The city gets a lot of ribbing, mainly because it is now a military town, but it is really quite a nice place.  Near the area is Rainbow Basin,a federally protected area that shows many unusual geologic features; Calico Ghost Town, an actual mining town that was used in the early part of the 20th century and is now a popular tourist attraction; Solar 1, an experimental renewable energy project that harnessed the suns rays reflected onto strategically placed mirrors that produced enough focused heat to pilot an electric generator; and several government installations. Also near by is Ft Erwin, a tracking station for military satellites. It is also close to Edward's Air Force Base, the original home of the space shuttle.

On rare occasions you can see the space shuttle land at Edward's AFB. There is lots of mining that takes palce near Barstow. The Borax mine, produces most of the borax that is used as an additive in clothing detergent. This is a great place to launch your trip to the Mojave Desert.