Trip to the Desert – Canceled!

Had all gone according to plan, my folks and I would be together in Southern California right now, enjoying each other's company, searching for wildflowers, and exploring the desert. We've been meeting up in Hemet, California every spring for over a decade – they fly down from Southeastern Alaska and I fly down from the San Francisco Bay Area. From there we fan out and visit our favorite haunts, like Whitewater Preserve, Palm Springs, Joshua Tree National Park, Bautista Canyon, and more. Had life not taken another turn, we would probably be in Anza-Borrego State Park right now.

Since we are all sheltering in place for the duration, here is a tribute to our trips to the Anza-Borrego area over the years. We've approached it from the Badlands (great desolate and sweeping vistas), and from the backside of the Salton Sea (great place to look for obsidian and mud volcanoes).

The Badlands near S22 (2015)

The Salton Sea is 227 feet below sea level (2017)

We always stay at the Palm Canyon Hotel in Borrego Springs (although it is getting more difficult to get reservations, as flower viewing has become so popular). Its Western theme and shady dry gardens are welcoming, and the accommodations are very comfortable (it is a Dark Skies hotel if you like to see the stars at night).

Dry garden at Palm Canyon Hotel (2015)

View from the veranda (2015)

The Anza-Borrego State Park is a main attraction near Borrego Springs, and a short hike to the desert palm oasis is a must (preferably early in the morning before the sun heats up). On the way you can look for interesting plants and geological formations, beautiful flowers, and Borregos. No matter how dry the year, there is always a refreshing stream of water under the Fan Palms (Washintonia filifera).

Palm Canyon Oasis in sight (2015)

Searching for Borregos on the hills from a nice shady spot (2017)

Respite in the oasis (2017)

Of course there are the flowers. It is amazing that such a hot, dry landscape can produce such delicate, breathtaking blossoms. Here are a few of my favorites from the Anza-Borrego area.

Ironwood tree (2015)

Palo Verde tree (2011)

Smoke bush and ocotillo (2017)

One year a huge windstorm swept through town with 60-80 mile winds. The Palm Canyon Hotel and restaurant lost power, just after we ordered dessert. We enjoyed our pecan pie in candlelight, then found our way to our cozy rooms using flashlights. We turned in early, and listened to the Big Wind swirling outside. The next day calm and power returned. After breakfast we encountered a super bloom of yellow and orange flowers on Henderson Canyon Road.

The Big Wind stirred up a lot of dust (2017)

Henderson Canyon Road (2017)

A mass of White-lined Sphinx Moth (Hyles lineata) caterpillars eclipsed the flower show. They maneuvered across the hot desert sand with efficiency until they found a plant they liked, then went to work. The caterpillars were very particular in their tastes – only the tender leaves and stems of the desert evening primroses would do. Flower seekers were just as interested in the hungry creatures as they were in the beautiful flower blooms.

Photographing the caterpillars (2017)

White-lined Sphinx Moth caterpillar (2017)

Other favorite places include the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center for its dry landscaping and interesting exhibits (and for the air conditioned theater, where you can watch and rewatch its nature videos). The metal sculptures by Ricardo Breceda are also phenomenal; they are distributed all around the Borrego Springs area.

Landscaping at the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center (2011)

Serpent, by Ricardo Breceda (2015)

Sometimes it is just fun to take a stroll, or park the car and walk out onto the desert floor. There is always something interesting to see.

Sunset stroll at the Visitor Center (2015)

Walk up Mine Wash off Highway 78 (2015)

At day's end we head for one of our favorite restaurants for dinner. Sometimes we dine at the Palm Canyon Hotel restaurant, other times at Kendall's Cafe or Carmelita's Mexican Grill, but always in good company with great conversation. A beautiful sunset, an evening stroll, and a tumble of stars finish the day.

Dressed for dinner, desert style (2017)

Sunset over the Palm Canyon Hotel (2015)

For the whole story:
Desert Delight (2011)
Anza-Borrego Desert Park (2011)
Dry Gardens (2011)
Anza-Borrego Desert Adventure (2015)
Backside of the Salton Sea (2017)
Anza-Borrego State Park and the Big Wind (2017)
Borrego Springs to Palm Springs (2017)

Anza-Borrego State Park and the Big Wind

We got up early to beat the heat. Our destination was the Anza-Borrego State Park, and the Palm Oasis at the end of the trail. We had a quick breakfast in our rooms to save time, skipping some of our morning routines like eating dark chocolate almond clusters with our coffee, and lingering over the paper. We've experienced the desert heat on this hike before, so pulled out the stops to beat the heat.

