What It's REALLY Like To Live In Mojave, California?! You Won't Believe What We Found Out!

Mojave is a community in Kern County. The town is located 50 miles (80 km) east of Bakersfield, and 100 miles (161 km) north of Los Angeles and lies at an elevation of 2,762 feet (842 m). The population is 3,780 and is declining.
The town of Mojave began in 1876 as a construction camp on the Southern Pacific Railroad. Mojave has a rich aerospace history. Besides of a general-use public airport, Mojave has three main areas of activity: flight testing, space industry development, and aircraft maintenance and storage. The closest airfield to the city, formerly known as the Mojave Airport, is now part of the Mojave Air and Space Port.
Mojave has a desert climate. It has hot summers and cool winters. The median household income is $24,761. 36.2% of the population live below the poverty line. The median age in the city is about 30 years old.
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#mojave #mojavedesert #ghosttown

[@Randy.E.R]

The neighborhood being driven through at the beginning of the video is called Mojave Gardens. The street at 3:12 is Nadene street where I lived from 1965 to 1983. It was a beautiful neighborhood with manicured lawns and trees that lined both sides of the streets. Countless games of tag football were played on those streets in the 1970s. After turning 18 in 1983, I lived at a few different places in Mojave before moving away in 1996. I have a lot of good memories of living there. Many people blame Mojave's decline on the highway 58 bypass that choked off the businesses that depended on that traffic. That couldn't be further from the truth. When I was growing up in Mojave, it was a blue-collar town where everyone had a job. There was Ashland chemicals, Purdy chemicals, Texas Aluminum, Cal Portland, and nearby Borax. One by one, almost all those plants left the area taking those union jobs with them, thanks to California's high taxes and strict regulations. All those jobs kept the town going as they supported Little League, Youth Football and other organizations. The men working at the plants belonged to one of the lodges; Elks, Lions, Odd Fellows- all of which supported the towns different events. Almost every family attended church on Sunday and welcomed each other into their homes. There was always something going on at the Veterans building, a multi-use facility that people could rent to host Bingo, fundraisers, celebrations, or a town party. I may be comparing Mojave to Mayberry, but that's how I remember it. It was truly one of those towns where everyone knew everyone. Today, I know almost no one there

[@4KTravelChannel]

Great comment and memories 👍

[@beehive5835]

That's the great thing about the Democrat politicians...it always becomes more expensive in areas they control while the good paying blue collar jobs disappear.

[@NonstickMilk]

@@user-ke9yk5qp3u I welcome your reasoning as to why all those industries left in and around the same period of time. From my perspective, each and every one of those plants that employed the bulk of the community were gone within a few short years when California began tightening several regulations, and taxes seemed to keep climbing higher and higher. If there is a better explanation, I would certainly enjoy reading about it.

[@jetskeeespar7a]

@@NonstickMilkI totally agree with your assessment of Mojave I lived there in the 70’s thru the 80’s and it was the best time of my life.

[@anthonyturner1808]

Also they used to have a thing where city council would go around town once a month and pick the best manicured yards. I loved visiting my grandparents there for holidays especially Christmas and Thanksgiving. We would play in the park ect just loved it there. My grandfather owned a fuel business and he would deliver fuel all around the valley my grand mother worked at the rocket site. Mother was Miss Mojave In 1960. My family has a lot of history there it's sad to see it all go down hill. I can remember when there was even a Kmart there at one time along with a couple of bars. Heck that was all In the 70s and the 80s. Now it's like a ghost town in some respects.

[@jhardman4534]

Sounds ideal for myself. I'm retired with no family. I use to visit MOJAVE once a year while on business trips from Pennsylvania so I do have some familiarity with the town. I'm now 90 and just a bit to old for moving across country. I will just visit via my computer. Thanks much for your information. Jim Hatboro, PA

[@4KTravelChannel]

Very nice, glad you liked it! 👍

[@toxsickdog]

I believe it. I had friends that lived to the south in lake los angeles. In the mid 1970's they witnessed a UFO that was about 400 yards from their home and it was about 40 feet off the ground. They also witnessed a BIGFOOT creature in broad day light, That summer, there were many Bigfoot sightings in the antelope valley, There were newspaper articles that covered it, and people that worked at Edwards AFB had run ins with the Bigfoot. experts suggested that They migrated through the valley from Los Angeles forest to the High sierras where there have also been reports of Bigfoot.

[@Me97202]

Not ideal for retired people. The medical care available here is not great.

[@higherresolution4490]

@@toxsickdog Very interesting information! Thanks for taking the time to jot down your comments. If you go back 100's of years rather than decades, just imagine the out-of-the-ordinary phenomena (by our standards) that the Native Americans would have seen.

[@saythankyou111]

@@higherresolution4490red headed giants with mining tools their size….fax👀🇺🇸

[@chadakoin1]

For those who may be wondering , the other 25.7% of the population identifies as iguanas.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@oldgysgt]

Iguanas are tropical lizards. All you find near Mojave are Horned toads.

[@RxTx88]

There are no Iguana there

[@oldgysgt]

@@RxTx88; Iguanas like water, and there's not a lot of that in the Mojave desert.

[@seananderson5450]

But there are many reptiles living in Mojave.

[@jasonallen1532]

My dad was the first Highway Patrolman to patrol Mojave, he and the captain. The radio base station was kept in our house. Early 50s. I remember Mojave as an exciting place to watch gliders. The winds would keep them aloft forever.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Great memories! 👍

[@marktrain9498]

I flew gliders a few times out of an airfield near there. It's the thermal updrafts that keep them aloft.

[@oldmanfromoc7684]

There was a cop that would hide behind a big bush and catch speeders, someone burned that busd down! Good ol days!

