Palm Springs Air Museum

 The concept of flying has always intrigued me. How some object simply in a matter of seconds can leave the earth and soon be flying so easily through the heavens?

As a young boy, I jumped off my parent’s tall garage roof over our backyard and flapped my arms as fast as a hummingbird. Luckily the ground broke my fall.

My father just looked at me. “What were you thinking?”

“I thought I was a bird.”

He walked away shaking his head.

Thus the reason when I can visit an air museum, I jump at the chance, not fly but jump since no matter how hard you flap your arms, gravity will keep you grounded.

So recently my lovely wife, Laureen, and I traveled to the wonderful city of Palm Springs to wander the grounds of the Palm Springs Air Museum.

Walking up to the entrance will take the visitor quite a few minutes because this large museum doesn’t only have historical military exhibits inside but a lot to see on the outside.

A Mikoyan-Gurevick MiG-15 sits proudly just south of the main entrance to the museum. This Soviet Union jet fighter was the terror of the skies after its introduction in 1949. The swept back wings, short fuselage made this plane extremely maneuverable during aerial combat, which was proven when these planes were used during the Korean War. As a result the United States introduced the American F-86 Sabre to counter the MiG-15. 

MiG -15 on display at the Palm Springs Air Museum

We wandered from exterior exhibits like the McDonnell Douglas F/A-18 Hornet, to the General Dynamics F-16 Fighting Falcon, to another four or five beautifully maintained planes which point out the importance of air power for any nation.

In fact, the message of the museum is: ‘The Palm Springs Air Museum is a living history museum dedicated to educating the public about the role Air Power played in preserving American liberties and way of life.’

One such aircraft on display outside was an observation plane, the 0-2 Skymaster which resembles its predecessor the Cessna 0-1 E Bird Dog. This sight brought a lump to my throat as my uncle, Captain Edmund Thornell, had been flying the Bird Dog on a mission in Vietnam on September 10, 1966 when he was shot down and killed. It was his birthday, he had just turned 33 years of age.

I closed my eyes for a moment before we moved on.

As we entered the museum, there were quite a few docents of all ages waiting to answer questions for the visitors lining up at the doors. It appeared many were veterans of a different era, but all were eager to greet and offer information about each and every exhibit the museum had to offer.

And there is a lot to see in the various hangars located at the museum, but first, we were interested in the guests who were waiting by a check-in counter located at the end of the large glass foyer. 

These folks were anxiously awaiting their scheduled flight with one of the Warbird planes available to the public. These flights take approximately 60 minutes to complete with at least 20 to 30 minutes in the air allowing an individual the chance for a bird’s eye view of the entire Coachella Valley and perhaps a fly-over of Salton Sea.

Numerous pristine, iconic planes are available, to choose from and the price for a ride varies based in part on the fuel consumption for each craft. The cheapest seat in the house is aboard the famous C-47 Transport which was used to ferry troops and provisions to different locales during WWII. It is probably best known for delivering paratroopers on D-Day with the invasion by the allies into France.

A biplane ready for passengers at the Palm Springs Air Museum

The most expensive ride available is the two-seater T-33 Shooting Star. This Lockheed mid-1940s fighter was the first jet to be utilized by what was called the United States Army Air Force.

There are more planes to choose from, all meticulously maintained and flown by experts.

“Which plane are you going to jump into?” Laureen asked.

I felt my wallet shrink in my back pocket and chose instead to purchase a t-shirt featuring the Warbird, Man O’War. This P-51 Mustang was built in February of 1945 and shipped to England, but was too late to see any wartime action. Now, folks can sit in the back seat and enjoy the maneuvers this plane can deliver. 

“A t-shirt?” Laureen asked.

“I’ll embellish the purchase,” I replied.

P-51 on display at the Palm Springs Air Museum

The hangars at the air museum include not only aircraft from various eras, all dealing with military service, but also other modes of transportation.

John R Beyer by a WWII military Jeep

While wandering here and there, my eyes took in a gorgeous, olive drab Indian motorcycle used by the United States Army. A light brown leather seat and saddlebags gave the machine a look as though it were ready for a mission of utmost importance at any moment.