Intrepid hikers heading for the Palm Canyon Oasis

Armed with water, cameras, Palm Canyon Trail guides, and the Anza-Borrego Wildflowers app loaded on my Android, we hit the Park around 8:30 in the morning. The temperature was comfortable with a lovely cooling breeze coming down the canyon.

Lots of water in the creek

The desert floor

Scanning for Borregos

We hiked together enjoying the plentiful flowers on the desert floor and the spectacular views. Dad dropped off to investigate some interesting seeds and plants, and to scan the hills for Borrego sheep. Mom and I trudged on, both feeling our age as young families and college kids on spring break filed past us.

Palm Canyon Oasis is in sight

Under the shady palms

Relaxing by the pool – we made it!

Undaunted, we persevered to the end, and enjoyed the refreshing shade of the Palm Oasis and the waterfall and pool under the palms. The day was heating up and we were grateful for the shade, but remarked to each other about the unusual cooling breeze that kept the heat manageable.

Fan Palms (Washingtonia filifera)

On the way back, we spotted a large herd of big-horn sheep, or Borregos (Ovis canadensis nelsoni), on the hillside. Signs by the creek admonished hikers to keep to the trails so that Borregos could bring their lambs down to the water. We noticed two other Borregos on the adjoining hill; they seemed to be making their way to the large family herd. We watched them for quite a while, amazed at how powerful and agile they were at negotiating the steep terrain, and how well they blended in with the hillside.

Big sky view of the valley

Desert color

We met up with Dad (he’d been watching the Borregos from his location), and then headed over to the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center. We enjoyed several showings of the nature film in the cool dark theater, and checked with the help desk to find out about the best flower viewing in the area. We decided to skip the exhibits this year – too many people! As were leaving the Visitor Center, a late afternoon picked up, and dust was whirling around.

High Wind Warning viewed from the safety of the car

We headed over to Henderson Canyon Road to visit the recommended flower spot. By the time we arrived, the wind had kicked up to almost hurricane force. After struggling to open the car door to take a picture, and losing a favorite hat to the wind, we decided to head back to the Palm Canyon Resort for an early supper. It was cozy in the restaurant, with our delicious dinner and the wind and dust swirling outside. The power went out just after we ordered dessert.

A Public Alert announced a High Wind Warning for the mountains and desert. A deep pressure system had moved over the Great Basin, causing 60 – 80 miles per hour winds. Trees were whipping around, dust and leaves swirled, a hotel sign was ripped off its mounting. We lingered over our pecan pie, served in near darkness by an efficient, can-do waitress, then fought our way through the wind to our hotel rooms. We sat together with our flashlights at the ready in the alternating darkness and light, as the power failed and restarted, and marveled at the power of nature unleashed. We turned in early, and were lulled to sleep by the Big Wind.

Anza-Borrego Desert Adventure

My folks and I spent a couple of days at Anza-Borrego State Park, driving around the desert, and stopping to hike and take pictures. We visited the area four years ago in 2011, and were interested to check for changes, especially after three years of drought (see Anza-Borrego Desert Park).

We drove down Highway 86 past the Salton Sea (the water level is low, but not as low as I expected), and then headed West on S22 toward Borrego Springs. We stopped at the Badlands to look at the bleak but beautiful hills, where very little seems to grow.

The Badlands near S22

We stayed at the Palm Canyon Hotel & RV Resort in Borrego Springs. Our rooms overlooked the sweeping desert vista from Indian Head Mountain down the flood plain to the mountains across the valley. From our veranda, we enjoyed coffee and bird watching in the morning, and star and moon gazing in the evening. It was a treat to return to our luxurious rooms after a day in the hot, dusty desert.

View from the veranda

Shady respite at Palm Canyon Hotel

On the first evening we strolled after-hours at the Anza-Borrego State Park Visitor's Center – with a full moon rising and sunset in the background, and the wind rustling through the palms. We saw a road runner and several smaller birds flitting about. The Palo Verde trees seemed especially lovely with their green bark and yellow blossoms.

Sunset stroll at the Visitor's Center

The next morning we got an early start, and hiked up to the Borrego Palm Canyon about a mile and a half from the Visitor Center. The desert floor seemed especially dry, but we saw beautiful Palo Verde, Desert Willow, and a magnificent Ironwood in bloom.

