At Mojave Air & Space Port, near the Edwards Air Force base, you'll find an "airplane boneyard." This is where old commercial planes are stored once they have reached the end of their useful life. See if you can identify the airlines
A little further on Hwy 58 in the Mojave Desert, you'll find one of the biggest deposits of borax on earth. There is a Visitor Center but it is currently closed due to Covid. It's usually open 7 days a week and is free to visit.
US Borax produces 1/3 of the world's demand for borates. I was surprised at how many products use it--it's found in adhesives, batteries, cleaners, fire retardants, as well as a micronutrient for agriculture,
Obey the Speed Limit when you visit.
Nearby is the town of Boron, which was built to accommodate the miners. It has a population of 2200, as of 2010. It was the filming location for "Erin Brockovich."
Boron is a one-street town and on the main street, you'll find the Boron AeroSpace Museum. Admission is free but donations are appreciated. It's run by volunteers who really have a passion for their town. We were walking around the town when a woman asked if we wanted to see the museum. She had just left church and would grab the keys to show us. How could we turn her down? She talked non-stop about the history of Boron and about Pancho Barnes, a female aviator who broke Amelia Earhart's air speed record and established the first movie stunt pilots' union. Pancho lived and died in Boron.
Next door is the 20 Mule Team Museum.
20 Mule Teams were teams of 18 mules and 2 horses attached to large wagons that transported borax from Death Valley to Mojave from 1883-1889.
20 Mule Cafe is located across the street.
Pancho Barnes' house. Hard to believe she was born with a silver spoon and died in a dilapidated stone house.
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