around

Like most places in California, Ridgecrest is best navigated by car. Public transportation is extremely limited and may require arrangements in advance.

If you need to rent a car in Ridgecrest, here are your commercial options:

  • '''Avis''' - 901 N. China Lake Blvd (760) 446-5556
  • '''Dollar Rent-a-Car''' - (760) 446-4554
  • '''Enterprise Rent-a-Car''' - 437 N. China Lake Blvd. (760) 384-2816
  • Ridgecrest also has the usual accommodations for travel by bicycle and on foot.

    See

  • U.S. Naval Museum of Armament and Technology. aval Air Weapons Station, China Lake, Calif.. 760) 939-3530. ttp://www.chinalakemuseum.org/. 0 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mon. - Sat.. China Lake has been involved in development and testing of some of the most famous air weapons and related systems of the 20th and 21st centuries. Legendary air weapons like the Sidewinder air-to-air missile and Shrike anti-radiation missile are displayed alongside some of the most modern air weapons - JDAM (Joint Direct Attack Munition) and JSOW (Joint Stand-off Weapon) - that became household names during the early months of the U.S.'s wars in Afghanistan and Iraq. Also featured is the unique history of China Lake, known for a generation as "The Secret City" where scientists and engineers broke new ground far from the prying eyes of enemy spies.

  • Maturango Museum. 00 E. Las Flores Ave., Ridgecrest, CA 93555. hina Lake Blvd. (Highway 178) intersects Las Flores Ave. at the museum. (See '''Get In''', above.). 760) 375-6900. atmus@maturango.org. 760) 375-0479. ttp://www.maturango.org/. 0 a.m. to 5 p.m. Daily (excl. major holidays). 4 for exhibits; visitor's information center and giftshop free. This museum brings the natural history, culture, geology and archaeology of the region under one roof. It is a busy visitor's center for travelers headed to '''Death Valley''' and other Mojave Desert points of interest. Also available are a wide collection of gifts and memorabilia from the Upper Mojave Desert. The museum has great displays of local flora and fauna, work of local artists, and regular special programs. (See '''Do''' below for information about tours of the '''petroglyphs''' - the greatest collection of Native American rock art in North America.)

    Do

  • Petroglyph Tours. aval Air Weapons Station, China Lake. 760) 375-6700 (Maturango Museum). The jewel in China Lake's cultural-resources crown is the '''Coso Rock Art National Historic Landmark''', a recently dedicated swath of 36,000 acres that include Big Petroglyph Canyon and Little Petroglyhp Canyon where roughly 250,000 pre-European rock-art carvings can be found. Tours can be arranged directly with the Navy, but doing so can be complicated. People not familiar with the base or the area are strongly advised to join a tour organized by the Maturango Museum (described in '''See''', above). Tours are always on weekends, and because participants are escorted deep onto a military base that does secret development work, special rules apply. No foreign nationals are allowed, and participants must provide bona fide proof of citizenship to get a pass for the tour. Museum staff can explain the process in detail.

    Buy

    Eat

  • La Fiesta/Sandwiches 'n Things. 19 N. China Lake Blvd.. 760) 375-5901. oderate. A family-owned and -operated restaurant offering traditional mexican favorites along with homestyle American favorites. The enclosed patio with misters is a great place to relax with a beer and some nachos on a hot desert evening.

  • Farris' Diner/Italian Gardens. 09 E. Ridgecrest Blvd.. 760) 371-1470. iner - breakfast and lunch; Italian Gardens - dinner. oderate. American diner by day, Italian hideaway by night, this pair of sister restaurants are operated by a local family with decades in the restaurant business. The diner has a simple 1950s theme with traditional breakfasts (pancakes, waffles, fruit, eggs, etc.) and a range of lunch options (sandwiches, hamburgers, chili, tuna-stuffed tomatoes). The Italian Gardens is a softly lit, intimate restaurant with a lounge atmosphere. Italian dishes are ably prepared (though you should ask for extra spice unless you like it a little plain). What sets this place apart, however, is its bar - the best selection within 90 miles at least.

  • The Great Wall. 00 N. Balsam St.. oderate. The Sarraburin family operate this Thai/Chinese combination restaurant. Noodles, curries, stir-fries and rice dishes are all prepared with skill by the friendly owners and staff. The "express" part is the option to order combination meals from the cafeteria-style selection of several entrees, sides, and appetizers - no waiting!

