Off we go to the desert

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Geo: 33.2558, -116.374

The conference has finished so the real holiday can begin!

We waved bye-bye to the Grand Hyatt and to Downtown and headed east. We went uphill and we went downhill. With the three of us and all our lugguage, the poor car had to work quite hard to get us over the hills. It didn't take long after leaving the city to find ourselves in the wilderness. Not quite the Sahara, but the surrounding landscape was definitely desert. Every so often, we would come across a bit of an oasis where some water made it to the surface. Cuyamaca Lake was one of those places. We stopped there for lunch - in an American version of a greasy spoon, but the food was surprisingly good. The view of the lake was superb. It's a lovely location for boating and for fishing. At 4,600 feet, 1,400 metres, the air was clean and fresh.

We pressed on and stopped in Julian which was like our image of a small American Wild West town. Quaint wooden structures and wooden boardwalks. Well, some bits of it anyway. It all started as a gold-mining town in the 1860s. The name came from two cousins who founded the town and both had the same surname Julian (was one called Sandy, perhaps?!). On the way here, we noticed a lot of burnt tree stumps and blackened branches. We thought they were the result of some forest fire, but in actual fact, the fire in 2003 was far more devestating. The town was nearly engulfed by the flames and many of the residents lost homes and livelihoods. Luckily the apple orchards were saved so that Julian's famous tradition of apple pies continues. Of course, we just had to sample them! Dessert in the desert....

From Julian we headed north and after a spectacular drive over the mountains reached Anza-Borrego Desert Park, a huge, arid plain surrounded by mountains. Eventually we managed to locate the township of Borrego Springs, a small but spread-out settlement in the desert dotted with palm trees. A one horse town without a horse... But plenty of 4x4s. The Oasis Motel was quite a contrast to the Grand Hyatt but clean and comfortable and very American.

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Photos

Cuyamaca Lake
Sunny, if still a bit cool.

Mom's Apple Pie Shop
Supposedly one of the best. We didn' go there as it was too busy.

Apple Pies a la mode
from the Apple Pie Alley Bakers. Yum!

Comments

[Food addict]

This is lovely

[Food addict]

Pity you can't bring a slice home

[Carol]

Who ate all the??