Page 126 - 2020 Travel Guide to California

LANCASTER
Where Los Angeles County meets the Mojave Desert
»TOUR, DINE, TAKE
IN AN AIR SHOW
Lancaster Visitor
Information
destinationlancasterca.org
A FAMILY HIKE through the woodlands,
above; the MOAH BLVD crosswalk art
installation, below.
LANCASTER TRADITIONALLY has
enjoyed two claims to fame: the annual Cal-
ifornia Poppy Festival in April, and its
status as an aviation mecca where Chuck
Yeager first broke the sound barrier. But this
high-desert city of 160,000, in the north-
east corner of Los Angeles County, is also a
vibrant urban area with increasingly
sophisticated food, arts and entertainment
offerings.
Outdoor Attractions
Lancaster, 61 miles from LA in the Antelope
Valley, is a proud portal to the Mojave
Desert’s wide-open spaces. The Antelope
Valley California Poppy Reserve blazes with
1,500 acres of the orange-gold state flowers
between February and May. Other state
parks such as Red Rock Canyon, Arthur B.
Ripley Desert Woodland and Saddleback
Butte offer spectacular rock colors and for-
mations, Joshua trees and lofty desert
views. And who could resist the Cat House,
a conservation center that houses and
breeds endangered wild felines, from sand
cats to tigers?
Other popular outdoor pursuits include
hot-air ballooning, rock collecting and
picking cherries at local farms. Adventurers
can try the Sierra Highway Bike Trail or the
Antelope Valley BMX course. For spectators,
the Willow Springs International Raceway
is the nation’s oldest permanent road
course, while aviation buffs have the Los
124 2020 TRAVEL GUIDE TO CALIFORNIA
B Y C H R I S T I N E D E L S O L
Angeles County Aerospace Valley Air Shows
in March and October, respectively.
Fine Dining & Cultural District
Since the county’s never-ending expansion
filled up the San Fernando Valley, the Ante-
lope Valley has become the new focus,
bringing trendy restaurants, up-to-
the-minute shops and entertainment,
museums and blooming art—even a Metro
Link rail station—to Lancaster. In 2017, the
California Arts Council recognized the
BLVD (Lancaster Boulevard) among the first
14 California Cultural Districts.
In addition to the Performing Arts Center
and the Museum of Art and History, Lan-
caster has been a site for the annual POW!
WOW! The global weeklong art event, which
has bestowed murals honoring local flora
and fauna, space, pop culture and fantasy
throughout downtown, will expand into res-
idential neighborhoods this year. Other
cultural repositories include the Antelope
Valley Rural Museum, Antelope Valley Indian
Museum and Western Hotel Museum.
Still a Small-Town Appeal
Despite the increasing urban ambience, you
can still count on small-town attractions like
the Musical Road (it plays the William Tell
Overture when you drive over it), the nearby
Quail Run Ostrich Farm, and the strangely
compelling San Andreas Fault whose cracks
are exposed on Highway 14.
DESTINATION LANCASTER; MOAH