“Maybe we should buy a motor . . .” I started.

“Nope,” came a reply to my right. I did not even bother to turn, I recognized it, and moved on to the next exhibit.

Large models of Navy ships take up almost an entire wall of one of the hangars. Detailed information of each is readily available for visitors to learn where the ships were built, where they served during military action, and the final disposition of such ships.

A pair of huge WWII Japanese deck binoculars give the appearance they are still in use, waiting to spot an approaching American fighter or bomber headed their way.

WWII Japanese ship binoculars

Walking through any museum is a learning experience for all ages. Laureen and I used to take the girls to museums quite often, and to this day they still marvel at how much fun they had during those visits.

“We went to what?” Kelly still asks.

Erica would chime in then, “Remember when Dad would drag us . . .” 

“I’d rather read the book,” was uttered more than once by Jessica.

I generally stop listening at that point.

It is amazing to view all the aircraft jammed into the hangars at the museum. Not haphazardly, but carefully orchestrated like an oil masterpiece. Much like the Monet I have hanging next to my neon Miller Lite sign.

Guide ropes allow guests a chance to get a close up view of the exhibits while at the same time not allowing those same guests to touch the exhibits with their dirty greasy hands.

Perhaps those ropes were meant for me.

There are pilotless drones hanging from the ceilings, helicopters hanging from the ceilings, and ceilings hanging from the ceilings. 

Writing about the helicopters, and there are a lot of them on display. There is Bell H-13 Sioux, a Bell AH-1 Huey Cobra, a Bell UH-1 Iroquois, and a Heck-of-a-Bell Sasquatch.

There is everything available for the aviationist geek located within and outside of the museum, enough to spend hours upon hours gawking.

WWII German anti-aircraft gun

One of Laureen’s favorite was the dark blue Chance Vought F-4U Corsair. This was the plane used by the United States Navy during WWII that flew off the decks of the humongous aircraft carriers. The powerful Pratt and Whitney behind the long propeller indicated nothing but power.

As I was snapping a photograph of the Corsair, I suddenly heard a man grunting near me while saying something like, “Ooh - ooh, more power.”

“Was that Tim Allen?” Laureen asked.

The Palm Springs Air Museum has created a wonderful real-time experience for visitors in honoring all the military branches and learning what part each of those branches played in keeping this awesome country of ours free.

It should be noted that in one hangar stands the Lockheed Martin F-117A Nighthawk. The lights in the building are low. There are subtle red lights beneath the fuselage giving the fighter an ominous look. A guest can get a glimpse of what this plane would look like as it suddenly swept over an enemy at night.

The F-117 A Nighthawk at the Palm Springs Air Museum

Is the combat fighter a mockup or the real thing?

I was sworn to secrecy.

For more information: https://palmspringsairmuseum.org/

 As I gazed upon the sun-catching aluminum side of the Airstream trailer, there was something missing.

Custom made Airstream with no windows on one side

“Do you notice that windows are only on the front, rear, and the entry door side?” asked Jared Pearce, Senior Director of Retail and Food and Beverages for the AutoCamp Hospitality Group.

The other folks on this tour looked confused. I was not - trailers routinely have windows on all sides, otherwise it would be like camping in a coffin.

I raised my hand to show I actually can notice the obvious, despite what my lovely wife, Laureen, believes. Jared ignored my hand waving in the early morning sun in the town of Joshua Tree. 

I felt right at home.

Unique entrance to the main guest lobby

“These are specially manufactured Airstream trailers for the AutoCamp Hospitality Group,” Jared continued. “They are thirty-one feet long with tiled floors, glass walled showers, and other amenities that are not offered in their trailers for the average consumer. Thus, the reason for one side not having windows.”

And, the reason Jared?

He explained that at the AutoCamp in Joshua Tree, they wanted guests to have privacy. So no camp can have looky-loos with their noses smashed against a window seeing what the other campers were having for dinner next door, or if they are wearing clothes while eating that dinner outside.

Lots of trailers to choose from at the Joshua Tree AutoCamp

I had been invited to attend a promotional event at the AutoCamp in Joshua tree by July Zaleski, a public relations guru for Jam Collections, who wanted to showcase this unique style of camping.

