Antelope Valley through pictures (Lancaster, Palmdale: lease, inspector, military)

[elousv]

I have seen quite a few threads on this area and decided to start one with pictures to give people some idea of what it is like. I am not a pro, just a schmo with a point and click camera, so these are raw and not processed. I hope to cover Palmdale, Lancaster, Quartz Hill and Rosamond. Let's get started:


This is taken from Lamont-Odett vista point as you enter the valley on the 14 freeway. The first thing snaking through is the California Aqueduct. Next is Palmdale Lake. It is leased for recreational use by the Fin and Feather club. That windmill in the middle is actually massive, the camera does not capture that aspect well. After that is the vast valley as far as you can see. The brown scrub is pretty much everywhere. If something is green it is because someone has watered it. This was taken late September and it is smoky. If someone complains that it is not representative of the normal sky I will counter with there are fires EVERY year.

Now I panned left


The 14 freeway is to the left. To the left of that is Ana Verde, an area of massive mansions. One of the most prominent features in the middle is the dump. It is quickly becoming the largest hill. In the far distance are the Tehachapi mountains.

Now a pan right


I will have to take better pictures with zoom as you can't see Plant 42 very well. There are some big hangars out there where the Lockheed L-1011 and military bombers were built. Way past that is Edwards AFB.

[Charles]

The photographer is standing right on, or very close to the San Andreas Fault.

[streetscenes]

Cool photos, looking forward to more.

[BayAreaHillbilly]

I'm overdue for a road trip to the high desert. Thanks for the virtual tour in the meantime ...

[elousv]

I tried taking a few pics on the freeway but it was too dark. I did get this one though;


I tried a zoom from the same vista point as the first post. You can see the windmill and the large aircraft hangars. The windmill is off Ave. S, the rectangular buildings on the right I believe are 703 and 704 where the B-1B bomber was built and the movie waterworld was filmed off Ave. P. The big one on the left is Northrup's B-2 facility off Ave. M.


Zoom in on Lockheed L-1011 plant


Typical morning on the 14 coming up on Ave. M. This is at 7:45 AM and it is a crisp 40 degrees.

[Charles]

Originally Posted by elousv

Typical morning on the 14 coming up on Ave. M. This is at 7:45 AM and it is a crisp 40 degrees.

Snap a photo of the 14 southbound around Acton at 7AM, or northbound around 4PM.

[elousv]

Here is the nice new medical center in Palmdale off 10th W.



This is also on 10th heading south and that is the same windmill in the first pictures. There is a ski area and the town of Wrightwood in the mountains in the background.



From that same location a zoom at part of the high end Ana Verde area.



Random junk along Sierra Highway.



Really cool area called Vasquez Rocks. Trekkies will recognize it.




14 freeway shot around Placerita Canyon road. It is getting later so the traffic is not that bad. It can be very busy going south in the morning and north in the afternoon rush.

[Topekachef]

Thanks for the photos. When I was a kid my Dad was an inspector for the State Of Calif. Water Resources and I used to ride with him to work. I managed to walk on the bottom of the Aqueduct. (That was a long time ago!)

[Charles]

Originally Posted by Topekachef

Thanks for the photos. When I was a kid my Dad was an inspector for the State Of Calif. Water Resources and I used to ride with him to work. I managed to walk on the bottom of the Aqueduct. (That was a long time ago!)

Ha. I worked for CDWR in Castaic around 1984 as a summer intern while attending CSUN. I used to go up and down those little aquaduct roads and read leakage data. That was a great job. Just cruising the desert with these hot full time lady engineers. We'd take these long lunches at Charlie Browns in Pearblossom or go pick volleyball sized peaches on the farms around there.

Sometimes we'd find old back roads, maybe old mining roads and just thrash the trucks.

I wonder if I knew your dad.

[kittykat13]

Really cool pics except for the graffitti.