Maturango Museum of Indian Wells Valley
To find, learn about, and give to local charities like this one, visit kernfoundation.org and click on Nonprofit Search.
Kern Community Foundation supports the Maturango Museum of Indian Wells Valley's mission to preserve, interpret, and develop an appreciation for the natural and cultural history of the Northern Mojave Desert through research and education, and to promote the arts.
Produced through the facilities of KETN, a service of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools.
Executive Producers - Kern Community Foundation
Coordinator of Media Services and KETN - John Lenko
Director and Producer - Brian Puckett
Supported by a grant from The James Irvine Foundation. The James Irvine Foundation is a private, nonprofit grantmaking foundation dedicated to expanding opportunity for the people of California to participate in a vibrant, successful and inclusive society.
Petroglyph Tour Procedures
Access to the Coso Petroglyphs is granted by the U.S. Navy to the Maturango Museum. We are honored to be able to provide tours to this world-class rock art site. Because security on Naval Air Weapons Station, China Lake is a priority, and because protecting the Coso petroglyphs is essential, we need all tour participants to be well informed before they leave home and head for Ridgecrest. The tour of Little Petroglyph Canyon is unforgettable. We want you to have the best experience possible.
Please watch the entire Petroglyph Tour Procedure video which addresses the most commonly asked questions and issues that have arisen in past years.
Ridgecrest California weather
local weather report for Sunday, March 4th 2007 for Ridgecrest, California
The Ridgecrest Story
Creating our story for our upcoming visit on January 23, 2012
Clarion Inn Ridgecrest, Ridgecrest Hotels - California
Clarion Inn Ridgecrest 2 Stars Ridgecrest, California Within US Travel Directory Located next to the Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake, this Ridgecrest hotel offers an outdoor pool, hot tub and two restaurants. Free Wi-Fi is included.
A microwave, a refrigerator, a seating area coffee-making facilities are also featured in each room.
Guests can dine at Charlie’s Pub and Grill or BMC Bistro at Clarion Inn. They can also enjoy the hotel’s barbecue facilities and gardens.
The hotel offers a gym and sauna. For added convenience, it provides a business centre and car rentals.
Ridgecrest Clarion Inn is a half mile from Maturango Museum and Heritage Square Shopping Center. It is 4.8 km from China Lake Golf Club.
Hotel Location :
Clarion Inn Ridgecrest, 901 North China Lake Boulevard CA 93555, USA
Booking Now:
Hotels list and More information visit U.S. Travel Directory
Visit Mount Whitney in One Minute
This video is about taking a day trip from Ridgecrest, California to Mount Whitney at Whitney Portal.
July 27 meteorite over Ridgecrest! California!
The longest shooting star that I have witnessed.
Motel 6 Ridgecrest - Ridgecrest Hotels, California
#Motel_6 #Ridgecrest 2 Stars Ridgecrest, California Within US Travel Directory This motel in Ridgecrest, California is a 15-minute drive to Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake. The pet-friendly motel offers an outdoor pool with sundeck and guest laundry facilities.
Rooms at Motel 6 Ridgecrest offer a private bathroom and a work desk. Cable TV with extended channels and free local calls are included. Wi-Fi is available.
Ridgecrest Motel 6 is a 10-minute drive from Sierra Vista Shopping Center and Ridgecrest Regional Hospital. The Maturango Museum is 5 mins away.
Hotel Location :
Motel 6 Ridgecrest, 535 South China Lake Boulevard CA 93555 , USA
Hotels list and More information visit U.S. Travel Directory
Booking now :
Little Petroglyph Canyon - NAWS China Lake - April 2015
Took the petroglyph tour through the Maturango Museum, Ridgecrest, CA.
Bicycle
Kevin MacLeod (incompetech.com)
Licensed under Creative Commons: By Attribution 3.0
Maturango Museum Lecture - The Kawaiisu Project Never Will We Forget Our Ancestors
Maturango Museum Lecture -
The Kawaiisu Project
Never Will We Forget Our Ancestors
Dr Alan Garfinkel
October 13, 2011
Video by Alan Woodman
Motel 6 Ridgecrest Video Tour
Motel 6 Ridgecrest # 244
Click here to check room availability:
At the northern edge of the Mojave, the high desert community of Ridgecrest has long been a favorite stopping point for travelers headed up I-395. To reach another high point in your travels, try Motel 6 Ridgecrest -- it's got the lowest price of any national chain.
Just minutes from China Lake Naval Air Station, the Maturango Museum and Coso Petroglyphs, and on the route to popular outdoor destinations like Mt. Whitney, Mammoth Lakes and Death Valley, this Motel 6 is a popular location. Inside, it features bright, clean rooms that come with all the basics -- a modern bathroom with plenty of fresh towels, free HBO, and available WiFi. There's also an outdoor pool area perfect for relaxing.
So next time, experience high-quality lodging in the high desert at Motel 6 Ridgecrest. We'll leave the light on for you.
