Pancho Barnes last home visited.

[navion91104]

Pancho Barnes had a home in Boron California at the time of her death in 1975. The home is still there and has been abandoned for a long time. The home was originally a stagecoach stop, or so the locals told me, and it really is a cute home. There is also a little museum of flight down the street displaying the typewriter Pancho wrote songs on and a crocheted hat she made.

Pictures here:

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set= ... 384&type=1

* Someone should from a 501c3 and make her last house a museum.
The “Happy Bottom Riding Club” society!

Best,

Jason

[APG85]

Apparently, the ruins of the Happy Bottom Riding Club still exist on Edwards and the base personnel have a bar-b-que there once a year in memory of the club and Pancho Barnes. A lot of history involved with her and the people she hung out with. One of these days I'll have to pick up a book about her...

[muddyboots]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pancho_Barnes

[marine air]

Back in 1997, when my dad was still on the EAA board, I went with him on a VIP tour of Edwards AFB. Specifically the Dryden research center. I had the privilege of riding into the center with NASA SR-71 pilot Ed Snider. I asked him about Pancho Barnes old place of which he was familiar.
As we rode east on that long entrance road to the main gate with the huge dry lake to the south, he said he would show me where it once had been. There was a now closed and fenced off access road that runs south and is now part of the restricted area. He said "See that grove of palms, that's where it once was." Nothing else visible as it was about 2 miles from sight and he said that was all that was left of the place. It is a mile or two off the end of one of the runways.

[APG85]

Some pictures on the net show the foundation, chimney and the remains of the swimming pool...

[maxum96]

Back in 1997, when my dad was still on the EAA board, I went with him on a VIP tour of Edwards AFB. Specifically the Dryden research center. I had the privilege of riding into the center with NASA SR-71 pilot Ed Snider. I asked him about Pancho Barnes old place of which he was familiar.
As we rode east on that long entrance road to the main gate with the huge dry lake to the south, he said he would show me where it once had been. There was a now closed and fenced off access road that runs south and is now part of the restricted area. He said "See that grove of palms, that's where it once was." Nothing else visible as it was about 2 miles from sight and he said that was all that was left of the place. It is a mile or two off the end of one of the runways.

Ed Schneider was my next door neighbor growing up in San Diego. He was a Navy test pilot and flew just about everything before retiring from the Navy and going to work for Nasa. Ed is a super talented pilot.

[ZRX61]

Some pictures on the net show the foundation, chimney and the remains of the swimming pool...

I've been to a few of the annual BBQ's. They were very popular at one time owing to the cost being $15 for tri-tip BBQ & all the alcohol you could drink (live music also). Then they changed that to BBQ & 5 drinks for $15.. & they gave you 5 tickets for the booze. The first year they did that I wasn't asked for a ticket until I'd already had about 8 beers...
Wasn't unusual a few years ago for 1500 people to show up. They had guides who would show people around the place. There's the carcass of a Jenny half buried in the dirt about 200 yards from the buildings.
The main reason it's a restricted area is because it's on land close to that used by the shooting club out at Edwards, one way to access to the place is via the parking lot of the Rod & Gun club... then a mile or 2 along dirt roads.
It's easily visible in Bing Maps etc. Another route is: Follow Willow Springs Rd (east) where it forks off Rosamond Blvd just before the main gate (Rosamond Blvd curves to the NE, if you go straight off into the dirt you'l be on Willow Springs Rd). Panchos place is about 750ft south of Willow Springs Rd just before it intersects Barnes Rd .

[ZRX61]

Link:
http://binged.it/Mq2MYr