[@thetruthspeaker1978]

@@oldmanfromoc7684 As a person who doesn't have fine funds I approve this message 👍

[@4KTravelChannel]

@@oldmanfromoc7684 That's so funny 👍😁

[@bocashman5788]

I grew up in this town from the time I was born until I was 13. I moved back for a bit when I was an adult and working at Scaled Composites at the airport there. Back in the late 80s and early 90s the town wasn't as bad. They had a lot more stores but they built the bypass for the 58 and businesses slowly died. There used to be a K-Mart, Del Taco, Wendys, Taco Bell and more. The place where McDonalds is now is where Taco Bell used to be.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Economic transformation

[@bocashman5788]

@4K Travel Channel . More like economic degradation. It's sad because part of me will always remember the town for what it was not what it currently is.

[@Brooklyn_Powers]

Yes the 80s and 90s were pretty good in Mojave. When they put the bypass in, it pretty much killed the town. It also had: Grazianos, Arbys, the Hamburger Stand which later was the Taco Bell, Reno's, Frenchs, which is now the Starbucks. I was upset when they tore down the old Carl's and put the new one up. At least they kept it at the same location (unlike McDs), I have a lot of memories there. Did Mario S. work at Scaled when you worked there? I used to work with him at Grazianos. It was a great place to grow up!

[@1990758]

No way are you serious there was a kmart there. I was just at mojave yesterday saturday.

[@Brooklyn_Powers]

@@1990758Yes, the big metal building to the right of Stater Bros was the Kmart. It was built around 1982 along with the rest of the "Mountain View Plaza". Kmart was there for years before finally moving to Tehachapi. Also in the Plaza was a Thrifty Drug Store which then turned into Rite Aid. Rite Aid eventually moved to Cal City. That building is now a furniture store.

[@askangel5424]

I lived and went to school in Mojave in 1982. One evening night, a flying large object with lights hovered over us. The next day it was printed on local newspaper, that some people who witness it and reported it almost suffered a cardiac after seeing the object, and my aunt was one of those. It has been the most mind-blowing experience I've ever witness. I tried finding the archives on the Mojave Library website, but cannot find anything. Someone in that town has to remember that experience. 🛸

[@4KTravelChannel]

Wow that's so crazy!

[@askangel5424]

@@4KTravelChannel yeah, and it was about 40 feet above us is what was so crazy about it

[@4KTravelChannel]

@@askangel5424 Someone should have filmed it for evidence

[@askangel5424]

@@4KTravelChannel Not sure if there was video cameras at the time, however it was a random unexpected thing. Interestingly, I found a video on KZbin of someone in Mojave that took a cell phone video of a flying object he recorded, and for what I recall it looked like the same one we in Mojave saw back then.

[@vegiwitch]

I have lived all over the antelope valley (currently living in Rosamond) and witnessed 2 separate UFOs years apart. The first one in the mid 90s was in Lancaster with some friends, around 5ish during the summer so still light out. I looked towards Palmdale (north eastish) near the mountains by the 14 freeway... I saw this object that looked like it was hovering in one place, but it wasn't all the way sold, and mostly see through... Like they had a cloaking device that was malfunctioning... You could clearly see a light going around the bottom of the craft, like if there were a row of lights all around the bottom, and as it went around, you could see where the light would disappear because it was going around the back of the craft, then come around from the other side. There were 4 of us just standing there watching it. We watched for about 15 or 20 minutes waiting for it to do something, but it didn't. Just sat there with it's lights. Anyway, all that to say I totally believe you. Edwards AFB is out here, along with Lockheed Martin. Who knows what they are making, or if we are being observed...

[@Amanda395]

I like how this town in CA is affordable. The abandonment and emptiness looks kinda sad. Thanks for giving us a video tour.

[@4KTravelChannel]

It really is! 👍

[@Eugene-pt5lu]

The abandonement.. By So Cal standards Majave is the sticks. Literally the middle of nowhere.

[@hermosafieldsforever4782]

A distinct lack of homeless encampment makes Mojave a great choice for living! It's a relatively safe place, I lived on the outskirts in little Rock and in Acton. Great hiking too. Once you get out of the towns the desert begins to reveal its secrets. Thanks for the tour of the old place. It's a great place to live. Good neighbors and police as well.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Good point, it's great for hiking! 👍

[@dinofontano4346]

What garbage company picks up the trash? Do they have someone from another city come in ?

[@josephadams7106]

Mojave, a city where the homeless can afford to pay rent!!

[@rayray4192]

Desert secrets? Looks like hell on earth.

[@marknicolich5789]

not even close to mojave but great story

[@1984xlx]

I lived in Mojave from 89 to 2005 and raised a family there. I loved the small town atmosphere. My daughter still lives there in the same house she grew up in, and is raising her family there. A lot of things have changed over the years.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@funfact8660]

I lived in Ridgecrest

[@Mantaracer]

Great little town with lot of aerospace history and culture, biggest con righ now is the illegal strip mining of Soledad mountain which is causing bad air pollution to the whole area by corporates and Kevin McCarthy!!!🤡💩💰

[@danagillam]

My wife has taught elemntary school in Mojave for 30 years. And a lot has changed, mostly due to the creation of large tracts of section 8 (income assisted housing). The school district is a bit disfuntional, and they have a hard time getting good help (from the bottom to the top). We lived in Mojave for 3 years then moved to Tehachapi.

[@1984xlx]

Yeah, sadly the school system was effected by those changes. My kids got a pretty good education there back in the day, but have since taken their kids to schools elsewhere. My daughter's kids go to school at EAFB where she works. @@danagillam

[@djm5k]

I drove through Mojave in mid July of this year (2023), and stopped at the Shell station at point 11:46 in video to fill up with gas and eat at Subway. The one thing I remember most vividly getting out of the car was being blasted with a very hot wind. When I was a kid growing up on Los Angeles, we used to drive through Mojave to go to Mammoth to ski at Christmas time. Mojave reminds me of Barstow and 29 Palms!

[@4KTravelChannel]

Good memories 👍

[@k63farm59]

Hey, I have gone through that town and filled up fuel at exact shell station for my van in the past 3 years on my way to camp and fish in Crowley Lake. I skiped this year trip because my wife and I travel abroad to Asia.

