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| Vallecito - Anza-Borrego, CA | |
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| | Vallecito - Anza-Borrego, CA | | | |
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Vallecito - Anza-Borrego, CA
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| no partners | | After the side trip up to Jacumba, it was back down the mountain to Ocotillo to pick up highway S-2 for the drive to my campsite for the night at Vallecito Stage Station County Park. This has always been one of my favorite places in the southern portion of Anza-Borrego to spend the night. It is usually quiet and not jammed with people. Today was no exception, as I was the only one camping there. Most of the time I pick site 14 by the graves, but this time I chose nearby #13. It was very windy, so I was glad to be sleeping in the truck instead of a tent.  I got my chair out and positioned it so the truck would act as a bit of a wind break, and commenced to relax from a day on the road. 
After awhile the campground host came by to check me in and we had a nice conversation. She was quite knowledgable about the area and been the host there for about 7 years. While talking a hummingbird would occasional come by and check us out and sit in a dead mesquite tree next to where I set up. I joked that I had made a friend in camp.  I mentioned to the host that the one thing I lament about this place is the amount of mesquite trees that have died since my first visit in 2011. Drought and mistletoe have been doing them in. The host said that the county wanted to cut all the dead ones out a few years back, but she successfully petitioned to leave them there, since even the dead ones provide a little shade and act as habitat for various critters. I liked that. You could tell she really cares about this place, and that is further demonstrated by how clean and well maintained the facilities are.
After the host left, I walked around and did some photography, before heading back to my chair to relax as daylight faded away. I noticed that the hummingbird kept returning to the same spot in the tree, before flying off again. So, I became a bit curious and when the bird returned again I got a better look and discovered she was feeding babies in a well hidden nest.  I apologized to her for picking a spot so close by! It was now starting to get dark, and with a real chill in that wind, I decided to crawl into the sleeping bag pretty early and call it a night. The host had said I could move to any site I'd like since I was the only camper, so I decided to do that in the morning to give mama bird less stress when I did my tailgate coffee prep.
In the morning it was still pretty breezy and I moved the truck to another spot to take the stress off the bird. Then the typical routine for me: photography, coffee, chips n salsa, and more coffee. The campground host made her morning rounds, so I told her why I moved and showed her the nest. She thought that was  !
Finished packing up the gear and headed out for day two. Destination: Borrego Springs where I had a room reservation at Stanlund's Inn. Since check in time was 3 PM, I had plenty of time on my hands. I drove around in the Blair and Little Blair area along the way as it is so scenic, plus did a short hike to Yaqui Well. The first thing I did when I reached Borrego Springs was to have a meal at Carmelita's, a favorite place. From there it was a stop at nearby Anza-Borrego Nature Center gift shop to make some purchases. Great little gift shop!
Next, it was time to check into my motel room for the night, reflect on my interesting day, and ponder ideas for day three.
Some Vallecito history: [ youtube video ] |
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Wildflowers Observation Isolated
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