Holeshot,
1st, I think you may be slightly delusional to say that Ridgecrest is a 'nice little town'. It's truly a dump, no doubt about it. This time of year your eyeballs may very well catch on fire right inside of your head. You may be attacked by Black Widows and Kangaroo Rats, no kidding. And yes, that is a real animal. If its anytime between Jan 1st and Dec 31st, it will be windy and dusty. Unless you consider Mc Donalds and Taco Bell good food, there is nowhere to eat, except the Cottage Cafe for breakfast on China Lake Blvd. Most of the law enforcement types are bored, so drive the speed limit or you'll get a ticket from a guy who looks like a pissed off drill sergeant. And don't mind the smoke and loud explosions off in the nearby mountains, it is just the navy testing their newest and greatest smart bombs and missiles, they usually don't hit any homes or highways. And whatever you do, stay on the main roads. If you wander to far off you may run into some whacky meth lab operators who don't take to kindly to strangers.
2nd: Don't forget to actually stop at the Kennedy Meadows General Store. They have great Jerky, just ask Gospudracer.