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Month: March 2021

Metal Sculptures in Anza Borrego

Sea Dragon/Serpent

What do you say we drive out to the desert and find life size metal sculptures pop- up all over the barren land? Sure!

Drive through the roads that weave through the area – you’ll see sculptures of wild horses in a nearby field, sabertooth tigers in pursuit, and desert tortoises that seem as if they’re crawling through the brush. The artist, Ricardo Breceda, brought life to his sculptures by capturing each creature in motion.

Getting to Anza Borrrego

Head to Anza Borrego Desert State Park-  a California State Park located within the Colorado Desert of Southern California, United States.

@ the Outlook off S 22, with the valley in the background

Anza Borrego is only a 2.5-hour drive from LA and a 1.5-hour drive from San Diego. If you are driving from LA or San Diego, you will want to proceed down S22 into the valley that houses Anza Borrego. For about 17 miles, you will be driving scenic, mountainside.

Drive to Anza Borrego

We opted to put Christmas Circle, Borrego Springs on our GPS as Christmas Circle is the main hub in the middle of the city. Borrego Springs is the gateway to Anza Borrego Desert State Park. It is in Borrego Springs, specifically GAlleta Meadows, where these art works are located. Once we reach the circle, had to run for much needed bathroom break, then off to find a place for brunch.

Brunch -open air next to Los Jilberto’s Taco Joint

There was Red Ocotillo restaurant that serve breakfast, lunch and dinner but a little bit crowded for us. After circling around we ended up with Los Jilberto’s Taco Joint. It’s right off Palm Canyon road- the main road in Borrego Springs. Dined outside, surrounded by beautiful scene and perfect weather. They serve good mexican food with a lot of choices and big portions.

Los Jilberto’s

After we had our tummies full, we headed back where came from to find the Visitor Center. If you are arriving from S22, turn left at the Palm Canyon Road for the Visitor Center. We initially turned right for the Christmas Circle.

Visitor Center along Palm Canyon Road

I advise to always start from the visitor center. Anza Borrego visitor center, built underground for cooling efficiency, if it’s your first time visiting any state park. Get maps, learn everything you want from the park and surroundings. Bring hard copies of maps or screen shot the details of your drive. Limited mobile signal in the valley.

Anza Borrego Visitor Center, built underground

There’s a 10$ fee to visit Anza Borrego State Park (if you want to hike Palm Canyon (the volunteer highly recommended it), and do other stuff inside the park), but free to go through the Borrego Springs estate.

At the top of the Visitor Center
Palm Oasis- you can view clusters of them in the canyons

After the visitor center, now we hunt for these pieces or artwork all over Galleta Meadows. We took Borrego Springs Road and ended up in the south area towards Yaqui Pass Road. This area has the lesser number of sculptures compared to the main area in the north. The south has the horses, saberwolf, giant eagle, t-rex, etc..

Saberwolf fighting

The owner of Galleta Meadows Estate, Dennis Avery, wanted to add a bunch of free-standing artworks to his massive property. He commissioned Ricardo Breceda to do just that.

Pre historic giant bird with it’s prey

To find Breceda’s 130 or so rust-red, scrap-metal sculptures, pick up a detailed map at the Anza-Borrego Desert Natural History Association bookstore in Borrego Springs or ask for free from Anza Borrego visitor center.

Head of the Serpent

While some creatures are ambitious fantasies, such as a 350-foot-long serpent arcing across the playa, but many of the sculptures represent real-life creatures that once roamed this land.

T-rex in all its details

If you decide to stay, we found several spring fed pools and resort. https://business.borregospringschamber.com/list/QL/restaurants-food-beverages-21

The Desert Sands Vintage RV Trailer Park, is a cool place to check out vintage RV units https://desertsandsrvpark.net/.

Galleta Meadow Signage

The bulk and the main sculptures are located on the northern part of the Galleta Meadows. From the Christmas Circle, if you are coming from Palm Canyon Drive Visitor Center, make a roundabout all the way to the the Borrego Springs exit (the 4th exit). About 2 miles drive, you will have already spotted some of the art works.

Mammoth

Within the bulk, you’ll find the scorpion and grasshopper gearing to fight. mammoth, giant tortoise, camel, the farmers. A mile forward, you’ll see the Serpent. The body stretches out to the other side of the road.

Drive around where you can spot the art pieces or park on the road and walk or bike towards them. Caution: they are sparsely installed all over the vast desert. That is to say, you will do a lot of walking or biking in the heat and wind and sand.

