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Pro
wildflowers
Con
Need a 4 x 4 to fully explore the region
In a nutshell
If you want to get away for less, here's the place.
Visit During Wildflower Season
Echo_29 Says: Look at our travelogue for wildflower examples. It is worth a trip out to Anza Borrego to see the park covered in colorful flowers. The season depends on rain and weather conditions. If favorable, flowers can start blooming in late January through late March.A good link to...
DesertDarlene Says: During the weekends in the cooler part of the year, there are campfire talks at the Borrego Palm Canyon Campground. They usually start at 8pm on Saturday. But, check with the visitor's center for exact times that they start. They usually run from about October to April or...
Yubert Says: This is where the Kumeyaay Indian's used to grind tyhe maze to make corn meal, as Ognini is demonstrating.
Echo_29 Says: From Borrego Springs and the park headquarters, The San Ysidro Mountains loom up from Borrego Valley to the west. Dramatic shadows play across its surfaces in the evening light.
Echo_29 Says: The sunsets are rich in color and so are the sunrises. Different mountains light up with orange and pink light to the west.
Helpfulness
Del Taco was a new aquaintance for me, a chain of mexican fast food based on the Mac Donalds principles of serving. We had been driving through the South Californian desert, the sun was getting low, we were hungry and thirsty so I guessed everything would have tasted good at that moment. Unfortunately for us a bunch of school kids, apparently a band that had won some kind of a prize in a competition, stopped to eat there too, which made the line very long. But they did not have time to eat there, so as soon as they had all got their food, they took off and left us in relative silence.
The food WAS good, and cheap, too.
Favorite Dish: * more to come *
Updated Dec 14, 2006
Address: Mecca
If sitting around a campfire isn't your idea of an exciting Saturday night, drive into Borrego Springs and drop into Carlee's for some good food, ice cold beer or a cocktail and sit back to for some excellent people watching. The local retired regulars have no shyness for getting up and singing classic songs to the crowd. Look for the ubiquitous Dusty, a retired lawyer, sitting at the bar with an unlit cigar between his fingers at all times. He does a mean Elvis Karaoke! We have also witnessed a group of retiree ladies shamelessly flirting with a young, handsome tourist sitting with his girlfriend at the bar. They actually made him blush!
Dress Code: Desert hiking-utility casual for the tourists. The locals are dressed in golf shirts with pressed khakis for the men and pearls and bright floral prints for the women.
Updated Feb 11, 2005
Address: 660 Palm Canyon Drive, Borrego Springs, CA 92004
Phone: (760) 767-3262
DesertDarlene Says: This town has a bus stop, but virtually no bus service. You almost certainly have to travel here by private car or plane (unless you're a hardy one that can ride your bike or horse here). There is a car rental place, last time I checked, and you can probably order a cab at...
4 Wheel Drive Recommended, but not Required.
DesertDarlene Says: A 4 wheel drive vehicle would be your best way to get around the park if you do not plan to hike, ride a bike, or go on horseback. However, a passenger car can be used to get around to certain areas of the park. But, you will actually miss out of some interesting features of...
Echo_29 Says: Coyote Canyon is accessible in a car if you take it slowly on the graded dirt road. There are three water crossings through Coyote Creek that can hamper making it more than 4 miles up the canyon. Many cars can make the first shallow water crossing and then there is a parking...
Echo_29 Says: When you drive up Coyote Canyon take care in checking out how deep the final water crossing is. It varies during the year. A 4 x 4 vehicle can get through but can stall out when the water is at higher levels.
ranger49 Says: It was the only store around for miles but supplies were low when we called there - just a few apples, oranges, bottled water and choc bars.
Visitors Center: Great Park Related Items
DesertDarlene Says: This is the park's headquarters. There you can buy many park-related items that you wouldn't find anywhere else. There are books on nature watching as well as Borrego history. There are also t-shirts, fine art prints, guidebooks, maps, posters, bandanas, hats, and several...
Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association: Gifts, Books and Art for a Good Cause
Echo_29 Says: A nonprofit organization runs this great store in downtown Borrego Springs. Friendly staff to help answer questions about the region and help you find unique quality items to bring home. First, purchase a membership for your 15% discount. Then buy from their extensive...
Yubert Says: At night, the wild coyotes come out to sing. The chorus entertained Ognini and Fatima. Note the scared looks on their faces!
Echo_29 Says: Those beautiful deep canyons are carved by water. Water from flash floods. If you look at the watermarks along the canyon walls you will see this is a place to avoid in a rainstorm or if one is approaching. Be current with the weather report during your stay.
ranger49 Says: If you are making your way from a town on the coast to the Anza. Borrego Desert it is highly likely you will pass through the little town of Julian. Do stop and have a look around. This old gold mining town in the middle of fruit tree growing country has diversified! There...
ranger49 Says: I couldn't resist this - spotted at a cross roads in the desert so no fear of running out of cash on this trip!
DesertDarlene Says: This is an alternative to hiking busy Palm Canyon Trail. This trail, called Hellhole Canyon is a little more difficult, but more seculded. Nonetheless, there are a couple of large palm groves at the end of the trail.The trail climbs in elevation about 900 feet and gets rough...
Yubert Says: On the way to Anza-Borrego, we passed by several orange groves. So we stopped to look at the oranges. We did not take any.
Anza Borrego can seem monochromatic and sparse but wander down one of the many deep canyons in the Badlands and every twist will open up new sculpted vistas. This California state park does not have...
Anza Borrego is the perfect daytrip from San Diego. It only takes about two hours by car. The desert is very beautiful, but watch out for the jumping cholla.
Ognini, Phalaenopsis03 and I came here February 20, 2005 to see the rare desert Wildflowers that were in full bloom due to the recent rain.
Desert Darlene's Anza-Borrego Page!
Hi. I am planning to post a lot of information on this park in the future. In the meantime, you can visit my Anza-Borrego Desert State Park page on Squidoo.com. The address is...
Build your own Anza-Borrego Desert State Park page
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