Palmdale

A series of aqueducts, reservoirs, power plants and pumping stations that run the length of the state of California, a portion of which passes through the Antelope Valley along the San Gabriel Mountain foothills. There are many vantage points where the waterway can be seen. There are also many miles of bicycleways along the aqueduct.

A low hill, through which the Highway 14 cuts, is called the Palmdale Bulge. It sits immediately above the San Andreas fault. Strata of rock are visible, warped and twisted in dramatic fashion by the tectonic interaction of the Pacific and North American plates. It is possible to park and hike about one-half mile through the desert to overlook the formations. Be careful and do not approach too close to the edge of the steep cutaway.

Actually, two museums adjacent to Plant 42, the classified USAF manufacturing plant, also used by NASA. The Blackbird Airpark Museum is an extension of the AFFT Museum at Edwards AFB, while the Joe Davies Heritage Airpark (formerly Palmdale Plant 42 Heritage Airpark) is operated by the municipality. Both are staffed by retirees who had previously worked in the aerospace industry, some actually having worked on the aircraft displayed at the two parks. All of the aircraft have been carefully restored for public display. View and walk around retired SR-71A (Blackbird), A-12 and U-2 aircraft. Aircraft in flight can be seen irregularly—many of the United States' most advanced airplanes have been assembled and test-flown here. Most impressive to see in flight are the B-2 Spirit Bombers which are assembled at Air Force Plant 42, located along Sierra Highway. Other advanced aircraft such as the F-35 can be seen in test flights, as well as some older aircraft such as F-22s, T-38s, B-1s, C- and KC-135s, and even the occasional B-52 or C-5 Galaxy. A small dirt parking lot at the intersection of Avenue N and Sierra Highway affords a straight-down-the-runway look at whatever is flying that day. The SR-71 and F-117 are not seen in the skies anymore, but the frames of these and other history-making airplanes can be seen at Blackbird Park. The Space Shuttle fleet was also built at the Rockwell International buildings once located here. Lockheed Martin's Skunkworks is located at a hangar at the western edge of the Plant 42 property, and the little skunk logo can be easily seen from Sierra Highway.

Located at Marie Kerr Park on the western side of the city, it is a 10,000-seat outdoor amphitheater, featuring performers and interesting events like the Kaleidoscope arts festival.

The location of the Poncitlan Square and the Larry Chimbole Cultural Center downtown.

And the next-door Air Force Flight Test Center Museum's Blackbird Airpark Annex show off displays of various aircraft built or tested at Palmdale Air Force Plant 42.

At McAdam Park is the only remaining building of the original village of Palmenthal in the late 1800s.