The Desert View Tower, built in the 1920's, offers a stunning view of the Anza Borrego Desert. It's…read morealso currently available on a short-term rental website listed as "Lighthouse in Jacumba, CA"! If you're driving by, it's worth a stop. Free to look around the grounds and giftshop; but there is a fee to climb to the top for the best and most expansive view ($9.50 as of this writing). The tower is next to "Boulder Park" featuring some truly hideous sculptures created by an unemployed engineer during the depression. The boulders are much more notable for what may be cupules created by Native Americans, cups that are carved out of rock as part of ceremonies and rituals. A smattering of animals live on the grounds including chickens and peacocks. Free parking.

I've been trying to figure out what to write about this fun little stop an hour east of San Diego…read more It's a wonderful piece of history and definitely worth exploring. My husband and I enjoyed our visit quite a bit. We paid the fee to climb to the top of the tower and go exploring the boulders on the property as well. The tower interior is home to a magical shop full of antiques and second-hand treasures. The boulders next to the tower are fun to explore and have lots of animals painted onto the boulders in the shapes of various animals. As you can tell we really enjoyed our visit BUT... The one road in and out of the Desert View Tower property is absolutely littered on both sides with (maybe) abandoned motor homes, shanties, and whole collections of god-only-knows-what! And the road itself is like driving on the surface of the moon. I felt like I was driving into a scene of "The Hills Have Eyes" (kids ask your Gen X parents about that one). Seriously... I thought we might be murdered and eaten! But if you're feeling brave, come well-armed, and are willing to pop a tire and ruin your suspension, it's a GREAT place to visit!

The Tumco Historic Site is an abandoned gold mining town and is historic for being one of the…read moreearliest gold mining areas in California. It'd history spanned some 300 years, with periods of boom and bust. Over 200,000 ounces of gold was taken from the mines in the area, unfortunately, none in my pockets when we were there. We went out to see the area just to get out of the house during the quarantine. It's the perfect area to be pretty much alone to hike, talk short walks, look at spring flowers and see the remnants of an old gold mine. The good news is that it's a not a long drive off Hwy. 8. If you have some time, it could be a fun place for you to explore. Keep an eye out for rattlesnakes and scorpions that roam the desert.

What a great place to camp (we stayed for a week). It can be quite windy so be prepared for that,…read morebut the historical hike is so nice. Don't get me wrong most things have disappeared through the 300 or so years but you can still make out where things would have been. It's a very beautiful area with great hiking. And, plenty of space for our RV so we're well away from others if we wanted to be.

Interesting experience I felt really unsettled by it though. The welcome guy at the visitor center…read morewas very friendly and a nice guy. It was about 116 degrees when we went so we were the only tourists there and all the gift shops were closed. There was one guy you could clearly tell was high on something hard he was emaciated and didn't have a shirt was hanging out by the welcome center. The welcome guy was worried that guy was going to break into his trailer so he left in a hurry to make sure. I hope he and his trailer are ok. The art was cool but idk if I would recommend going there especially with kids or all female group like us.

How do you rate a place like this? I have seen YouTube videos about Slab City and knew when I was…read morein the area, I wanted to see it for myself. It is definitely a depressing place, in my opinion. I could never survive in a place with no water, electricity, sewage, etc. I know most probably live here because there is no other option. Some of the videos I watch people choose to live here because there is basically no laws, it's free, and nobody bothers them. **The docent at Salvation Mountain, right next to it, said the people who live in Slab City are never an issue with them and cause no problems. So there is a positive! 7/29/26

I did a long weekend trip to Palm Desert with the goal of visiting the Salton Sea. Originally, I…read moreplanned to loop the entire shoreline, but after talking with a ranger at the visitor center, I stuck to the east side and doubled back, which was definitely the right call. Our turnaround point was Salvation Mountain, right next to Slab City. Before going, I had read about Leonard Knight and the story behind the mountain, which honestly made the visit more meaningful. The dedication and message behind it are almost as interesting as the site itself. It is kind of amazing that the structure still stands today and is in such solid condition. The drive out was mostly fine, though hot and dusty, especially on a Saturday afternoon. I would recommend going earlier in the day if possible. The mountain itself looked better maintained than I expected. The colors were bright, and it was clear that ongoing work is being done to preserve it. I left a small donation since it felt like a meaningful effort to support. That said, it did not fully resonate with me. While I can appreciate the effort and story, the style of art and the surrounding environment did not quite click. If you are into outsider art or off grid communities, you will probably get more out of it than I did. The biggest downside is the immediate setting. Being next to Slab City definitely impacts the experience. The vibe felt a bit uncomfortable at times, and we did not stay long or continue on to East Jesus. Overall, I am glad I visited. It is unique, and the story behind it adds depth, but it is more of a one time stop for me than a place I would go out of my way to revisit. 3 stars.