[@Jsbettaroom]

​​@@k63farm59How was your trip to Asia? I'm over by kittelman city I like to go fishing at various spots try my luck how is Crowley lake.

[@k63farm59]

@@Jsbettaroom It was too hot and humid there in June but the strip itself is nice. For the Crowley Lake, I always catch limit on Sacramento perges and a few trouts there.

[@celestrio]

Im a current mojave resident. I moved here in 2021 from LA. Ill tell you, i make a tiny salary, 40k a year. With that salary, i can afford to pay a 3 bd 2 ba home with a 7k lot size. Monthly pay is 800 a month but escrow fluctuates so it varies. 1 year it was 200 now its 600 so about 1400. Even then, i can live off with that. House is very descent too. Not glamorous but good enough to be happy. Mojave is good if you want quiet and youre tired of the city noise and traffic. The only loud noise youll hear is the train but youll get used to it. Plus youll see fighter jets as its about 15 miles away from Edwards AF base. Mojave is also close to tehachipi and palmdale so you have resources that the drive isnt bad. Plus fuel is cheaper here than in palmdale. Not ideal for 20's year old tho as thats the out and explire and on the move phase tho unless youre the one of a kind that never liked the traveling exploration.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Very good point 👍

[@lunam7249]

you forgot to add the A.C. BILL

[@celestrio]

@@lunam7249 the AC bill as in the elect bill? If so, im not concerned about it. My bill never passrs above $60. In fact, last month in September, my bill arrived saying my bill is -$35. Yes, that a negative. And i dont use solar. I got that due to the credits we qualify for ever 2 months of the year, October and March.

[@lunam7249]

@@celestrio sus!!! i lived in phoenix which is cooler than mojave and my AC was 24hr/day summer $800 month bill!!!

[@celestrio]

@@lunam7249 no sus. Being 100% honest. But as mentioned, its only the mortgage pymt. Its not including escrow as that fluctuates out of my control so rn im paying $1400 monthly. Last year my monthly pymt was $1,006 a month and the year before was $1,200. Taxes are crazy. And my AC bill is excatly as i said.

[@jiyushugi1085]

Pros: Great place for off-road motorcycle riding! Great place to keep and fly an airplane/sailplane! Great desert camping! Great for rock hounds. Clean air. Endless open spaces! Doorstep of the Sierras! I love Mojave!

[@4KTravelChannel]

Couldn't agree more! 👍

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

It is an amazing place to live.

[@drewbizdev]

Excellent video! Thank you. Driving around while you post stats is a great way for anyone to get an idea of what a city or town is like.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@jacklantern6339]

Traveling? Use Brand Gift Cards, get cash price, works 24/7 and no info to steal.

[@oldgysgt]

One of the main sources of revenue in Mojave was the Motel, Restaurant, and Service Station trade. It was where Hwy 14 and Hwy 58 met. But now Hwy 58 by-passes Mojave, and that part of Mojaves economy is about dead.

[@4KTravelChannel]

You are right

[@emilianogabriel9613]

I remember when we driving to San francisco we pass Mojave after the bypass done we dont see the Mojave anymore

[@oldgysgt]

@@emilianogabriel9613; yes, that bypass has hit Mojave pretty hard.

[@spikespa5208]

@@emilianogabriel9613 Well, if you wanted to, you still can. A local busines, (food, gas etc,) would appreciate it.

[@jeanjeudi1111]

Here in Mojave there is a beautiful girl behind every tree. But there are no trees.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@popeye5274]

😂

[@ms.annthrope415]

Just toothless, haggard looking women who has a lot of mileage. But they can take a punch and come back wirh a left hook. Can't knock out any teeth as they're already toothless. Can drink you under the table with a bottle of Wild Turkey. And can pee standing up. And proud to demonstrate that. Some guys like that.

[@jeanjeudi1111]

😂@@ms.annthrope415

[@immaterialimmaterial5195]

I love the view of the distant mountains and the wide open sky full of light. It's definitely got an atmosphere. Artists would love this quality of light. It's got a lot of potential and positives. Thanks for the interesting film!

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad you liked it 👍

[@stevehollis9121]

Full of chemtrails

[@immaterialimmaterial5195]

Yawn!!! @@stevehollis9121

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

Some of the most beautiful sunsets in the world are here. You can see the positive or negative in a location. It just depends on what type of person is viewing it.

[@Robnord1]

I was born just a few miles down the road, at Edwards AFB. I stopped there in 2017 and told the wanna be female gate guard it was where I was born and she tried to tell me I was mistaken because there was not even a hospital. There was in 1954.

[@barrycuda3769]

I would have thought that you know where you were born ' it would be a strange thing to lie about. My guess is it was a much better place in the 50's ' 60's and 70's ?

[@Mike-01234]

Most service men and woman are 18-24 they wouldn't know what changes were made since they got there. What type of person should be talking to people who come to the gate? She is doing the job she was trained to do not trained on the history of the base.

[@4KTravelChannel]

That's awesome! 👍

[@Brooklyn_Powers]

I believe there was a hospital on "K" street in Mojave, a long time ago...

[@1990758]

Lol

[@Mike-01234]

Checked Zillow cheapest home that looks livable start at 225k and go up. Nicer 1950's home over 1500 SQ feet is around $350k. Even if towns that are declining in California still higher priced then most states. Only thing I could find on Zillow under 200k were mobile homes and one SFH didn't look livable. Highest price home was $650k 2280 SQ foot home on 19 acres.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Awesome info 👍 Thanks!

[@marleyg2850]

Zillow is overpriced. I have 2 acres here that we transformed into a beautiful paradise. The climate has changed and Spaceforce & Aerospace have alot of people moving in but they don't move to the cluttered neighborhoods with those prices when you can get better property through a personal realtor or the actual buyer.

[@marleyg2850]

* My neighbor has 28 acres . The properties we bought were through word of mouth / realtor. Not websites.