No, there were no remunerations - I went because I like camping. I was brought up by parents who loved the outdoors. My father liked roughing it in the woods, and my mother liked having her coffee in the exterior seating area of her favorite bistro.

So checking out a campground sounded good to me, and off I went to the town of Joshua Tree to learn what I could learn.

This was no standard campground.

Not far from the Joshua Tree National Park is a huge developed portion of desert reserved for those visitors who love the outdoors, dark night skies, pleasantly laid out paths around native desert plants, unbelievably comfortable quarters, and just a feeling of relaxation.

I was so relaxed that I fell asleep in a comfortable cushioned armchair situated on an exterior patio overlooking a sparkling blue pool, which also has an amazing view of the majestic mountains on the  northeastern section of the national park.

Large comfortable pool with loungers for guests to enjoy

The relaxation was so wonderful that I dreamed - I dreamed I’d lay myself down to rest in a big field of tall grass. I laid there in the sun and felt it caressing my face. . .

“Those are the lyrics from Eric Burden’s nineteen-seventy song, Spill the Wine,” a voice interrupted my slumber.

It was Heather Villanueva, another public relations big-wig from Jam Collections. “Do you want to join the group for the tour?”

Had I actually been so comfortable in that gorgeous site I had expressed my dreams out loud in song?

I once asked Laureen if I sang when I slept, she being the loving spouse just looked at me, “I wouldn’t call it singing. More like a herd of goats running wild.”

According to Heather, “At this AutoCamp we really wanted to mix the camping experience with the uniqueness of the desert. As you can see, all the lighting here is designed to point downward toward the ground so as not to interfere with the night skies.”

The nearby national park of Joshua Tree is a registered Dark Sky area and the Joshua Tree AutoCamp wanted to honor that. Guests have plenty of lighting so as not to trip and fall on those pointy-hurty cacti that are growing along the well defined dirt pathways all through the area. 

“We sponsor star-gazing parties here once or twice each month,” stated Amanda Wasnock, General Manager. “A lot of people love to come and just marvel at the heavens, and our guest speakers not only bring high quality telescopes but fun stories to match the exciting views of the skies above us.”

The camp also has various other speakers to entertain the guests about Native American heritage, the local history of Joshua Tree, the geological makeup, weather patterns, and the last time the Dogman was sighted in the vicinity.

AutoCamp has 55 rooms available for guests to stay in around the large park (including numerous ADA compliant spaces). The rooms are actually the very roomy Airstreams that are spread out over the entire site allowing each one plenty of room for privacy for the visiting folks.

Each site has a covered patio, fire pit, plenty of room, and some even have outdoor showers for those visitors who really want to enjoy all the wonders of nature. Possibly a good reason for no windows on the facing Airstream.

Group firepits to sit around and chit-chat

As I walked into a few of the upscale trailers available to occupy, I was very impressed with the roominess and classy decor. Bougie all the way - and I don’t even know what the term means, but my daughter Erica uses it to mean a place that is really cool and worth staying at.

“Since these are actually real Airstreams,” Jared said, “They have to be registered by the DMV. But, we don’t want to move them since they are so heavy with all the upgrades our company has installed.”

As I wandered away from the group, as I usually do in group settings, I found myself watching a couple of families enjoying the nearby playground. Children climbing on ladders. Children swinging on swings. Children ignoring commands from their parents, and the parents ignoring commands from their children.

It was a delightful scene.

I noticed folks sitting within a very artistically crafted outdoor meeting area just east of the huge entrance lobby. It is hard to describe - perhaps a humongous wine cask cut in half, large enough for fifty adults to sit in. The interior of this Quonset Hut designed building is protected from the wind, sun, rain, allowing each guest a chance to enjoy the wonders of the outdoors in comfort.

A photograph would better explain what the room looked like and perhaps my editor, Eric, may include one - if not, that’s cool.

“We host a lot of company gatherings and retreats here,” Amanda said. “Those people you see are from all around the world, primarily working remotely. But this is the second year they have stayed at our complex. Each has their own Airstream and they gather for their meetings daily under the cover of the corporate space available. Of course, we also arrange tours of the park, give advice on local eating establishments, and anything else that will make their stay that much more memorable. Then again, we do that for all our guests.”

