Today began just like any other Sunday we've spent in Palmdale. Well,except for the fact that it was raining. It's been a while since the last time the sound of raindrops woke me up on a Sunday morning.I looked out the window half hoping it'd be cold enough outside for some snow. I knew it was a long shot but hey, I can dream can't I?
Anna and I agreed we were both too lazy to go to mass and since I didn't have an answer for her "What are you going to make me for breakfast?" question, we planned to take the kids out to Denny's for breakfast, hit up Target for some groceries (a thermal brush for Anna) and come back home.
We got on the 14 fwy and when our exit came up, we just kept going. Back in 2008 we'd taken the 14 north on our way to Lake Tahoe so as we drove this time, the plan was to exit at the "Edwards Air Force Base" exit, explore the nearby surroundings, feed the near starving children in the backseat and head back. Well, again we kept going. We did exit there, filled up the gas tank and got right back on the 14 (you guessed it) North.
We drove into Mojave and were greeted with this sign. We all thought this was pretty cool and wondered what we'd find here. Well, we found a Denny's so we stopped to eat and while we were there we used Foursquare to see if there was anything we'd like to check out while we were in Mojave and we found a spot.
The Mojave Air And Space Port sounded like a great place to see. I immediately thought "Mos Eisley" when I read "Space Port" so I figured it HAD to be cool. We did drive over to go to see it but didn't couldn't find the entrance when we got there so we checked out a couple of memorials nearby.
A cart that was used by the Golden Queen Mining Company was on display as well as a The Roton built by Rotary Rocket Inc. I provided links just in case you want to read more. We found that this little outing was turning into quite the history lesson but that's cool with me because that's what exploring the past is all about. I just hoped the kids were as excited about the trip as I was.
It was time to turn around but we weren't done exploring yet. We got back on the 14 and headed south this time. We decided to take a closer look at a place we noticed on the way up. Anthony called this place, "Nuke Town" because all the buildings were barely standing AND in the middle of nowhere. The whole place kind of looked like a scene from the movie The Hills Have Eyes. It's located on Mojave Tropico and Truman Rd. I googled that later and found this and this Gas and Diner that we drove by just a couple miles before. Go ahead and click the links.You might learn something.
Our last official stop was The Cat House. We bought a year membership at the Exotic Feline Breeding Compounds. Peacocks roamed freely as we walked from den to den checking out Leopards, Tigers and Jaguars (oh my). I took a couple of pix for your viewing pleasure.Check 'em out.
I said that the Cat House was our last official stop because we did try one more place, The Willow Springs International Raceway, but were told at the gate the cost of admission was $40 so we turned around and called it a day but know we'll be back soon.
I really enjoyed spending this time with my family. I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to do things like this and I hope it meant as much to them. I remember my Dad being adventurous when I was a kid and I'd like my kids to remember me the same. I think it's important to get away from the routine and just spend time. We spend so much time on the road to and from L.A. during the week that I guess it's ironic to end up on the road again to explore our desert surroundings. We've lived here in Palmdale for 2 years and it's cool that we're still discovering things in our own backyard.
P.S. If you happen to know of any places we should check out, please let me know. Thanks
Anna and I agreed we were both too lazy to go to mass and since I didn't have an answer for her "What are you going to make me for breakfast?" question, we planned to take the kids out to Denny's for breakfast, hit up Target for some groceries (a thermal brush for Anna) and come back home.
We got on the 14 fwy and when our exit came up, we just kept going. Back in 2008 we'd taken the 14 north on our way to Lake Tahoe so as we drove this time, the plan was to exit at the "Edwards Air Force Base" exit, explore the nearby surroundings, feed the near starving children in the backseat and head back. Well, again we kept going. We did exit there, filled up the gas tank and got right back on the 14 (you guessed it) North.
We drove into Mojave and were greeted with this sign. We all thought this was pretty cool and wondered what we'd find here. Well, we found a Denny's so we stopped to eat and while we were there we used Foursquare to see if there was anything we'd like to check out while we were in Mojave and we found a spot.
The Mojave Air And Space Port sounded like a great place to see. I immediately thought "Mos Eisley" when I read "Space Port" so I figured it HAD to be cool. We did drive over to go to see it but didn't couldn't find the entrance when we got there so we checked out a couple of memorials nearby.
It was time to turn around but we weren't done exploring yet. We got back on the 14 and headed south this time. We decided to take a closer look at a place we noticed on the way up. Anthony called this place, "Nuke Town" because all the buildings were barely standing AND in the middle of nowhere. The whole place kind of looked like a scene from the movie The Hills Have Eyes. It's located on Mojave Tropico and Truman Rd. I googled that later and found this and this Gas and Diner that we drove by just a couple miles before. Go ahead and click the links.You might learn something.
Our last official stop was The Cat House. We bought a year membership at the Exotic Feline Breeding Compounds. Peacocks roamed freely as we walked from den to den checking out Leopards, Tigers and Jaguars (oh my). I took a couple of pix for your viewing pleasure.Check 'em out.
I really enjoyed spending this time with my family. I'm grateful that we have the opportunity to do things like this and I hope it meant as much to them. I remember my Dad being adventurous when I was a kid and I'd like my kids to remember me the same. I think it's important to get away from the routine and just spend time. We spend so much time on the road to and from L.A. during the week that I guess it's ironic to end up on the road again to explore our desert surroundings. We've lived here in Palmdale for 2 years and it's cool that we're still discovering things in our own backyard.
P.S. If you happen to know of any places we should check out, please let me know. Thanks
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