[@bigbaddms]

exactly. Nowhere near $118k. Try 2-4x that price.

[@Mike-01234]

@@marleyg2850You realize that when you hire a realtor and list a property in MLS is how it gets published on Zillow. Zillow just pulling from MLS and publishing they don't list your property for you.

[@msvaj]

I like your channel. It gives good information about cities and towns I've not been to.Gave you a thumbs up.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Awesome, thanks 👍

[@bcatblues725]

I haven’t been to Mojave in years. I love the way you put this together with the facts and just driving around. New subscriber

[@4KTravelChannel]

Awesome! Thank you!

[@rudynaranjosr]

as a trucker i remember the police will pull over truckers going over one mile the speed limit. 500 dollar fine. people were happy when the by-pass was being build. to kept 18 wheelers traffic away. not knowing cars would take the by-pass. too now Tehachapi now have business truck stops eateries. pus many more

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@edwardglamuzina3421]

Mojave has always been a fuel and breakfast stop,real breakfast not fast food. As a kid I remember the heavy train traffic and the roundhouse. Yes Mojave had a real old school roundhouse for switching locomotives on the west side of town. I think it was in the late 1950's early 1960's when they stopped using it and slowly dismantled it a few years later. That was sad because it might have been one of the only roundhouse still in use. Before freeways were built the drive from the San Fernando valley to the Owens valley was small roads one lane each way. No freeways built yet. We would leave hours before sunrise and by the time we got to Mojave we were very hungry and vehicles needed fuel. Back then there was a lot of restaurants with good food in the town. This is before fast food restaurants. The town took care of travelers, truckers and railroad personal. So I've seen the town change quite a bit over the years and Mojave will always have a place in my heart.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@toomanyjstoomanyrs1705]

Nostalgia hits hard when you see your town change for the better or the other way.

[@tompitchford1865]

Travel through Mojave on my way to Tahoe, 395, and also raced at Pearsonville racetrack back in the 80's. Thank You for the memories.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Awesome! 👍

[@jeremyhorne5252]

Good sampling of town. I subscribed.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Welcome! 👍

[@PlasmaCoolantLeak]

Holy Cow, I'm writing a book where part of the action is taking place in Mojave, and never having been there, this fits with the mental picture I had of the town. Thanks for this.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad it was useful for you! 👍

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

You should come here, you may find more than you expected to.

[@aarone.5179]

Yeah, you really ought to go and spend some time there. And not just the town center but the outskirts and the surrounding desert areas. Completely different vibes from all three within a small distance.

[@Havadale]

I delivered bottled water in Mojave from the late 70s to the early 2000s. Met a lot of really good people that lived there. Many had spent their entire lives there. Thank you for the video! Sure brought back memories!

[@4KTravelChannel]

Very cool! 👍

[@RogerTecumseh]

Very good concept; honest, clear and informative! It gives me the feeling of being there for a short moment. 👍

[@4KTravelChannel]

Great to hear!

[@nancysimpson4246]

Thank you for this video ❤

[@4KTravelChannel]

You are so welcome!

[@mechanicat23]

I lived in that area while in the Air Force. I now hate the desert with a passion. Antelope Valley Wind Festival: January 1st to December 31st

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@pawfan]

Nice history capture. Mojave only gets more active when aerospace and equivilent is active. After the support activities go away, the town goes back to its default position as a small...broke...town along the 14/58 juction route.

[@4KTravelChannel]

That's right

[@user-fx1bz4jc9c]

Just a wonderful video all about Mojave, california ❤

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@Ro6entX]

I’ve passed through it many times but lot of the footage shown is quite new to me. I live in Bakersfield but remember working with security place that has few accounts (posts)located there, one which I was originally going to be assigned to but at the time, reliable transportation was issue so couldn’t really drive back and forth. Probably could have moved there since I didn’t have any kids at the time had I taken the job. Glad I didn’t because the company lost contract with that post several months later.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@tripbreaker]

It’s actually a great place to see the Milky Way during the summer. Great dark sky area, they should promote it as such.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

The light pollution is encroaching on the star gazing. However it is still amazinging clear skies up here for star gazing and probably still one of the best local so. SOcal spots to star gaze.

[@stevenelson3515]

Anyone driving for the SF Bay Area to Vegas knows about Mojave, but few have actually been there. The 58 bypass has pretty much killed what little the town had. Tehachapi and Barstow are bigger towns with more services (and Tehachapi boasts a killer German bakery). About the only thing most people see now is the airplane storage yard.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@histubeness]

Great video, but would have benefited from a wind sock, or equivalent on the microphone. Also, I'm curious as to why there was an edit at 7:34? --Only amounted to about a one second jump forward.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@bysaaa3048]

Good video!

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@djjamar]

I live near mojave very much off the grid and away. 20 miles to walmarts or costco. Basically a railroad highway junction for eastern california.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@SWExplore]

I've only passed through Mojave on my way to Randsburg and then up the 395. While in Mojave, I stopped in for some lunch at Denny's. I have to say that the area looked a little bleak and even depressed. Not much really going on except for lots of semi trailers fueling up and heading out. A dwindling population of 3,780 say something about how things are going in Mojave.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

That's exactly what the tech industry and military industrial complex want you to think about this area. There's a lot of going on behind the scenes.

[@Chatsworth1979]

Love your high desert California vids! Do you have one for Tehachapi? +1

[@terryjackson984]

My grandparents lived in Mojave in the early 70's, my family lived in California City and Cache Creek. I really appreciated this video..... didn't recognize a thing beyond that first intersection and the airport. Thank you for the drive thru!

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad you enjoyed it! 👍

[@stevec5576]

All low end living , the worst !