Joshua Tree AutoCamp welcomes corporate meetings

The camp also offers a good variety of food which can be enjoyed back at individual campsites or eaten at the numerous tables, chairs, and other locations near the entrance hall. A large gift shop sporting comfortable leather furniture and a fireplace has the rudimentary offerings any tourist may need - toiletry items to bottles of wine. They cover it all for the road traveler.

Of special interest is a full bar of adult libations. They even have a daily happy hour, but since I wouldn’t be there at that time, I was not a bit happy.

One interesting note is that no guest vehicles are allowed within the camping area itself.

“Our guests park outside the quarters so as not to interfere with the natural aspects of the Autocamp ideal,” July said. “A guest enters through the keyed gate, park their vehicle, unload what they need into our wheeled carts, and make their way to their designated room. In this aspect, people do not have to deal with the comings and goings of vehicles which could ruin their stay here.”

There are even bikes to guests to utilize

I liked that. And looking around the camp, I understood the ideology behind AutoCamp. An atmosphere of natural beauty, with as little human footprint as possible, and allowing us mere humans to sit back and take it all in.

But as Laureen packs for any outing, I wondered if a Sherpa would be available.

For more information: AutoCamp Joshua Tree - ReservationDesk.com

 

Garlock - the lifeblood of Ransdburg

Welcome to Garlock

Starting in Hesperia and extending all the way north to the Oregon border, runs a wonderful highway most are familiar with - the 395. From the dry deserts to the  snow-covered Sierra Nevadas, this 567 mile trail of black asphalt has everything a traveler could wish for in terms of expectations.

Vast tracts of vacant land with wildlife for visitors to view and enjoy. Lakes for fishing, boating, or just relaxing next to. Miles of hiking trails begging for the adventurous to tug on some boots and explore.

Highway 395 is a wonderful road to drive and experience, no matter the season.

The author Robert Louis Stevenson stated; “I travel not to go anywhere, but to go. I travel for travel’s sake.”

I find myself in that same mental state quite often. Of course, my lovely wife Laureen may believe I might be in another state of mental wellness - but I’ll keep that between myself and the little green men inhabiting my cranium at this time.

Driving north or south Highway 395 is always a joy. Small locales like Randsberg, Lone Pine, Bishop, and others come to mind but often it is right off the well traveled highway to the byway where other adventures await.

Recently I took one of those byways and made my way to the ghost town of Garlock, approximately nine miles west of Randsburg.

Ghost towns are wonderful experiences for the visitor. To wander where folks had made their hopes and dreams come true, even for a short period. We humans have this endearing quality that makes us believe in our dreams and pursue them. If we hadn’t, the moon would still just be a large bright thingie that circles our earth.

Things to see in ghost towns - Garlock, CA

I first heard of Garlock years ago during a conversation I had been having with another traveler. But honestly when the gentleman mentioned it to me years ago, I actually thought he was talking about garlic - he had a lisp in all fairness.

“I use a lot of garlic, that’s why we don’t have vampires around our home,” I replied.

He looked at me, shook his head and walked away.

“Seriously,” I said. “Not one.” 

Taking the advice from my fellow explorer, I decided it was time to actually visit the town in Kern County.

The ghost town has a very interesting history, as do most places, but this one was created for the benefit of other small towns nearby.

Garlock was originally known as El Paso City, after the small mountain range nearby, and then later as Cow Wells, since this is the area where many cattlemen and freighters would stop to obtain water for their cattle. The only other local place available was the wash of Red Rock Canyon which could be very dangerous during certain times of the year - especially monsoon season.

In the late 1880s some small traces of gold were discovered in the El Paso range and then in 1893 a gold nugget worth $1900 was found near Goler Heights and the rush was on. That amount would be approximately two gazillion dollars today. No wonder prospectors were tripping each other with their picks and shovels.

“That’s my claim,” one prospector may have yelled at another as he raced flat-footed across the desert landscape in search of his riches.

With an evil laugh, the other prospector stretched out his shovel. “And I claim you just done fell down on your noggin.”

