Palmdale is a desert city in the Antelope Valley, north of Los Angeles and separated from the basin by the San Gabriel Mountains. It is spread out, car-oriented, and not especially romantic at first glance, but it has one real claim to fame: aerospace. Military aircraft have been built, tested, and watched from here for decades.
That aerospace story is the reason to stop. Blackbird Airpark and the neighbouring Joe Davies Heritage Airpark display aircraft tied to Plant 42, Edwards, and the Skunk Works world of secretive desert aviation. The city also sits near visible desert geology, including the San Andreas Fault zone south of town.
Palmdale is best treated as a base or a specialist stop rather than a classic sightseeing city. It works if you are interested in aircraft, crossing the Mojave, heading toward Lancaster and Edwards, or using Highway 14 between Los Angeles and the high desert.