Edwards AFB?
 

Hey all, as you can assume I'm in the USAF and may be PCS'ing to Edwards AFB in a month or so if all goes well. Just wanted to give a shout and see if any of you military/civilian guys on here are in the surrounding areas? What's the area like besides the typical answer I get from GA ppl (who have no real clue, but may be true)... "its the desert, good luck." Do you guys meet regularly in any of the surrounding cities, any track events, recommend a particular area for housing (I have no kids), fun things to do in nearby cities, etc? Thanks and look forward to hearing from you guys. :hello: :tiphat:

Well, if anything, you're really close to Streets of Willow, and there are regular track events there. We usually do a monthly SoCal meet in Cerritos, but that is a long drive for you from AFB. I'm not sure about the military stuff though, you'll have to ask someone on base for more info in the local region.

You'll pretty much be sol in that duty station. Its in the middle of nowhere, a decent city is about 50miles away. I know the chairforce likes luxury when it comes to housing, and the surrounding cities are pretty much like the hills have eyes neighborhoods. Overall it's not that bad I'm sure you'll like the extra pay for being stationed there. Good luck and maybe we could meet, I live in victorville. Oh, and Vegas is about 2hrs away

I spent my childhood in the High Desert. So... to echo your GA buddies... It's the desert. Good luck. Grew up w/ some kids who's dads were officers posted at Edwards AFB during Desert Storm. It's not a bad place, just not as exciting as the city. There are a few High Desert residents on the forum, so I'll leave the local activities to them.

Not sure what sort of suggestions you're asking for, but here are some things to check out on your weekends:

Idyllwild is nice if you're into the outdoorsy thing... some fun roads that way too.

Angeles Crest Highway... if I'm not mistaken, Motortrend does a lot of their road testing/filming out there, for good reason.

If you're into skiing/snowboarding, you're only a few hours away from Mammoth. There are local resorts (Snow Summit & Big Bear). My friends have nicknamed them Snow Hill and Little Bear.

Before winter, take a trip up the 395 and check out Sequoia/Kings Canyon and take another trip for Yosemite/Stanislaus. In addition to being national parks, there are fantastic driving roads in both areas.

Also, since I mentioned some 3 hr drives, might as well suggest going south to Temecula for some wine tasting and the drive up to Palomar observatory... not in that order.

Welcome to SoCal, if you decide to check out to the coastal areas "down below" chime in on the forum.

Edit: I just realized I'm completely non-responsive to your question. Best of luck, I got no real answers for you :).

My wife grew up in the Antelope Valley / Palmdale and her parents are still out there so we go to visit them a few times a year. There really isn't a whole lot out there like others have echoed. There are definitly a lot of cool aircraft flying around though.

I agree with fzgood on the surrounding areas/attractions he recommended. Six Flags also isn't too far away driving south on 14.

For areas to live I would lean more towards Lancaster or Palmdale unless you want to commute really far. But be careful as there are parts of town that are okay and other parts of town that are pretty sketchy after dark.

Palmdale does have a Yard House restaurant now.

I have taken my Z up to Willow Springs Raceway which is very close to Edwards AFB. There are quite a few members on here that track there often. They have multiple track configurations but I have only raced the Big Track CW and it is a blast. Check out the tracks website and look in the track session forum here for group deals.

It's a cool place for aviation interests but that is also why it is in the middle of nowhere. GL!

Thanks guys I really appreciate you all chiming in for me. Like most Air Force Bases, they're strategically placed in BFE. But that doesn't mean I can't drive a few hrs here or there on the weekends for some new experiences so I appreciate the input. Oh and I will def be a regular at Willow once I set my car set up for it (cooling/brakes). And I look at it this way... less to do nearby = more money for my car. :tup:

Go to the Cerritos meet this Saturday. 7PM parking right across Walmart in Cerritos.