I was last there around 10 years ago. I'm a civilian OEM employee and have since moved to a different platform. We were in a hangar on Wolfe Rd. Our bldg had a bar in the ground floor featuring, I am not making this up, a barber chair. Only took 1 happy hour to understand why the base roads had so many DUI warning signs.
Back then the train diner on the base was Thai, and not bad. There was also a cute place a few blocks south of the main road and near Sierra Hwy in (Dept of Redundancy Dept alert) a shabby part of Rosamond, that did Mediterranean meals, family style. We used to take 20 or so there every couple weeks and have a real good time until the owner got drunk and/or tired, then we'd help her clean up. Back then she was talking about moving to San Diego, so it's probably long gone. I vaguely remember a very Old West steakhouse pretty far west of Lancaster, out in no man's land. Also remember going to the Antelope Valley Fair and thinking it might someday approach a smaller, gritty, sandy version of the Bloomsburg Fair if they got money and lost the gangs.
Most importantly, a lot of nice people associated with our program and at the establishments we wandered into.
Funny stupid civilian story from my first visit to Edwards (not nearly my first visit to a military base): You know how far it is between Fwy 14 and the west gate -- and how long it feels. About 5 miles in, I remembered needing 2 forms of ID to enter the base, and my badge was in the trunk with my luggage. With no cars in sight, no way I was getting out of the car in an abandoned desert road full of shallow graves, snakes, and scorpions. Instead I continued until about 100 yards from the gate, pulled over slowly, and parked diagonally on the shoulder so the guards could see everything. I dangled my badge at arm's length from my side as I returned to the car. Sure enough, when I approached the gate, the guards pointed their guns at me, finger on the trigger. They warned me to never do that again, then directed me to the Visitor Center (which is of course INSIDE the gate) and told me to have a nice day in the most stern military way possible.
Not surprised that the Nevills are good people. Cael seems to put a premium on that. Still good to hear.