Have you already explored classic attractions such as the Walk of Fame, film studios, and national parks? We have tips for unusual sights to visit on your California road trip: Edwards Air Force Base, a picturesque railroad loop, and a massive graveyard of transport planes.
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Classic Car Dealerships, the Railroad Loop, and a Light Bulb from 1901
In California, we first visited some quintessential American stores: My Hot Cars in San Ramon (map) and Specialty Sales Classics in Pleasanton (map).
The Castle Air Museum in Atwater (map) houses a Lockheed SR-71 Blackbird, a Presidential McDonnell Douglas VC-9C, and a Convair RB-36H Peacemaker with an MK. 17 thermonuclear bomb among other things. It’s an intriguing feeling to stand right next to something with a 15-megaton yield.
Fire Station #6 in Livermore (map) houses the world’s longest-burning light bulb, known as the Centennial Light Bulb. It even has its own website with a live camera feed.
The Tehachapi Loop (map) is a fascinating rail loop that trains pass through on the Bakersfield to Mojave route. The best locations for photography and filming are on private property, so you need to follow specific rules provided by the owner. These rules are posted on a sign at the property’s entrance. The owner doesn’t mind polite visitors, as evidenced by the seating area and waste barrel at the viewpoint.
Timing your visit to coincide with a train passing through can be tricky. We didn’t look up a schedule and decided to chance it. Based on the average number of trains per day, we thought we had a good chance of seeing something. We arrived before 10:00 am and waited almost an hour with no luck. We agreed to leave at 11:00.
Just as we were about to leave, a train appeared in the distance. Of course, we waited for it. As it snaked below us, we spotted another train in the distance. After that train passed us and we started to walk back to our car, we saw another train approaching.
There are plenty of trains, but they seem to come in clusters and alternate directions. The track is double for most of the way, but some of the tunnels and bridges are not. To avoid long waits, the trains appear to run in columns.
Transport Aircraft Graveyard and Tour of Edwards Air Force Base
After crossing the mountains towards Mojave, we drove around Edwards Air Force Base (map).
California City—with a name like that, how could we not visit?
On the east side of the local airport, you’ll find Phoenix Auto (map), which serves as a sort of “base camp” for Wasteland Weekend. This event, always held on the last weekend in September, attracts fans of post-apocalyptic worlds like Mad Max. Several interestingly modified cars, built for the event, are parked behind a fence.
The owner kindly let us take a look around and snap some photos after a bit of gentle persuasion. We weren’t surprised to learn that his ancestors hailed from Czechoslovakia—we’ve met quite a few people of that descent here. He was quick to brag about his celebrity status to a customer whose car he was repairing, saying that people from all over Europe came to see him.
The Boeing NB-52B Mothership 008, a B-52 (map) used for various types of testing, is parked outside the north gate of Edwards Air Force Base and can be visited normally.
In Victorville, at the Southern California Logistics Airport (map), there’s a cemetery of transport aircraft. You can’t get all the way to them, but at the intersection of Nichols Ave and Mesa Linda Rd, you can drive almost to the fence.
The road is extremely dusty, so it’s advisable to drive slowly. Anyone who has been to California is familiar with the fine dust that seems to get everywhere. On your way, you’ll pass a huge parking lot for Dieselgate cars, but active security and a cover over the fence prevent a clear view. Nevertheless, we managed to capture a few images. Now, there are drone-shot videos of the area on YouTube. We also visited a few car junkyards in the area.
Kill Bill’s Church and Something for Airplane Fans
The El Mirage Dry Lake Off-Highway Recreation Area (map) is a place for those who love driving and don’t mind getting a little dirty. You arrive, pay your fee, and off you go. Since our car was rented, we just checked out the place and moved on.
The Two Pines Chapel (map), also known as the Kill Bill Church, probably needs no introduction. You’ll find it in the Hi Vista development at the intersection of E Ave G and 198th St E. Unfortunately, the owner seems to have been disturbed by fans taking free photos and has put up a fence around the property and parked a load of junk in front of the church.
In Palmdale, there are two places for airplane fans: Blackbird Airpark (map) and Joe Davies Heritage Airpark (map), which are right next to each other.
The highlight of our journey to LA was a visit to the Air Force Flight Test Museum at Edwards AFB. Yes, you can get onto the base, but it requires a bit of luck. They only conduct one public tour a month, and when we checked, the earliest available date was in eight months. However, if you have a group of at least 15, they can arrange a tour outside the posted dates. We were fortunate to secure one.
The author of this article is Franta, who has a lot of experience in travelling around the USA. :-)
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