Roan had a mini-break from work in November, so we had plenty of time to do what we enjoy most: travelling. I know it doesn't seem like it, but we haven't been to a lot of places around here in San Diego enough. We are always in search for places we could easily drive to and fro without having to stay overnight.
We've been wanting to visit Borrego Springs during the summer, but high temperatures in the desert made us wait until the cooler months. We've clearly learned our lesson when we went to Palm Springs during the height of summer, which is probably a good idea if you're after a scorching hot weather.
Related Posts: Travel Diary: Palm Springs Aerial Tramway, Travel Diary: Palm Springs Art Museum, Travel Diary: Pioneertown, Travel Diary: Joshua Tree National Park, Travel Diary: Winter in Mt. San Jacinto State Park
Sometimes, we prepare an extensive itinerary for our trip, but we always end up being utterly spontaneous once we get to our destination. Travelling to Borrego Springs on a cold Monday afternoon was no exception! We only had two hours before sunset to shoot the following photos, so the lighting in several photos varied. There was nothing I could do about it except adjust the exposure settings on some photos in order for you, guys, to see what the sculptures would look like in broad daylight.
Being the spontaneous travelers that we were that day, we went to the visitor's office first to get a map.
We were invited to watch a 12-minute presentation about Borrego Springs, and toured the mini-museum inside. Realizing that we didn't have enough time to explore the area, we left as soon as we could, and surveyed the area for the famous Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures.
Roan, channeling MacGyver in this pose
The Galleta Meadows Metal Sculptures are inspired by creatures that once roamed the Anza-Borrego Desert from million years ago. The artworks range from prehistoric mammals to historical characters, dinosaurs, and a 350-ft serpent. The artist behind these wonderful pieces of art is Ricardo Breceda. There are 130 sculptures in the property, but only drove past a few along the road.
What Roan and I didn't know was that the masterpieces were scattered throughout the Galleta Meadows Estate, a private land within Borrego Springs, owned by the late Dennis S. Avery. All the while we kept careful watch for an enclosed property where all the different metal sculptures can be found. Boy, were we wrong. Most of them were installed no less than half a mile apart, which makes it interesting and eerily scary to imagine what they're like at night.
We capped the night off by having dinner at Carmelita's, where they served authentic Mexican food, before driving back to San Diego. It was a short but nonetheless interesting trip, wasn't it?
Per Alissa's long overdue request, I put together a 3-minute video from this trip. It's my first time doing this, so please bear with my elementary to non-existent filming and video editing skills! Don't forget to watch it in HD!