Quirky fun is all I can say. About 90 minutes from Palm Desert. Just a strange experience but fun…read more I didn't reel it was inspired. Just the work of an obsessed man. Glad us was free. Then up the road is Slab City. Nothing worth mentioning there. Just ramshackle campers, burned out campers and various types of encampments. It was interesting once.

Borrego Springs is one of my favorite places. It definitely is a far drive out from the Southern…read moreCalifornia area and the weather was very warm in the summer. However, it was absolutely worth it because the night sky is so breathtaking. The Milky Way at Borrego Springs is truly unreal and it's so hard to describe, you just have to really see it in person. I really loved all the sculptures and being to admire them during the day and under the night sky. Highly recommend experiencing Borrego Springs once in your lifetime!

The Galleta sculptures are a disorganized, worn out set of sculptures spread out across miles of…read moreone of Borrego Springs valleys. The sculptures themselves need upkeep (lots of bird poop on them) and a simple map on site guiding you to their location would be helpful but it doesn't exist. Drove miles on unpaved roads looking for structures that would stand out and did it prior to sundown (as recommended) but it just made it even harder to find them. Sunset shots as they described were not all that spectacular although now that I've been there I would definitely visit either in the early morning hours or late afternoon when the heat is not so overwhelming. Definitely not worth seeing unless you're in the area. Disappointing.

I have seen this place from the I-8 freeway over the years as I drove across into Arizona. While…read moreworking in the area I made the trek over and visited! They have a big gift shop with random knick-knacks. You pay $10 to explore the grounds which includes a tiny chapel on elevated mound of earth, a replica of a chapel in Brittany, France. They also have a beautiful display of granite blocks carved out like an encyclopedia of just about all kinds of things! Such an interesting place I definitely recommend you check out!

It was really a lot more than I thought it would be. Beautiful engraved granite, a maze, and the…read moreCenter of the Word Certificate. It was fun and had a lot of unique things to see. I highly recommend it for the history alone.

As California's largest State Park, Anza-Borrego is another spot everyone should have on their…read morebucket list. They have some great trails, camping, star gazing, and a bunch of giant statues that are fun to check out. The visitor's center was fun with a friendly staff. Don't forget to ask about the Junior Ranger Program. We saw two coyotes outside the visitor's center. We did the Palm Canyon Trail. It was an easy and short trail that was perfect for kids. We walked past 4-5 bighorn sheep. That was very cool. Keep in mind there are certain areas that can only be reached if your vehicle has AWD. The town of Borrego Springs is nice with a couple restaurants, shops, and places to stay. Looking back, it would have been nice to spend the night to stargaze. Don't forget to hiking smart: sun protection and plenty of water. Stay on the trials. Leave no trace. And have fun.

Spectacular desert views just a short drive from San Diego or Los Angeles yet it feels like you're…read moreon another continent. Try a late March trip to see the desert floor ablaze in springtime flower colors, or the "secret" Dinosaur Trail, or searching for ancient Pictographs in the Blair Valley section of Coyote Canyon. Anza Borrego never disappoints for those seeking adventure right here in Southern California!

Designed in 1959 by Albert Frey, this motel was a hotspot for the rich and famous until the Salton…read moreSea went sour. Now, long abandoned, this old motel is nothing but a photo hotspot for Salton Sea visitors. While I was there, I noticed that the current owners may have plans of renovating this motel. I noticed the hotel rooms being swept and many entrances are boarded up.

So this was the Famous North Shore Motel, where famous movie stars of the 50's and 60's stayed…read more Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Sammy Davis Jr., Peter Lawford and Joey Bishop amongst other big stars all spent time in the area around the tourist hotspot of Hollywood. Now, there is just the foundation. After driving around a bit, I stopped to ask at the nearby fire station. They explained that it had to be torn down due to health codes and violations and whatnot. I get it. Old building. Not maintained. Rotting. He directed me to the tennis court that still had it's colors and markings. We walked over and looked around and found the tennis court. I imagined the big stars I was sharing time and space with. Wandering around a lil bit I came upon the foundation for the motel. Wildly famous people stood here. Partied here. Had encounters here. This place was where it was at. Now, a cement foundation and cracked tennis court is all that remains of the ritz and fame of so long ago. The parking lot seems still there as well. Perhaps the tall now unkempt palm trees saw some incredible sights in their younger days. I paid my respects, smelled the air, and took some photos before moving on towards our next target. To watch the final tractory demise of the Motel: https://youtu.be/_GJQIWDH59o

This is a well maintained and fun playground. We stop by every time we drive to Yuma. My kids all…read moreenjoy their time here. Plenty of things for kids to do, for all ages. The park is clean and so are its bathroom. Large field to picnic or kick a ball. Highly recommend stopping by for some fun family time. There is a lot of wildlife to observe as well.

We loved this park!…read more The park itself has a large playground area (seen in photo) for bigger kids to run around. There is also a side, smaller area for toddlers with smaller slides, swings, climbing tubes, etc. Along the perimeter there is a traditional zip line and one with a chair. This is also connected to a trail that goes along the Colorado River that has very nice views and is quite long!