[@uncleronny6748]

Back in the day I used to ride my bike through there enough times to figure out that it was always windy af. Wasn't surprised to see it in your cons.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@titaniumterri9233]

Streets look clean and well maintained; better than L.A. I pass through there on way to the Sierras.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@chewey3rd]

I ran a 21km half marathon in the mohave desert back in 2016. There was only 100 participants but the event organizers were very nice. It felt surreal running in the desert for 1 hour and 50 minutes. I definitely wouldn't want to live in this community but it was a great experience.

[@Cancelthis1541]

I had a great aunt and uncle that owned a beautiful resort and casino in White Sulphur Springs West Virginia back in the 50's. They competed a little with the Mafia. One day a large fire burned the place to the ground and aunt and uncle packed up and moved to Mojave back IN THE 50's! Talk about wanting to disappear. I remember going to Easter Sunrise Service when I was about 10 to Red Rock Canyon. We drove east along Hwy 14 and there was friggin snow on the foothills on the north side, the beginning of the Sierra Nevadas. It was cold!

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@antoniox2040]

I always bypass this depressing little town on my way to Lake Tahoe from Pasadena. If you continue on the 395 highway north, you will encounter some of the most beautiful and diverse natural scenery.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@michaelburbank2276]

your opinion I'm sure not mine

[@vhg7]

The #1 con for living in Mojave is the climate, especially the summer months. A casino or an outlet mall could bring more visitors to this city. For those who love nature and the outdoors, it's quite beautiful and tranquil to go hiking during the winter months when the weather is much cooler. Green energy industry (wind & solar) could thrive in this city.

[@4KTravelChannel]

That’s right 👍

[@prescribedburn]

I've passed through and stayed overnight a couple of times. Most of your cons were positives for me but the biggest con for me is lack of good restaurants. There are a couple of local places that are ok, are at least last time I was there. But you can head up the road and eat in Rosamond or Lancaster. Also worth noting a lot of night time train noise if you stay at a motel by the highway, so I'd expect you can hear it in the neighborhoods nearby.

[@4KTravelChannel]

You are right about that 👍

[@okanaganrider4332]

I worked at the airport test area for a month. It was a great experience. Lots of interesting things going on there. All the trees around Mojave are leaning in the same direction from the constant wind. I was walking past a gas station and heard a large bang and thought a tire has exploded. But it was a sonic boom from a military plane. It’s worth a visit.

[@loneranger8343]

It's got that 90's movie vibe. I like the desert mixed with blue sky. Just found out your channel. You have sub! Greetings from southeast Europe! ✌️

[@4KTravelChannel]

Awesome!

[@bocashman5788]

There is a movie called Warlock from the late 80s or early 90s I believe that had a scene filmed in Mojave. There was a small playground outside a mobile home park. There's a scene where a kid is on a swing. That scene was filmed there.

[@loneranger8343]

@@bocashman5788 thanx man ✌️. Yeah, I checked that movie scene you're talking about. Well it's good to know for that specific location.. a bunch of good movies are filmed in Mojave or at least some parts of them.. But now you've made me nostalgic, bring me back to VHS era when I was a kid and my brother would watch movies every day and I think that my love for movies I got from him. I like to watch movies very much but they don't make good movies in Hollywood anymore if you ask me so I'm glad when someone likes to watch or remembering the older movies like this Warlock.. Anyway I see you play guitar, why you stopped make YT videos?

[@bocashman5788]

@Lone Ranger . I still play but am just busy with work and life. Plus I joined a real band, so having the time for other songs outside of our own is slim to none!

[@loneranger8343]

@@bocashman5788 I see. Well I wish you luck with the band to make a good music and have fun while doing it! ✌️

[@kenpyle1716]

Just left Mojave after 8 years there. Town's so dead even the mortuary is boarded up.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Wise decision 👍

[@kevincordell9539]

When I was a teenager in the late 60’s early 70’s, I would go with my dad motorcycle riding around Red Rock Canyon, Jawbone Canyon and Dove Springs. We passed through Mojave and would many times stop for breakfast at a cafe on the entrance to town from the south. I don’t remember if we got gas there or not. I know on the way back we stopped in Palmdale for dinner and we might have gassed up there for the drive back to Covina.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Good memories 👍

[@drgruber57]

I've been through it a number of times, beginning in the 70s as a teen. A buddy and myself would take our Easter break camping up on the Kern River. Now, I occasionally will go to a spot outside of town with a friend to hit things with our pew-pews. ;-) Interesting to see "the other side of the tracks". In this case it looks like newer housing. Being a musician, there's no way I could survive there, plus I hate the summer heat in the desert! But these small towns have a certain appeal, no doubt. I also enjoyed reading a few of the comments from folk who have lived there, plus some more history of the industry there. Last story: One of the times my buddy and I were up there, we saw an experimental aircraft flying overhead. It had two fuselages. Pretty interesting. Hmmm? I wonder which one holds the pilot?

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

That plane is part of the Virgin (Richard Branson's) space program.

[@Kat-fq4ei]

Was Mohave a Mexican town back in the 70s. Are there still indigenous California Mohave tribes in villages.

[@josephbingham1255]

Thanks for the tour. 3:46 The white curved building I believe is a WW2 USMC building from when it was a training base. It had the concrete "triangle" outside supports as I recall. 3:55 To the right is Mojave Elementary. I walked on their playground once many years ago. Sadly the children's playground is still dirt. See Google Satellite. 43% Hispanic. 22% Black. 28% White.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Thank you for the info 👍

[@oldgysgt]

As I remember, the Marine Corps trained F4U Corsair pilots here.

[@1990758]

Lol I stopped there at the gas station. Mcdonald's. And jack in a box. On my way north highway three ninety five. I've never seen any black people. Not working at the gas stations not at the restaurants. I was just there yesterday saturday stopped at that mcdonald's. Then went to the shell gas station.

