Destinations: Otherworldly
Visit the desert paradise of Borrego Valley
Borrego Valley Airport (L08) boasts a 5,000-foot paved runway and the approach brings you across the desert, which to the uninitiated seems like the craters of the moon. The white, sandy landscape is dotted with scrubby bushes and tumbleweeds; boulders along the mountains near Julian are like mounds of under-baked chocolate chip cookies. It’s a landscape like no other made even more amazing in the spring when the wildflowers and cacti bloom.
From Borrego Valley Airport, drive the scenic and thrilling Montezuma Valley Road (S-22) through rock formations, rugged canyons, and twisting hairpin turns, and see views of the nearby Salton Sea from vistas as high as 3,400 feet. In the state park you’ll be amazed to find a bizarre animal kingdom made of metal. Artist Ricardo Breceda has created more than 130 metal sculptures of animals and other fanciful creatures that dot the landscape. Real animals such as bighorn sheep and exotic birds also can be found here.
Borrego Springs is an international dark sky community. This means that there are night light restrictions so star-gazing parties and astronomy nights are commonplace, especially from June through August. There is only one traffic light in the whole city.
On 42 acres outside of Borrego Springs is La Casa del Zorro (home of the fox), a historic hotel and spa that was first established in 1933. It is the classic Southern California resort with hand-hewn wood beams and adobe walls. It was a property of newspaper magnate James Copley (The San Diego Union-Tribune) starting in 1960, and was a meeting place for political figures such as Richard Nixon and Ronald Reagan, and many famous Hollywood personalities. It fell into disrepair after Copley’s death but in 2013 underwent an expansive renovation. There are 48 luxury rooms and 18 private casitas with private swimming pools; two dining rooms; a one-mile walking path; five tennis courts; and a full-service spa.
La Casa del Zorro is just five miles from Borrego Valley Airport and offers complimentary transportation.
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