Lots of Stuff, little time?
I'm also concerned you have a lot of things to do and not a lot of time to do it...
Having said, that, there are several museums or places of interest at, or near Edwards AF Base. Unless there is a major new security alert of some time, you should be able to get on the base and visit the Museum. (If you're a foreign national, you'll need stuff like your passport and etc -- for US citizens its a drivers license, proof of insurance, and the guards do have the right to check in your trunk and under your hood).
There's a pretty good museum at Edwards. Ask at the gate for the Base Museum. Their web site with hours and directions is at http://www.edwards.af.mil/museum/doc...tc_museum.html
Their inventory of aircraft at the museum (as of 2003) is at http://www.edwards.af.mil/museum/doc...inventory.html
Tours are described at http://www.edwards.af.mil/trip/index.html
There's also a NASA test center (Dryden) at Edwards Dry Lake, next door to the Edwards Air Force Base flight line. NASA does a lot of advanced flight test here and has done so for decades. They also have a regular tour -- but I don't think there is a separate museum there. There's a walking and bus tour of Dryden, which is described at http://www.nasa.gov/centers/dryden/a...yden/tour.html
Now, there are a couple of cool places near Edwards too -- if you're into high performance aircraft, there's a public display of a SR-71, the A-12 (the predessor of the SR-71), the once highly secret D-21 drone carried on some SR-71s, and a U-2 down near Palmdale. Most of the really advanced aircraft in the US were built in a set of plants near Palmdale, what are owned by the USAF and leased to government contracts. Aircraft built in these plants include the Space Shuttle, B-1, B2, SR-71, JSF (F-35), F-22, F-23, etc etc. Blackbird Park near these plants is part of the historic aircraft public displays of aircraft built here. http://www.edwards.af.mil/museum/doc...d_airpark.html
There are a bunch of other vintage high performance (and other) aircraft scattered around the area too -- check out http://www.air-and-space.com/Antelop...0Airplanes.htm
Another interesting place to visit -- and you can drive right by, if you are on 58 as it make sort of a loop around it -- is the Mojave airport. It's at the north end of the Edwards area, and is home to some interesting places and aerospace history. It's the home of Burt Rutan, with all his interesting aircraft, including SpaceShipOne which recently won the X-Prize. It also was home to the Rotan which was an abortive commercial program to develop a single-stage to orbit helicopter. It's also where around 100 commercial arcraft are stored (or junked) off the runway. And there are some interesting private jets around ranging from Swedish Drakens (used at a private jet training school there) to MIG's of different types (all privately owned) and several other private supersonic aircraft.
Blackbird Airpark
http://www.edwards.af.mil/museum/doc...d_airpark.html
But -- this is all stuff you won't have time to visit on a zoom through 60 mph tour...
I have straighteed the lines
thanks for everyones help. Have straightened a few things, still only have 2 days, but have narrowed down where to go and what to do thanks to your advice. one last question. if we go straight up the 178 from bakersfeild instead of east on 58 and north on 14, would this save us time?
Again, thank you all for your help. Thanks to your advice, we have enough confidence to see a little of america by road, which we wouldn't have before with out all this knowledge. I am pretty sure there is somewhere to post photos on this site, I am a photographer, and although a holiday, I am doing a bit of work, I think this small road trip will offer a few good opportunities.
chris
