Thursday, March 17, 2011

Anza-Borrego Trip March 9 and 10.

Off we go on a Family Trip!!



What a treat! Mom, Phil, John and I took off to Palomar Mountain to see the observatory, then down the mountain to the Borrego desert to see the wild flowers. Mountain snow to desert blooms all in one day.

After lunch at a restaurant reminiscent of Desi and Luci and a tour of the Visitor's Center, we head for the best spot for flowers, Surprise Canyon.







John and Mom stopped to build some rock stacks.


Phil and I continued up the canyon and discovered more flowers.



While the Borrego Springs Spa was a great place to spend the night, the restaurant with its $13 mac and cheese wasn't quite as inviting. So Phil and I went scouting and found The French Corner. Belgian meatballs, beouf bourguignon, steamed mussels (Bait! I heard someone exclaim), a terrific thin crepe dessert, a smattering of French exchanged. Great Fun.



Next day Phil spotted the only agave flower in bloom in the entire desert! We saw hundreds of last year's soldiers, but only this one single impressive bloom.



The surprise delight of the trip were the sculptures along Borrego Springs Road. Dozens of these metal sculptures "roam" the valley -- wild horses, saber tooth cats, giant birds, raptors, pigs, horses, mammoths. So down the dirt roads we tracked these sweet and not so sweet creatures.





Then one last photo and home again home again lickety-split!