Detour #134: Anza-Borrego State Park, California, USA
Photo Stephen Leonardi / Unsplash
Larger than life metal sculptures in the middle of the desert? No, you’re not hallucinating as the southern California summer starts wearing you down on the drive through the largest park in the state.
Welcome to Anza-Borrego where elephants charging, scorpions and grasshoppers that appear ready to fight each other, dinosaurs, lizards and sheep, a glorious sea serpent the length of which spans both sides of the road that cuts right through it, and other figures appear at random with no universal theme but to evoke wonder.
Having driven in from Los Angeles and through the Temecula valley, which is dotted with vineyards and wineries lush with the hues of green the season presents, this visit to the desert is a stark contrast. I drive past the first few sculptures I chance upon but soon feel compelled to stop by, learn more about who or what was behind this display of creativity. It turns out there are more than 130 of these sculptures across the Galleta Meadows Estate, privately owned desert land purchased for conservation. The artworks were commissioned by the owner of said lands and created by metal artist Ricardo Breceda.
The town of Borrego Springs is surrounded by the state park, and is a designated international dark-sky community, in fact, the first in the state. Which basically means there are no stop lights here and nighttime lights are kept to the bare minimum.
When it gets dark I drive up to the mountains to view the dark sky awash with a starry blanket over me, and it’s one of the most brilliant sights to behold, especially if you are a city-dweller like me that barely gets a clear sky, leave alone one where stars can shine through.
Within the town itself there are but a few small establishments, mostly restaurants and other tourism-related businesses that tend to close for the season when it gets too hot or cold. The pueblo- and ranch-style architecture observed is stellar, interspersed with buildings featuring some modern lines courtesy recent constructions.
Photo Shutterstock
A handful of options exist here for accommodation should you stay longer than a day. I choose the Borrego Springs Resort and Spa because a pool to soak in those hot temps seems a good idea. For an elevated dining experience, The Fox Bistro at La Casa del Zorro Desert Resort and Spa beckons.
A drive further into the desert vista provides many avenues for sunrise and sunset views along with camping opportunities. The loose white sand though creates a few adventurous moments for our newbie group as we try manoeuvring over what seems like an overly polished dance floor. We’re terrible dancers here.
Photo James Lee / Unsplash
Despite the four-wheel drive truck rented just for the occasion, we’re somewhat ill-prepared for the driving prowess warranted. Nonetheless, a few surprise bumps, slides, and some driving sideways later, we’re met with the most wondrous sunset viewpoint where others like us have gathered for a glimpse of that orange hue turning into night.
I’m glad to have made it here while it’s still bright enough to catch a glimpse of the rugged terrain below. Years and years of nature’s ups and downs have made their mark. Here lie irregular hills and plains, what appear to be peaks and canyons carved within them by waterways that possibly once existed but have since dried up.
The San Ysidro mountains can be sighted in the distance, known to contribute to what is referred to as rain shadow – blocking coastal rain and snow clouds, affecting habitats along the way so only plants and animals that can survive with minimal moisture can live in these regions.
A million years ago, Borrego Valley was a water-rich, forest-rich landscape. Now the badlands of the state park are considered among the driest places on the planet. The coloured rock layers on the badlands cliff are witness to the changes in water depth and habitat that occurred here. From more than 600,000 acres of land to explore, this is but one little dot in the expanse.
Highlights in Borrego Springs include sighting black-tailed jackrabbits prancing around and Peninsular bighorn sheep accomplishing Mission Impossible-caliber stunts with ease. During a hike, I’m warned by a regular that if I’m too still I might find a mountain lion or two cross my path, which only has me fervently pacing back and forth, creating all the ruckus in the world to disrupt the peace of the mountains that morning. A sculpture I was certainly not.
