A Trip to the Desert - Wildflowers in Bloom

"I think the American West really attracts me because it's romantic. 

The desert, the empty space, the drama." 

Ang Lee

 

 

Cactus in bloom

Right now the wildflowers are in bloom in the desert.  It is a great time to take a drive, either a day trip or a week-end get away.  We drove out to the Anza Borrego State Park last week and spent the day in search of interesting wildflowers and cactus.  And we stumbled across an area with metal sculptures - which was an added bonus.

Wildflower on a cactus

Anza Borrego State Park is about 80 miles northeast of San Diego.  The visitor center for the park is just outside the town of Borrego Springs.  It was an all day excursion for us from San Diego.  For those with more time, you could spend the night in Borrego Springs, there were several motels and inns near the park.  There was also RV parks and campgrounds. 

We found quite a few wildflowers, and the season has just begun.  I've never been a big desert fan, I am more into water - rivers, oceans, etc.  But the desert does have its own beauty and sometimes it is fun to explore something different.

A cactus in bloom

At the visitor center there is a short movie about the desert as well as some interesting displays.  You should definitly plan a stop at the center.  There are several short walking trails near the center and we found lots of wildflowers right there.  The people in the center are very helpful, they will tell you the best places to go to find the wildflowers.  One of the ladies in the center also told me about a good place in Borrego Springs to have lunch or dinner.  It is called the French Corner and she said the owners are from France, and the food is delicious, although a little pricey.  We didn't stop there for lunch, instead we opted for a couple of tacos and a cold drink, and we were on our way.



Head of the dragon
Galeta Meadows

Dragon - Galeta Meadows



Metal Sculpture of a Gold Miner and his horse

From Borrego Springs we decided to check out Galleta Meadows, which I was told about in the visitors center.  Basically this is an area that is desert, but there are huge metal sculptures all over the desert.  They are quite spaced out, so you do have to go looking for them, and they have off road areas to drive out to them.  My favorite was the dragon, but they were all great.

If you are making the trip from the San Diego area then you could stop in Julian on your way home.  Julian is a western style town in the mountains east of San Diego, and it is quite easy to detour through Julian on this trip.  Julian is famous for its apple pie, apple cider and buffalo burgers.  It also has some cute little shops to explore.  If you were making an overnight trip, this would be another option of where to stay.  There are quite a few bed & breakfast type inns and nice restaurants in Julian.  And whatever you do, make sure you try a piece of the apple pie.  Or do what we did, and pick up a whole pie to bring home with you.


 Julian Apple Pie



Julian