[@josephbingham1255]

@@1990758 Folks just passing through miss the flavor of many a town :)

[@oldgysgt]

@@1990758; how is it you drove through Mojave while traveling north on Hwy 395? Hwy 395 is about 35 miles east of the city of Mojave. The north-south highway that goes through the city of Mojave is Hwy 14, not Hwy 395. It sounds to me you were at Kramer Junction, not the city of Mojave. Also, what is the significance of you not seeing a Black employee at the gas station you used, and and the McDonald's you eat at? I just picked up a new rubber stamp I ordered from my local Stamp store, and I didn't see a Black person behind the counter. Should have I refused to pay for the stamp until they could show me a Black employee?

[@markdudum-ji9mx]

WELL I THINK LIVING IN MOJAVE IS THE BEST IF THE HOT SUMMER DAYS YOU CAN ADJUST TOO. AS A PRIVATE PILOT I FLEW DOWN FROM THE SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA FOR A FEW DAYS IN THE SUMMER AND HAD A GOOD TIME. GOOD INFORMATIONAL VIDEO.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Very true 👍

[@davidgrisez]

I have driven through Mojave California many times. When I make trips from my home in the San Fernando Valley to Mammoth Lakes or Death Valley National Park the town of Mojave is often a place where I stop for lunch.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@roncenti]

Nice. Good information. I guess this will be my future backup city. I was in this situation twice that I had lost a job and that immediately made rents in LA unaffordable. So I moved myself and my partner into an airbnb for once 2 and the other time 4 month. It was every time $1500/month which was almost half my normal rent. But it got too expensive now. If I ever need to do that again (lets hope not) I will pick Mojave. It's close enough to drive to interviews in LA and stay there for cheap.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Sorry to hear that, and best of luck amigo!

[@kevinquinn3763]

Good luck in the job market. I'm rooting for you.

[@roncenti]

@@kevinquinn3763 😂. Thanks. For some reason people misunderstand me. If I ever loose a job again then this is a good solution. I am fine right now. I was just telling a story that I had to do this twice and go somewhere cheap to last longer until a job was found. I always did. But would not have survived if I had stayed in a $2200/month apartment. But thanks. 🙏 appreciate it.

[@kevinquinn3763]

I might have misunderstood you. I stand corrected. I get a huge pit in my stomach when I hear about anybody looking for work. I first met Mohave back in about 1962. I was young back then(I am 75 now)My cousin and I took a bus trip to northern Calif to visit our grandparents. We we got Mohave I was so excited and told myself that I would love to spend time there. It was like a movie. Some gift shops and some rattlesnakes in cages. We stopped for dinner at about. 11PM. The place just did something to that I can't understand. The last time I hit Mohave was 7 years ago. I live here in Oregon now. Couldn't buy a house with my job at the US Forest service. We bought a house up here and I must say that if it wasn't for that I would probably go to the desert. What are you doing now? Thanks for your reply. Kevin

[@kevinquinn3763]

I hope your doing fine. your a survivor.. good post.@@roncenti

[@johnnieblackburn3182]

Wow!! Look at those chem-yrailed skies. Yep. Looks like the same California I left 3 years ago. It's not really 100 miles north of Los Angeles county. The city of Lancaster is in the Los Angeles County, and that's not 30 minutes away.

[@4KTravelChannel]

You are right 👍

[@spikespa5208]

Mojave to LA county line, 16 mi. To Lancaster, 24 mi.

[@AndrewsGamingChannel9]

Mojave is a great place for opportunities… quiet with ability of relaxation after a long days of work… never run out of power due to nearby solar and wind turbines… open areas for commercial, residential, and industrial…. Beautiful parks and ease of access to mammoth, mountain high, and big bear. Las Vegas seems closer when having the urge to gamble….

[@4KTravelChannel]

Very true! 👍

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

And more, just depends on what floats your boat.

[@gjoseph1628]

The things you say in the text captions are very interesting. Mojave will appeal to some people!

[@4KTravelChannel]

That's good 👍

[@ashley192277]

When I was younger, my family & I used to travel from Los Angeles to Bishop for vacation. We always stop for lunch in Mojave at Primo's Burgers on the way up, and always stop for dinner at Graziano's pizza on the way home. Both great places.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@remylopez4821]

At 7:04 you can see the Mojave Camera put up by the Tehachapi railroad cameras

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@spikespa5208]

On Gardner Realty building. John Gardner was my first band teacher.

[@BriteLake]

Mojave is farther than 50 miles from Bakersfield. I live in Tehachapi which is between Bakersfield and Mojave. Tehachapi is over 50 miles east of Bakersfield and about 30 miles west of Mojave which makes Mojave about 80 miles from Bakersfield. Mojave is a poor community, but has a criminal and civil courthouse and Edwards Air Force Base. Its main grocery store is a Stater Bros which I cannot understand why it's there and not in nearby upscale Tehachapi. That requires me and many other shoppers here in T-town to travel to Mojave to shop at Stater Bros. My handyman lives in a fifth wheel in a RV camper site and drives to T-town for work. He said there are many camper sites in and around Mojave of people down on their luck. Quite depressing.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@spikespa5208]

62 mi from Mojave to downtown Bakersfield, 21 to Tehachapi. (Google Maps). And lived in M for 12 years.

[@markbass9402]

Mojave rocks! I lived there in the 80s. I loved it. I still have thoughts of returning there now in retirement.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Not a bad idea 👍

[@donpaynter1980]

It rocks so good, you graduated high school, and got a one way ticket Out of there 40 years ago. And still haven’t returned.

[@ronspears-tm8js]

I’m from Los Angeles California but own property in Texas as well. My wife and I lived in Goodrich Texas for 5 years. The population there was only 171 people before we moved there. We loved it there and our house and property was amazing! There was a beautiful lake and park but that was about it. On the other hand you could drive 45-50 minutes and be in Houston or Conroe or Huntsville. We moved back to Los Angeles last year because of a death in the family. I miss the peaceful living, the great fishing, the four wheeling and the almost 11:46 zero crime rate..

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@kittycat6195]

Don’t worry. Californians swarming to get out of Woke California will turn Texas towns into city after city and California will be peaceful. But, the that will take Bout two lifetimes

[@rogerwalker3201]

Living there is like the first step before reaching hell.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Probably

[@afisemenaborevlaka48]

AC/DC Highway To Hell?

