Day 2 Ocotillo Wells Vehicular Recreation Area Borrego Springs, California

It is about 15 miles to the town of Borrego Springs on the paved road.  It is about 12 miles if you cut across the desert.  Ready with our map, we traversed the desert. 

We found that the roads heading toward town were not quite as well labeled as the roads we encountered yesterday…but that just added to our sense of adventure!  We found our way across the Borrego Sink…where we turned around to find a more reliable route.  We went first to the visitor center.

The couple in the visitor center recommended a ride in the canyon where you could actually cross water.  We were on our way when we saw a pack of 5 coyote cross the street in front of the car. 

As we entered the off-road area, we saw another coyote in the dry lake bed.  Can you spot him?

The ride followed the Santa Rosa Mountains and was gorgeous, though we never did find water to cross!

Our lunch spot.

We headed back toward town to see the Borrego Springs sculptures.  A man named Dennis Avery owns a large amount of land in this area.  He had an idea to commission some sculptures of desert creatures.  He hired an artist, Ricardo Breceda to create these life-sized sculptures.  There are about 130 installations.  The subjects include mammoths and camels and prehistoric turtles and sloth-like creatures, all whose fossils have been found in the area.

There are also wild horses, giant birds, a giant scorpion, and a serpent that actually crosses beneath the road. 

We grilled our dinner and enjoyed a small fire and some sangria…another day spent enjoying the ride!