March 13, 2012

March 13, 2012

A few days ago the USA Today had an article on ten great places to see Spring wildflowers. One is just east of here in Anza-Borrego Desert State Park. So we leave San Diego and drive two hours up and over a lot of hills through ranch country that looks nothing like California. Eventually the mountains end and a vast desert stretches before us. The park Visitor Center is just below on the valley floor. There we learn that Anza-Borrego is the second largest state park in the United States. We also discover that the Gulf of California used to extend all the way up here. As the Grand Canyon was carved the resulting sand debris filled in this valley.

We decide to hike the six-mile Palm Canyon Trail. The hike follows a wash up a shallow canyon. I don’t see wildflowers anywhere. In fact, there is little of anything growing here including cactus. We come across several hikers staring at the top of the canyon. It is a Bighorn Sheep posing. Too bad I need binoculars to prove it is not a rock.


To our great surprise we eventually cross a tiny stream. Water in the desert. That is always a treat. And even more surprising, around the next bend we see palm trees in the distance! It is a real life desert oasis like seen in movies. Our first! And so very cool! On closer inspection it looks like a rock dam causes the water to pool here letting these California Fan Palms survive. This native palm is a descendent of the palms that grew here when this area was wetter and open to the sea. Interestingly the Mediterranean version of this fan palm decorates our pool at home.

From Anza-Borrego we head east. We run into the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California. This lake was formed accidentally in 1905 when flooding on the Colorado River overwhelmed the local irrigation canals and flooded the area. Because the area is below sea level, the water couldn’t be drained. Continuing east we cross Imperial Valley, a huge irrigated agricultural region that specializes in winter vegetables. We pass fields of carrots in various stages of harvest. As we drive east on I-8, I can see the border wall with Mexico. Shortly after crossing the Colorado River and the city of Yuma, AZ we hit desert again. We make it back to Tucson in time for Aimee’s bedtime. Unpacking can wait till morning.