[@dennismaloney7241]

I used to pass by Mojave on the way to Palo Alto, CA, for work. I love Tehachapi up in the mountains above. The mountain scenery is magnificent, especially the trains. It looks like a model railroad--as far as Mojave goes, I'm not a fan.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Very cool!

[@boerplaas388]

Love it 👍

[@4KTravelChannel]

Thanks 😁

[@lawtonbowers7780]

Moved there for a year from Florida in 2015-2016 to work at Scaled Composites. I actually miss it. Friendly ppl, cheap living, decent weather (compared to FL). The desert did get old though and I went back to FL. I wouldn’t be opposed to coming back to Mojave agin for work for a year or two again.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@JamesMcGillis]

I travel through Mojave from L.A. 5-10 times each year. Never use a credit card at an unattended gas station. You will get skimmed. I lost over $100 at a faulty gas pump at Shell. I only stop at Chevron now. Lock your doors and be alert. Otherwise, I have no problem with Mojave or its people.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@paulroot27]

I'm a 2nd generation resident my kids are the 3rd, we love our town everyone know everyone and bullshit is not tolerated, Its a small town the way we like it. Nothing makes me happier than when i see people talking shit about living here, please don't we dont need anymore morons moving here. That is all!!

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@danielfox3003]

I lived in the so cal desert in the late 80’s to right about 1990 and visited many times since. It has a strange beauty to it and amazing sunsets. Don’t get me wrong, overall, it suck’s major ass. Growing up in Oregon, it’s a hard adjustment to make, there’s no rivers, lakes, trees and at that time the weed was shitty, if you could find good weed it was like 50-60$ an eighth. I hated it for the most part but it’s where my pops was living so I had my 2nd family there. The blazing summers with no lake or river close by is probably what did me in, I was glad to be back to Oregon, even with all the rain.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@arnoldibay5929]

driving in from l.a., my friends and i would meet at this mcdonald's for breakfast (5:50) before making our way to jawbone canyon. may 3, 2023

[@4KTravelChannel]

Lucky you! Enjoy! 👍

[@1990758]

Same on the way to lone pine or red Rock canyon

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

The up side of living in Mojave: small town, quiet, little crime, lots of space. The down side of living in Mojave: you live in Mojave.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@IronHorsefan1869]

There's Nothing wrong with living in a desert!

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

@@IronHorsefan1869 Mojave is a town.

[@IronHorsefan1869]

@@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394 it’s also a Desert!

[@reidflemingworldstoughestm1394]

@@IronHorsefan1869 Not in this comment it isn't. You can tell because Mojave is referred to simply as 'Mojave', and not 'the Mohave', or 'the Mohave Desert', or 'the desert'. Also, the subject of the video is the town.

[@briana.1878]

Looks like the aerospace industry doesn't employ many of the townfolk? Im now a Sub. Cool channel👍

[@4KTravelChannel]

Glad you liked it 👍 Most of town folks are unemployed and moved on to find better opportunities

[@adriannaocegueradonahue4540]

Most people work out of town, at the airport, or at the school. I grew up there, and my family still lives there. All of my family members commute for work. Especially after they closed down the post office, it was a main hub for central California until the early 2000s. I have a lot of family member who worked there and now work in Valencia, where they moved the hub to.

[@AZGT350]

California has an amazing history. I love wheeling the areas around Desert Center and Eagle Mountain. Lots of cool stuff around that part of the state. Also check out the area from Coachella Valley south to I-8.

[@4KTravelChannel]

For sure! 👍

[@AJP2565]

I just bought a home down in Desert Hot Springs with my sister. I’m looking forward to exploring the area down there.

[@4KTravelChannel]

@@AJP2565 Lucky you! 👍

[@StationRussification]

There R 22 towns in the Antelope Valley, Sierra Hwy used to be the only road that connected the San Fernando Valley to it. Palmdale is the 1st town U enter when U get to the Antelope Valley floor, Lancaster, Rosamond then Mojave R ea. 11 miles apart traveling North. In 1972 the 14 freeway was completed to Mojave & since then the town has become a junction for Motorists.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@spikespa5208]

As long as CA doesn't build a Hwy 14 bypass...... . At least folks coming out of LA going to the Sierra east side still stop about two hrs. out of the city.

[@waynewisecarver]

Must be a misprint . I think the title was supposed to be: What's it like to drive around in Mojave towns.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@67daltonknox]

I pass through a couple of times a month and stop at McDonalds for coffee. There are often deadbeats hanging round the parking lot. The staff seems to change every time I visit. The other day they had no coffee. The 14 is sometimes closed because of high winds. One time, about a dozen years ago, it was closed north of town... because of snow.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@Paul.Douglas]

I used to drive through Mojave on the way to Palmdale. I figured the town would pretty much die out when the put in the Hwy 58 bypass. I used to stop in at Dagg's Donuts every once in a while.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@speedtek808]

My grandparents lived on Inyo st. They ran the Elite Motel. The building is still there behind Wendy’s! My grandfather was the Postmaster. He built the post office next to the hotel. Today the post office moved down the street.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Great memories 👍☀️

[@spikespa5208]

Trivia: Emmy Lou Harris used the front steps of the Elite for the cover of her album "Elite Hotel". 1975

[@kenpyle1716]

No Wendy's in Mojave

[@Mr7352]

Looks like a place nice to live to get away from the big city madness. Buy a dirtbike and a off road vehicle do some desert exploration, Camping , Might be fun.

[@4KTravelChannel]

That's a great idea 😁

[@spikespa5208]

Discovering the desert is what saved my sanity when the family moved there in the mid sixties when I was in elem. school. Town was still recovering from the closure of the USMC base. Left in '75, been back (usually just through) maybe a total of 10 times since.

[@JamesMcGillis]

Very hot. Very windy.

