Had the pleasure to give a presentation at Ridgecrest's Maturango Museum this last Thursday, talking about my grandfather, an early settler in the area.
This was my 3rd trip to Ridgecrest, but the first time I time to visit the Navy's Weapons and Armaments museum on the base. This is really fascinating stuff, I think a lot of folks here would be interested. One of the neatest things was the large display of a workbench from the 'good old days', with a lot of test gear that today mostly would be found in surplus stores. The days of the slide rule and clever intelligent people, has given birth to some amazing stuff. Nearby on the wall, a photo from one of the machine shops, shows a pristine round ram Bridgeport. Also a gathering of engineers/scientists in someone's home, discussing what looks like the steering fins for a missile, with two young boys engrossed in the discussion. Must have been a neat place to live and work back then!
I bought two videos, Helo Tours and Secret City. Now, I've been out on the ranges twice, and allowed to take photos of the historical areas my family was associated with. Even if I could not see anything man-made that was not from the pre-Navy days, I asked if I could take the shot. I was surprised that this video was even for sale, and more surprised that it showed so many things that were verboten for me to photograph. I've been driven well over 100 miles on dirt roads in the upper ranges, I saw almost nothing that's in the video, despite seeing more than a couple expansive and empty valleys. Drives home just how big that place is!
But the really interesting video is Secret City, a 2 disk set. Chronicles the founding of the base and it's history and development over the years, along with it's many and varied accomplishments. Well worth the $30 if one has any interest at all in this sort of thing.
The museum will eventually be located off base. If visiting before then, take note: You access the visitor's center from N. China Lake Blvd, turning in to the parking lot right before the signal light. I came in from W. Inyokern, straight in. I knew the visitor's center is on the right, -just- outside the gate. I've seen cars there being searched before being let in for a Little Pet Canyon Tour, and so assumed that's where I would park. WRONG! I'll tell you, those guards have the most authoritative and commanding voices! No sooner had I signaled right and started to turn in, I was loudly ordered to HALT, and YOU, COME RIGHT HERE. I pulled up to the shack, produced my license, and explained what I was doing. Was told in very terse and clipped terms -exactly- where and how I was to turn around, exit the base, and where I was to go to get my pass. They do not mess around! When I came back through with my pass, they acted like nothing had happened. It's funny now, but sure had me flustered for a bit... lol.
Jon