In 1894, gold was being located all over the place and Eugene Garlock, a very successful businessman who was living in Tehachapi at the time, decided that it would be a good venture to set up a stamp mill in the growing small town. 

And that’s what he did.

An eight stamp mill was built and miners from all over the territory utilized Garlock’s ingenuity. In fact, the town started to have name changes - first miners would say they were going to the ‘Garlock Mill’ then ‘down to Garlock’ and finally just to ‘Garlock.’ The name stuck and the previous ones went the way of the desert sands - blowing into the wind.

A historical marker erected in 1958 allows the traveler to know how important this once booming town once was: ‘NO. 671 Site of the Town of Garlock. In 1896, Eugene Garlock constructed a stamp mill near this spot to crush gold ore from the Yellow Aster Mine on Rand Mountain. Known originally as Cow Wells by prospectors and freighters during the 1880s and early 1890s, the town of Garlock continued to thrive until 1898 when water was piped from here to Randsburg and the Kramer-Randsburg line was completed.’

A very important part of the history of this whole area, and worth a look around.

There’s not much there, but that isn’t always the point when venturing into an unknown destination. Just walking over ground that others in the past have tread is worth the effort of getting there. To take in a vision they had for their future and wonder what it was like in their past.

Most of the time, it is humbling.

I once met a person who asked why I would want to visit old ruins of a bygone civilization - I happened to be on my way to Greece at the time and could not wait to walk where Socrates or Plato sat and thought.

“Humanity’s past is what made our present,” I responded.

“What's a humanity?” she asked.

As I looked across where the town of Garlock once stood, I realized that the people who had lived here had created a life not only for themselves or their families, but for the surrounding communities as well.

It was mid-morning when I found myself treading across Garlock Road investigating this and that of what was left of this town. As I stated earlier, not much, but there are signs which tell the history of the place as well as ones that tell the onlooker not to trespass across the chain link fences guarding the few remaining original structures.

Always respect the signs at historical sites

But, unfortunately one building had been graffitied with the typical nonsensical scrawlings of a person desperately hoping someone can figure out who had been there.

Since this is a family blog, I will not write what kind of person would desecrate a historical site in my opinion.

The other structures are intact, though years and weather have taken their toll - as those same years and weather have taken their toll on the guy typing this column.

Not bad after a hundred years - Garlock, CA

One area, behind a locked fence, seemed to be that of the original arrasta that was built during Garlock’s time to crush the ore on the premises.

Original arrasta in Garlock, CA

No one was present. In fact, not a single vehicle cruised by the entire time I was wandering around admiring the ruins available to see. Then again, right off of Highway 395, there were signs and a road block stating that Garlock Road was closed due to flooding.

Being a professional, I traveled the roadway to investigate if it were true. Nope, it was not. The road was dry as a bone, but caution should be taken when ignoring road signs. In fact, it is always better to take caution seriously since in the desert flash floods can occur at a moment's notice.

I did not tell Laureen I had abandoned logic on this venture.

Garlock had a functioning post office from 1896 until 1904, and then again from 1923 until 1926. The building which housed the government business was made out of railroad ties and can still be seen today, with a flagpole still standing proudly - absent the flag.

Railroad tracks heading southwest from Garlock, CA

Though the town did boast a population of several hundred during its heyday, delivering water and crushing ore and offering other services, soon other issues would spell its doom. In 1903 a stamp mill had been built in Randsburg and water had been piped to Randsburg and other close locations since the late 1880s.

Perhaps old water cisterns at Garlock, CA

Eugene Garlock passed away in 1907 and the town seemed to drift away as well into the pages of history. 

A school had been built in Garlock utilizing adobe for the walls. Later this structure was a store and rumor has it in the 1920s it may have served as a brothel and speakeasy for the local miners still managing to pull precious ore out of the ground in the nearby hills.

According to various sources, Roberta Ruth ran a curio shop in Garlock until the 1960s.

I ate lunch along the Redrock Randsburg Road and almost could hear the old wagons creaking by carrying water east toward the bustling mining town of Randsburg. It was probably just the slight breeze in my ears.

Then again . . .