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Anza-Borrego in the summertime: Deals, sunsets, and Sky Art August 30, 7:39 PM
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-4820-San-Diego-OfftheBeatenTrack-Travel-Examiner~y2009m8d30-AnzaBorrego-in-the-summertime-Deals-sunsets-and-Sky-Art
Deserts like the Anza-Borrego are best served hot, say 114 degrees with 20% humidity. A deterrent for most, but some prefer their deserts sweltering like a furnace. Bearing such extreme temperatures does come with its rewards, namely in crowdless solitude, absolute quiet where you can hear your own footsteps loudly, and the added benefit of off-season rates at most hotels, resorts and golf courses in Borrego Springs.
For instance, a deluxe room at Borrego Springs Resort goes for $99 in the summer. The rack rate for the exact same room is $165 come winter. Rates for Stanlunds Resort Inn & Suites start at $50 in the off-season, but $85 in the peak winter/spring months.
Summer brings stunning sunsets. And with the unfortunate conflagrations occurring in Los Angeles, sunsets tinge with reds and blues.
The Anza-Borrego region is known for exorbitantly dark nights, ideal for star gazing or watching the moon travel its orbit. In July, Borrego Springs was honored as California’s first International Dark Sky Community. The designation puts the town on the map for "exceptional commitment to and success in implementing the ideals of dark sky preservation … and their promotion through quality outdoor lighting." Keeping the designation will be an even greater challenge.
For the last two years, the talk of Borrego Springs is not of the night sky but of the "Sky Art" at the Galleta Meadows. These are large metal renditions of horses, birds, and extinct mammals such as saber-tooth tigers and a whooly mammoth like creature called a gomphotherium.
For scrap metal artwork left outdoors to rust, the animals appear incredibly animated and lifelike. They are a cause of major head turning and literally stop traffic when there is traffic to stop. The private meadows are ideal for showcasing these wondrous and awesome art forms.
Now, numbering in the dozens, these Sky Art objects are spread out across both sides of the town. Their appearance has created a perfect opportunity for a safe, level walk even in extreme temperatures.
There is the opportunity to drive in the meadows, but don’t, simply because you’ll miss the abundance of desert flora and fauna at your
feet: Rabbits hiding under bushes, ants emerging from underground, birds amidst the creosotes, and lizards scrambling between the needles of the barrel cactus.
Perhaps the most spectacular of the Sky Art pieces is also the most massive. The "Giant Bird" measures 30 feet at wingspan and 24 feet from beak to tail. Caught in its talons is a rattlesnake which the bird will serve to two eagerly waiting hatchlings. The wingspan is so large that they are propped up with poles.
The tedious detail work that went into the piece is extraordinary with each feather on each of the three birds being serrated. They eye’s are multi-layed with lashes.
The pieces are made of sheet metal bits bent by sledgehammer and other devises and welded together. Outdoors, the metal rusts giving off a brown hide appearance to the animals.
The Sky Art is made in Perris, California by Ricardo Breceda and transported to the meadow site. Breceda was an unemployed construction worker when his daughter inspired him to create a huge model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The 20 foot towering creature caught the eye of Dennis Avery from the highway. Avery is the son of one of the founders of Avery Dennison, a company whose office products are found in practically every home and business.
The concept for the Sky Art was Avery’s who is also the owner of Galleta Meadows. With a deep interest in the paleontological history of the region, he devised the plan to add the collection of beasts, not knowing what the reaction would be. All indications are that the public response is overwhelmingly positive, especially for those seeking a summertime stroll in the valley.
