Boron ... And Not A Mule To Be Found

On Saturday we decided to go to Boron to visit the 20 Mule Team Museum. We have passed the sign on our way to Las Vegas but had never stopped. Curiosity finally got the best of us and we headed out. We stopped for breakfast in Ventura before heading for the Mojave Desert. The road takes you through the town of Mojave - home of Spaceship One. I have never investigated to see if there is a museum or something there - oh well, another roadtrip possibility. Nearby is Edwards Air Force Base. The wife had heard that the Shuttle might land there Saturday and we were considering stopping by but they ended up landing in Florida and I don't think we would have made it in time to see it land if it did. By the way, the airport in Mojave is not part of Edwards - some airlines store/maintain some of their planes here in the dry desert air.

We made in to Boron. There are two museums covering the Borax mines near Boron. The first is run by Pacific Coast Borax Company. The other is in the town of Boron. Both museums were interesting. Nothing spectacular, you see, but interesting never the less. The museum has a great view of the open pit mine - the largest in California (Thank god for that). You get a free sample of the Borax and learn about all its uses. The symbol of the company is a Twenty Mule Team like the ones originally used to haul the Borax out of Death Valley. It reminded my of my younger days when my dad was watching Death Valley Days which was sponsored by the Borax mining company. I still remember the commercial with the mules and wagons. It's weird what you remember.


The second museum is in Boron. The museum covers both the mining and the history of the town. It was a typical small town place with pictures of the homecoming queens and listing of all the championships won by the Boron Bobcats. There was also a small, but well stocked, aerospace museum next door highlighting some of the planes tested and flown out of nearby Edwards.

The wife was disappointed that, in neither museum, a mule was not to be found. Sigh.

We finished our trip off with some tasty ice cream across from the Museum and returned home. One more place checked off our list.