[@maxhatty]

You should check out Doyle CA. Mojave is absolutely booming in comparison. Lived there on 10 acres for about 4 months with 2 dogs. You can stop and check out EVERY place in Doyle in under 30 minutes. That includes the self serve laundromat. Wanna talk wind? I was used to 30+ mph daily.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@jameswatt4694]

Passed through a couple years ago and couldn't find anything I recognized. We used to stop at a bar almost 30 years ago called The Cockpit that had an aircraft theme and seating from old planes on our way back from riding bikes on the slickrock in Moab, Utah.The bar (probably where the Starbucks is in this video) was on its last legs then, but offered a glimpse into the aerospace past of Mojave. I hit the liquor store for beer and ice and moved on....... "You Won't Believe What We Found Out!" (?)

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@lencrites7044]

Mojave just might be a city of the future with new concepts of infrastructure, solar, electric automobiles, etc. give it 50 years to be a growing city.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@spikespa5208]

Water is a bit of an issue. LA won't let anyone use some from their aquaducts , 4 mi west of town.

[@READTHEPHOENIXJOURNALS]

@@spikespa5208 No water issues here with a well. Largest aquifer in the state beneath our feet. That's why the military is here.

[@robertjones2820]

Mojave was a busy town until the freeway was built that bypassed Mojave. With so much less traffic a lot of businesses had to close. The new freeway that bypassed Mojave was needed though because of the horrendous traffic that flowed through the town in the daytime.

[@4KTravelChannel]

It happened to 100s of small desert towns

[@gjoseph1628]

The comment resembles like, "you win some, and you lose some".

[@patparmley5044]

❤ Mojave was the first place I ever saw in California. I married a Marine ,and lived with his mom after we got married in 1965. He was at Camp Pendleton during week n home on weekends. I loved living there. Sweet memories.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@robertmartinez4174]

those trains blowing their horns is such a lonesome sound. even here in a big city.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@kevinquinn3763]

Does anybody know why Mohave died out and Landcaster just a few miles away is THRIVING. It used to be a a single trip in and out . We use to race dirt bikes around that area back in the early 70's. I was raised in Redondo Beach but moved to Oregon in 1978. I do really miss the desert.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@defuller1]

I think Mojave took a huge economic hit when the 58 bypass was completed. Now thousands of people are driving past it every hour instead of driving through the commercial district.

[@_mycroftxxxadamselene922]

Lancaster is at the extreme edge of commuting to L.A. for work.

[@georgeb1364]

Lancaster was a larger town than Mojave before the highway bypassed both so it had a better leg up at surviving. Two other key factors, employment in Lancaster is better due to Lockheed Aircraft and other employers having a facilites there but the largest factor is it is within commuting distance to the Los Angeles basin so many people relocated due to much lower housing costs but could still have a good paying job but with a longer commute.

[@suzannedippner450]

Freeway bypass. Many towns ruined that way. I love drived through there. Just a minor sidetrip.

[@kammerjohn9553]

Got some friends out here. If you don't mind the commute to Lancaster/Palmdale, you can actually save some money out here. Huge difference in cost of living.

[@4KTravelChannel]

That's true 👍

[@rickydeanlovett]

Pass through there to visit the Indian Wells Brewing Co. every few month; alway windy 😮

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@murrayparr3244]

You forgot to mention the heat as one the city's Cons.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Yes it is...

[@mistervacation23]

A lot of holes in the desert, and a lot of problems are buried in those holes. But you gotta do it right. I mean, you gotta have the hole already dug before you show up with a package in the trunk. Otherwise, you're talking about a half-hour to forty-five minutes worth of digging.

[@4KTravelChannel]

I think you are right 👍

[@josephtaylor-kennedy1420]

😂casino

[@mistervacation23]

@@josephtaylor-kennedy1420 you got it

[@josephtaylor-kennedy1420]

@@mistervacation23 one of my favorite movies

[@mistervacation23]

@@josephtaylor-kennedy1420 mine too

[@jerrymartin3965]

The death of this town was Hwy. 58 bypassing it. As a truck driver, I used to pass through the town and often lodged there and ate there, that's gone now. Fifty years ago, my family would pass through there every summer on our way to go east to see our extended family in Texas. Good memories.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Great memories 👍

[@jerrymartin3965]

@@user-ke9yk5qp3u has nothing yo do with guessing. I watched it happen. People like you just have to be argumentative. Take it somewhere else.

[@user-ke9yk5qp3u]

@@jerrymartin3965 sorry about that, my bad.

[@HansCSchellenberg]

Always wondered, driven through Mojave many times on the way to/from Las Vegas.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@JPUp2]

Went to Mojave HIGH early 90's wasn't that bad love the desert

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@tabuilder]

I like Mojave, except it's too cold and windy from November thru March.

[@4KTravelChannel]

You are 100% right about that

[@1990758]

Some time

[@spikespa5208]

Windy most of the time.

[@michaelhinson424]

I drove thru Mojave years ago before the new 58 bypass. You had to drive thru downtown Mojave and we stopped to eat at the Denny’s.

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@NHZ_x4]

I love passing through Mojave going east or south bound sunrise is bad ass

[@4KTravelChannel]

👍

[@sheepdawg6946]

I got a job with Caltrans, right out of college. I built the four lane south of Red Rock Canyon as a civil engineer. My future wife once asked me why I did not get married until I was in my mid thrities. It was because I spent most of my twenties in Mojave. LOL.

[@4KTravelChannel]

Awesome 👍

[@DiggingRob]

No Night Life have something to do with that….lol

[@joesimons7387]

Doesn't sound bad if you are retired and older. If it has about the same spending power as Mexico, I would take Mavhove, but the wind might get annoying after a while

[@4KTravelChannel]

Wind and train noise

[@joesimons7387]

@@4KTravelChannel You are right but I lived years in Flagstaff Az. And I got used to the train noise to a point I never heard it but the wind there blew constantly and it really got old.