Green mesquite lines the trail, leading to the palm canyon oasis

An Ironwood tree in a haze of pink blossoms

Mom and I paused for a picnic of trail mix and water under the palms, and appreciated the extravagance of water in the oasis. Back at the trail head, Dad informed us about the snake that had been found under a picnic table, and then moved to a more secluded spot by the park ranger, after a quick dip in the pond. Apparently the snakes like to lie on the warm rocks among the reeds in the pond.

Lush greenery around the palm canyon oasis creek

The palms provide shade and refuge for people, birds, and small animals

Small pool at the trail head provides water for birds, small animals, and snakes!

Later in the day we drove over to the Tamarisk Grove campground on Highway 78, and then walked up the nearby Mine Wash. Here the desert floor seemed less dry then elsewhere (perhaps being a wash). We saw Palo Verde, Ocotillo, Century Plant, and Barrel Cactus in abundance.

Hike on the desert road up Mine Wash off Highway 78

Beautiful sunset stroll, after a delicious dinner at the Palm Canyon Hotel

The next morning, after breakfast at Kendall's Cafe, we toured around the Borrego Springs area looking at the large Sky Art sculptures by sculptor Ricardo Breceda. Some of our favorites include the serpent (which spans both sides of the road), the horses, the camels, the llama, and the dueling scorpion and grasshopper. These are magnificent pieces, full of character (and I'm delighted to find a working artist)!

Serpent (by Ricardo Breceda) crosses Borrego Springs Road

Scorpion/Grasshopper (Breceda) dueling on the desert floor off Big Horn Road

We also saw the sculpture that pays tribute to Caesar Chavez, who organized the grape harvesters in the area in the early days of his union organizing, before he moved on to the Central Valley. We also saw the orange and date groves, which replaced Señor Di Giorgio's grape vines.

Farm Workers (Breceda) - Caesar Chavez organized workers in Borrego Springs, before moving on to the Central Valley

Then we headed north toward Palm Desert and Palm Springs!

Dry Gardens

While in Borrego Springs, I loved seeing the dry gardens. The gardens typically use native plants (including cacti, desert flowers, and desert trees), drip irrigation, and have no water features (I did see some bird baths, and, yes, swimming pools). The gardens often incorporate boulders, desert sand, and rocks.

Our hotel, the Palm Canyon Resort (https://www.palmcanyonrvresort.com/), has recently remodeled their rooms and gardens, and now save millions of gallons of water per year. In place of a running stream, or other water treatment, they have several rock beds that represent dry streams. This is reminiscent of the rock, sand, or gravel used in Japanese gardens to represent water. The hotel also uses native plants, such as Palo Verde trees, Ocotillo, Chuparosa, Desert Lavender, and Brittle Bush. Drip irrigation is used to keep plants looking their best, but much less irrigation is needed for the natives, than would be required for non-native plants.

Oasis of shade using native plants and rocks
to represent a dry stream bed.

The Anza-Borrego Visitor Center (https://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=638 ) also uses native landscaping. Their plantings mimic the desert floor, making use of spacing, rocks, boulders, and native plants. They implement a drip irrigation system, which keeps the plants looking their best.

Landscaping by the Anza-Borrego Visitor Center
looks like the desert floor.

A desert garden would be difficult to achieve in most areas of the San Francisco Bay Area, but some principles apply – using native plants suited to the climate, using rocks to represent waterways abstractly (and save water), and studying nature to inform garden design.

Anza-Borrego Desert Park

After a hearty breakfast at Kendall's Cafe, my folks and I spent a glorious afternoon hiking up the the Borrego Palm Canyon Nature Trail. It is a is a three mile round trip trek up the desert floor to the palm canyon. We added Datura, Desert Trumpet, Desert Dandelion, Apricot Mallow, Chuparosa, and California's native palm - Washingtonia filifera - to our plant list.

The palm oasis is fed by a running stream of cool water. The palm grove was reduced several years ago by a flood that swept through the canyon during a fierce rain storm. We saw evidence of washed out palm trunks all through the hike. At the palm grove, young palms are growing in a swampy protected area.

We finished the day at Carmelita's Mexican Grill in Borrego Springs, for delicious combo plates and tales of the day's exploits!

Intrepid hikers heading up Borrego Palm Canyon Nature
Trail, a three-mile round-trip hike.

The running stream leads to the palm canyon.

The palm oasis - a welcome sight after a long
hike. It's cool and shady, and the creek is
perfect for dipping tired feet.