The Western Wallop in Ridgecrest, California SNOW IN THE DESERT!!! (HD)
This is video from our yard and Hwy 395 near Ridgecrest / Inyokern here in the High Desert in Southern California that got its first snow in many years!
LAX to Ridgecrest
Time lapse video of me driving from LAX airport to Ridgecrest, CA. The one stop in the middle is at a McDonald's off of highway 14 before Palmdale that is all done up in a Wild West theme. Very chic! Notice that traffic (and the McDonald's Drive Thru!) moves very quickly, especially compared to my Ontario to Ridgecrest trip.
Tip: When headed to Ridgecrest, fly into LAX, instead. Ontario airport sucks and it's just as long a drive, but worse traffic and fewer flight options.
MATURANGO Weather Time Lapse - 20161017
A Quick Time Lapse from a Weather Cam in Ridgecrest, CA. This Time Lapse was captured with a Raspberry Pi based camera system. More information on this camera system can be found here:
Trona 2 Ridgecrest California music by Kevin McCoy
This video was uploaded from an Android phone.
Francilu Hansen Retrospective by Liz Babcock, History Curator
The curators of the Maturango Museum are delighted to have the opportunity to share Francilu Hansen’s artistry with members and the public. Adding to the diverse array of Francilu paintings we have in our permanent collection, the exhibit will also featured numerous works on loan from members who own works by this accomplished artist.
Our Francilu Hansen retrospective will appeared in the Sylvia Winslow Exhibit Gallery during regular museum hours, Feb. 4-28, 2012
Works on display will range in size from a tiny painting scarcely larger than a postage stamp to desert scenes several feet long. Francilu especially loved painting Western barns, and an entire wall of the exhibit will be devoted to her charming depictions of rural structures.
Born in Montana, Francilu had a strong affinity for the western states and the scenic grandeur of the mountains. She moved to Randsburg in 1963 and lived and worked there for the last two decades of her life. Her sketchbook was her constant companion; she also enjoyed painting in plein air with oils, acrylics or watercolors.
A member of the Desert Art League, Francilu achieved a reputation across the west as “the lady who paints the desert” and won awards in many prestigious competitions. She studied with many well-known artists, later sharing her expertise in workshops for students in Ridgecrest, Kernville and Montana.
After her 1984 death, the Maturango Museum held a one-woman show in her memory. Now here’s another opportunity for you to enjoy the work of this creative interpreter of desert lore.
Video courtesy of Mark Pahuta
Lecture on The History of Trona and Searles Valley
Tis lecture was given in the Coso Room of the Maturango Museum on Wednesday, December 9,th. The Museum will hosted a lecture and book-signing on the history of Trona. The lecturers will were James Fairchild and Russell Kaldenberg, and included an introduction to their new book. Trona was once the most populous community in the Upper Mojave Desert. Originally explored by the Death Valley 49ers in 1850, Searles Valley was formed by remnants of the Owens River Lakes. The small towns of Borosolvay, Magnesium, Burnham, and Slaterange City prospered for a period before fading. Homewood Canyon, Westend, Argus, Pioneer Point, and Trona continue to provide pleasant housing for Searles Valley residents. The valley is dominated by mining history, and Searles Valley Minerals still produces products for worldwide markets. Wyatt Earp played cards and gambled at Poeville and was arrested in 1910 in Searles Valley for claim jumping. In 1913, Stafford Wallace Austin helped create the planned town of Trona. Amelia Earhart’s husband, George Putnam, died at the Trona Hospital in 1950. Around Trona and Searles Valley, the newest addition to Arcadia Publishing’s popular Images of America series, is by James L. Fairchild and Russell L. Kaldenberg. It was released in conjunction with The Searles Valley Historical Society. The book includes 224 vintage images, many of which have never been published, and copies will be available for sale and signing. Coauthor James L. Fairchild has lived in Trona since 1963 and has investigated the history of mining methods on Searles Lake for 15 years. Russell L. Kaldenberg is former State Archaeologist for the BLM, and has worked extensively throughout the West on cultural resource projects and oral histories.
Video courtesy of Mark Pahuta
Indian wells canyon daytime
This video was uploaded from an Android phone.
Little Petroglyph Canyon
A trip to the Little Petroglyph Canyon on the military base at the China Lake Naval Weapons Station. Security Clearance is required to tour this area. You can make reservations with the Maturango Museum for one of their trips during the spring.
This was an amazing look at ancient cultures and some of the most densely populated and well-preserved glyphs in the nation. Truly a sublime experience for the amateur archaeologist, Geologist, Anthropologist or those who love an adventure out in the great outdoors!
Take your family and your friends and enjoy this amazing place.
Supermoon 2012 (Thermal Lighting) Ridgecrest Ca.
Filmed the Supermoon on Saturday 5-5-2012 from the High Desert of California around 8:30 p.m. This is the closest full moon of the year .