Sky Art map and the Galleta Meadows website: www.galletameadows.com
Stanlunds Resort Inn & Suites, 2771 Borrego Springs Road, Borrego Springs, Ca 92004-0278. Phone: 760-767-5501. Website: www.stanlunds.com
Borrego Springs Resort, 1112 Tilting T Drive, Borrego Springs, Ca 92004-0927. Phone: 888-826-7734 or 760-767-5700. Website: www.borregospringsresort.com
Questions or suggestions? Please email Ken at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
August 30, 7:39 PM
Source: http://www.examiner.com/x-4820-San-Diego-OfftheBeatenTrack-Travel-Examiner~y2009m8d30-AnzaBorrego-in-the-summertime-Deals-sunsets-and-Sky-Art
Deserts like the Anza-Borrego are best served hot, say 114 degrees with 20% humidity. A deterrent for most, but some prefer their deserts sweltering like a furnace. Bearing such extreme temperatures does come with its rewards, namely in crowdless solitude, absolute quiet where you can hear your own footsteps loudly, and the added benefit of off-season rates at most hotels, resorts and golf courses in Borrego Springs.
For instance, a deluxe room at Borrego Springs Resort goes for $99 in the summer. The rack rate for the exact same room is $165 come winter. Rates for Stanlunds Resort Inn & Suites start at $50 in the off-season, but $85 in the peak winter/spring months.
Summer brings stunning sunsets. And with the unfortunate conflagrations occurring in Los Angeles, sunsets tinge with reds and blues.
The Anza-Borrego region is known for exorbitantly dark nights, ideal for star gazing or watching the moon travel its orbit. In July, Borrego Springs was honored as California’s first International Dark Sky Community. The designation puts the town on the map for "exceptional commitment to and success in implementing the ideals of dark sky preservation … and their promotion through quality outdoor lighting." Keeping the designation will be an even greater challenge.
For the last two years, the talk of Borrego Springs is not of the night sky but of the "Sky Art" at the Galleta Meadows. These are large metal renditions of horses, birds, and extinct mammals such as saber-tooth tigers and a whooly mammoth like creature called a gomphotherium.
For scrap metal artwork left outdoors to rust, the animals appear incredibly animated and lifelike. They are a cause of major head turning and literally stop traffic when there is traffic to stop. The private meadows are ideal for showcasing these wondrous and awesome art forms.
Now, numbering in the dozens, these Sky Art objects are spread out across both sides of the town. Their appearance has created a perfect opportunity for a safe, level walk even in extreme temperatures.
There is the opportunity to drive in the meadows, but don’t, simply because you’ll miss the abundance of desert flora and fauna at your
feet: Rabbits hiding under bushes, ants emerging from underground, birds amidst the creosotes, and lizards scrambling between the needles of the barrel cactus.
Perhaps the most spectacular of the Sky Art pieces is also the most massive. The "Giant Bird" measures 30 feet at wingspan and 24 feet from beak to tail. Caught in its talons is a rattlesnake which the bird will serve to two eagerly waiting hatchlings. The wingspan is so large that they are propped up with poles.
The tedious detail work that went into the piece is extraordinary with each feather on each of the three birds being serrated. They eye’s are multi-layed with lashes.
The pieces are made of sheet metal bits bent by sledgehammer and other devises and welded together. Outdoors, the metal rusts giving off a brown hide appearance to the animals.
The Sky Art is made in Perris, California by Ricardo Breceda and transported to the meadow site. Breceda was an unemployed construction worker when his daughter inspired him to create a huge model of a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
The 20 foot towering creature caught the eye of Dennis Avery from the highway. Avery is the son of one of the founders of Avery Dennison, a company whose office products are found in practically every home and business.
The concept for the Sky Art was Avery’s who is also the owner of Galleta Meadows. With a deep interest in the paleontological history of the region, he devised the plan to add the collection of beasts, not knowing what the reaction would be. All indications are that the public response is overwhelmingly positive, especially for those seeking a summertime stroll in the valley.
Sky Art map and the Galleta Meadows website: www.galletameadows.com
Stanlunds Resort Inn & Suites, 2771 Borrego Springs Road, Borrego Springs, Ca 92004-0278. Phone: 760-767-5501. Website: www.stanlunds.com
Borrego Springs Resort, 1112 Tilting T Drive, Borrego Springs, Ca 92004-0927. Phone: 888-826-7734 or 760-767-5700. Website: www.borregospringsresort.com
Questions or suggestions? Please email Ken at
This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
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