The Serpent

You can drive you 4X4 within the desert. However you still can drive slow and steady on a sedan or an SUV to get to the art installations.

The fight

It took us 2 hours to drive around and check on most of these cool, intricate structures. The details being put into each work is worth all the compliments.

Big Horn Sheep Fighting

Drive another mile north to reach The Padre, the Jeep, The Goldminer and its horse, Bighorn Sheep, The Indian Head, ancient elephant , etc…

The Jeep

While we did not find all of them, we covered the more popular ones. Worth a day trip to the desert.

Map of the Sculptures

Finding The Hidden Swings of La Jolla-03/2021

2nd Secret Swing

Have you ever come across swings facing coastal waters, in your Instagram or Facebook feed? And seem to be known only to people who have actually been there? Yes, the secret swings of La Jolla.

There’s 3 and maybe more, but that’s for the next hunt. It’s nothing really fancy except you get have a great view, short hike and be a member of some kind of secret society of people having found them swings. Sometimes they are there, sometimes they aren’t. People remove them to repaint, put quotes in them and simply change them from wood to metal to car tire.

Right beside The Cave Store

Head to La Jolla

First off, drive to La Jolla, (put the cave store la jolla or la jolla cove on your GPS), a seaside neighborhood in San Diego County that boasts of rugged coastlines, beautiful trails and sandstone canyon in Torrey Pines Preserve. After a little less than 2 hour drive from Moreno Valley, we arrived at the Cave Store. Found a parking on the side road. However there are also paid parking within the vicinity.

The Children’s Pool
3rd swing to my right- need to go down the muddy cliffside

Cave store also called Sunny Jim Store is a historic landmark in La Jolla Cove area that has a century old smuggler’s tunnel of 143 step man-made tunnel built into it that heads down to a large sea cave below.  Book to reserve since they control the people inside because of pandemic. Free walk in days on Tuesday and Thursday. $10 fee to walk down the stairs that opens to a sea cave.

The Cave Store

To the right of the Cave Store is a cute stairwell towards the cliffs. If you take the Coastal trail that starts from the store to your right- you’ll get to the 3rd secret swing.

From the Cave store walk towards the cove to a small park, then to Shell Beach and continue on to The Children’s Pool. You’ll be greeted by the seals and sea lions lounging on the beach. There are lots of eateries and restaurants around the area. Bring layers as the sea breeze can be chilly.

Walkway to the Children’s Pool

How to get to the 1st swing

Long way- Drive to UCSD Coastal Apartments. To your right cross the street and go through the 3 metal short posts to the edge, follow the trail to the left. Short 10 minute walk, you’ll see the hidden swing.

The metal posts you go through after crossing the street to the 1st swing

Short way- Drive to Birch Aquarium Parking. Find a wooden plank serving as a bridge and the trail. Hike up to the swing.

Plank as bridge to the trail to the 1st swing

How to get to the 2nd secret swing

If you took the long way, once you get back to the apartments, walk out to the hi- way corner of discovery way to your left, about 100 steps. You will see a tree with some ropes on it (probably there were wooden swings there before), continue walking around the tree and you’ll see the 2nd secret swing facing the coastline of Pacific Ocean (picture above).

2nd swing

From La Jolla Shores and Discovery Way, drive back to Ellen Browning Scripps Pier. Ellen Browning Scripps Memorial Pier, the only concrete, research pier. Enjoy watching the golden hours from this iconic site. Park from La Jolla Shores and walk up to the Scripps Beach. Also lots of surfers around.

Ellen Browning Scripps Pier

How to get to the 3rd secret swing

The 3rd one is a little tricky to get to, even risky, and definitely hidden from site. Drive back to The Cove Store and find parking near. From the right of the store is a trail parallel to the coastline. Hike the trail for about half a mile until you get to the white picket bridge. Mid bridge you’ll notice palm trees. The swing is hidden under and behind those palm trees. You need to crawl down a muddy soil with only rope to hold into, to get to the wooden swing.

If you are not really into swinging your way, there is a bench where you can sit and linger for a while. Some people continue to crawl down into the beach. Your choice.

The 3rd secret swing
Coastal Trail from Sunny Jim’s Store
White Bridge
Hidden behind/under the palm trees- 3rd swing
3rd really hidden swing

Once found all three, we drove to Liberty Station to dine @ Liberty Public Market. And that ended our day hunting for secret swings. https://youtu.be/gnEBTMftjIk -link to a short video.

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