  • Mon Reve. 26 Balsam St.. 760) 375-3212. ricy. Meaning "My Dream," Mon Reve is the dream come true for a husband-and-wife team of French expatriots. A truly French experience, the owner has been known to give a friendly slap to an uncooth patron and the waitresses are treated like princesses. But with the generally good-natured haughtiness comes a very friendly and sincere desire to serve great food with warm hospitality. French onion soup, quiches, and full French entrees are paired with a solid wine list and an even better beer list.

  • Junk Food Junction. 21 E. Ridgecrest Blvd.. 760) 375-3626. heap. Sometimes you've just got to make the tough decisions - like whether you want to splurge and have the mozarella sticks with your chili-jalapeno dog and milk shake or just have a nice vegetable side, like fried zucchini or fried mushrooms. When you feel like keeping your tastebuds happy and your cardiologist employed, this friendly Ridgecrest landmark offers all the bad stuff...er, good stuff...you're looking for.

  • Tokyo House. 90 N. China Lake Blvd.. 760) 384-1948. ricy. This brightly lit, lively restaurant has three distinct options for diners - sit at the sushi bar, get a table and order from the menu of Japanese favorites or take your group to one of several Teppan Yaki grills - seated bars around open grills where highly trained chefs light the grill on fire, fling condiments, aim shrimp at customers' mouths and generally turn cuisine into a circus.

    Drink

  • Farris' Italian Gardens. 20 E. Ridgecrest Blvd.. It's no joke - the best bar in Ridgecrest when selection and quality are the priorities is inside a quiet little restaurant. An array of call drinks - anejo tequilas, single-malt Scotches, fine wines and beers, etc. - are poured by a skilled staff. Even the "cheap" drinks are good - the Long Island Iced Tea is smooth as velvet.

    Sleep

    Ridgecrest offers a range of accommodations from three-plus-star hotels to very cheap, bareboards establishments.

    '''Upscale'''

  • SpringHill Suites Ridgecrest. 13 E. Sydnor Avenue. 1 760 446-1630. ttp://www.marriott.com/hotels/travel/iyksh-springhill-suites-ridgecrest/. Opened 2008, complimentary continental breakfast, located only a few blocks from China Lake NAWC.
  • Heritage Inn & Suites. 050 N. Norma St.. 1 760 446-6543. ttp://heritageinnandsuites.com. Offers interior corridors, onsite bar and restaurant and a nice location.
  • Carriage Inn Atlas Hotels. 01 N. China Lake Blvd.. 1 760 446-7910. ttp://www.carriageinnandsuites.com. Popular site for formal gatherings, with onsite cafe, lounge, and Avis Rent-a-Car. Very easy to find for highway travelers and close to the main gate of Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake.

    '''Moderate'''

  • Best Western China Lake Inn. 00 S. China Lake Blvd.. 1 760 371-2300. 1 760 375-8785. ttp://book.bestwestern.com/bestwestern/productInfo.do?propertyCode=05590. Popular with business travelers.
  • Comfort Inn & Quality Inn. 07 S. China Lake Blvd.. 1 760 375-9731. Remodeled in 2005.
  • Vagabond Inn. 26 S. China Lake Blvd.. 1 760 375-2220" url="http://www.vagabondinn-ridgecrest-hotel.com/?propID=411&channel=overture&keyword=vagabond+inn+ridgecrest.

    '''Budget'''

  • Motel 6. 35 South China Lake Boulevard. 1 760 375-6866. 1 760 375-8784. ttp://www.motel6.com/reservations/motel_detail.asp?MotelId=0244.

    '''Bed & Breakfast'''

  • BevLen Haus. 09 N. Sanders Street. 1 760 375-1988. LH_B&B@iwvisp.com. 1 760 375-6871. ttp://bevlen.com. Ridgecrest's best-known Bed & Breakfast. Centrally located but off the beaten path in a quiet neighborhood.

    '''Long-term, Furnished, Specialty'''

  • Roger Loewen. 1 760 371-1361. One man in Ridgecrest seems to have the solution for everything from long-term rental houses for families of professionals getting settled in the area to local digs for above-the-title movie stars. (Films shot within 50 miles of Ridgecrest include Tim Burton's Planet of the Apes and Star Trek V; Johnny Depp has stayed with them!) The best way to reach him is to call his store (aptly named Loewen's) at the number above.

    Get out

    One of the best things about Ridgecrest isn't what's in Ridgecrest at all - it's what's just outside of it! Many people who live here have come to recognize it as a kind of hub that is surrounded by an array of outdoor adventures, scenic places, and great getaways.