Christmas In The Boonies – Borrego Springs, CA
Only two days left till Christmas Eve so I guess it’s time to reveal the juicy details of exactly where we’re spending it. For long-time blog readers this won’t be much of a surprise. We’ve been coming here ever since our first year RVing. In fact this was the very first place we stopped after we left San Diego in 2010. Back then we were total newbies and knew nothing about RVing or boondocking. We stayed at a private park in town, and despite the cramped quarters and high ticket price something about the place just grabbed us. That trip I met a wild and somewhat dangerous-looking cowboy from Wyoming in the laundromat who told us he was camped for free out in the desert east of town.
“What, out in that dry environment?” I exclaimed, quite shocked “How do you survive out there? Isn’t it dangerous? Is that even legal? Are you some kind of crazy hobo?” (actually, that last bit I said in my head rather than out loud, for personal preservation purposes ya know)
The cowboy listened patiently to my barrage of questions and then proceeded to tell me about boondocking. I was totally entranced and before he’d even finished I knew this was something I wanted to try. Parking with miles of open space in the wilderness, for free, living entirely self-sufficiently from your rig….oh yeah, that totally spoke to the primitive and untamed in me. Over the next year we learned the ropes of boondocking, installed solar power and then the following year we came back and parked right where the wild man had been. The rest is history. We’ve been boondocking every winter since.
And this is one of our many favorite spots.
Borrego Springs is a tiny little dark sky community nestled smack in the middle of the huge 916 sq miles (2,371 km²) Anza Borrego State Park. This isolated desert spot boasts five hundred miles of dirt roads, 12 wilderness areas, endless desert mountains and a few blocks of downtown with around 3,500 hardy souls. It’s not much to look at from the outside, but it’s got a great little weekly farmer’s market, an abundance of outdoor art sculptures, several Mexican restaurants, a cute coffee shop, a library and thrift stores. What more would you ever need?
This time around we decided to bring our caravan buddies along, introducing the Borrego Springs “newbies” to one of our favorite spots. In another first-time event I was doing this particular drive solo which made it all the more adventurous. Paul flew off to Miami late last week so I was left to move the rig and toad to our new spot in the desert. Thankfully I’m a big proponent of knowing every part of “the beast” (as I think every woman should) so I did remember to dump the tanks, I did manage to disconnect all the hoses, and I didn’t forget to hook-up the car (genius thinking there on my part, wouldn’t you say?). Plus I went through the check-list, twice, much like Santa Claus.
Pets all accounted for….check. Jacks up….check. Antenna’s down…check. Nothing loose and dangling…check. Head and fingers still attached….check. Engage, Number One. Well, I mean Engage errrmmm Self (I talk alot to myself when I’m on my own).
The drive was stunningly gorgeous and when we got here I disconnected the toad and scouted out a site for Technomadia’s arrival. Just 30 minutes later we were all in place enjoying the view and within another few hours we’d already met most of our neighbors and caught up on the local gossip. You see boondocking, as isolated as it may seem, is actually a really social endeavor. Many of the folks who come here have been coming to the same spot for years in a row. They get to know each other and a kind of local nomadic community forms. We may not see each each other for a year, but when we’re parked in the desert we’ll catch up, chat as we pass by, engage in campfires and just generally look out for each other.
When I got here I noticed many of the “usual suspects” were in the area. Skip & Jean were parked in their usual spot, Tom & Dianne were parked just down the way, and Lynda & Howard pulled in that afternoon. Plus we met new folks too. Blog friends of Chris & Cherie, Tim & Denise (plus their two, huge lovely doggies) were parked further out and we connected over an evening beverage and an outdoor movie (with Technomadia’s snazzy new projector set-up) at our site. Also Geogypsy came into town in her new-to-her truck camper and, after many years of mutual blog followings, I finally got to meet the lovely lady for the first time. A few days later Tom & Dianne hosted a neighborhood solstice get-together and we met even more folks. I think we’ve met just about every rig out here now.
Phew!!! I did mention boondocking was a social thing, didn’t I???
Well, that brings you up to date on “the beast” and her friends. We all plan to hang here for a while until our itchy feet tell us to move. Instead of Christmas lights, we’ve got nature’s sunsets, instead of pine trees, we’ve got cactus, and instead of snow we’ve got the warm panorama of the desert mountains. It sure ain’t for everyone, but for us it’s the perfect place to spend Christmas.
Related Posts:
- Monster Art In The Desert -> The Metal Wonders of Galetta Meadows
- Curves & Swerves -> Slot Canyons & Washes, Anza Borrego State Park, CA
- Back to Boondocking Basics -> 8 Steps To Get You Into The Wild
- Our Top 5 Essential Boondocking Items
We love Aza Boreggo – We will mis it this year but I know we will be back. If you get close to Cibola NWR stop by and say hi. Merry Christmas you both you and Paul.
We will try and hit Cibola this year. It was in our plans last year, but we never made it out. Would love to see you there & learn more about your volunteer job at the Refuge.
Nina
Is the little French restaurant still there amidst the antique shop wares? So good. Are you still making gloegg for everyone? So good!
Happy Christmas to you and Paul. We think of you often and hope our paths cross this new year.
Sue
Oh yeah, the French restaurant. You know I’m not sure. I’ll have to check & report back. And yes, Gloegg has already been made once. Might even go for a second round soon 🙂
Lots of pics of you guys from out here. I think of you too!
Nina
I’m working on hubby to spend next winter in the desert southwest and exploring Borrego. After two years in Texas, the dry air is calling. And of course those gorgeous sunsets. Have a great holiday.
It’s a pretty sweet spot to explore over winter. Nice & warm, dry, lots of space. Only thing that might getcha on occasion is the wind. But that’s true of the desert everywhere.
Nina
What a beautiful spot to spend Christmas in. I grew up in Washington DC (lots of snow back then), then spent 20 years of my life at 8,000 feet in Colorado. I am in Florida now and without snow or cold it just isn’t real Christmas. You’re a Dane who lived in cold(er) weather for Christmas. Do you ever long to see snow for the holidays? (Cold weather is worthless without snow, BTW).
Also, do you have a valid scientific reason for covering your tires?
Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays, hope to see you there some year soon.
Chuck & Debbie
You know I actually grew up in Asia (Singapore & Hong Kong) so I’ve never really had much of the “white Christmas” experience. I did manage a few chilly holiday’s in Denmark when my parents moved back, but I was an adult then so it was a new thing to me. I wouldn’t mind trying a “real” snowy winter once…just to try it. But I think overall I’ll be drawn back to the warm 🙂
And the tires are covered to protect them against the sun. UV exposure is one of the many things that can age out your tires prematurely, and the sun in the desert is particularly nasty. I wrote a bit about it here:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2010/11/12/tire-maintenance-handling-tire-blow-outs/
Nina
Simply a joy following your adventures, thanks for sharing and Merry Christmas to you both.
Greg
Merry Christmas to you too!
Nina
Merry Christmas Nina and Paul – beautiful pics, and if I couldn’t be where I am, I’d be there too!
I plan to be at AB in a few weeks. thanks so much for another great review. Merry Christmas, Happy New Year. Happy Holidays.
Cool! Should be a nice time out here.
Nina
What a great place to see the shortest days of the year.
If you guys have yet to splurge there – Casa De Zorro used to have a good wine list, with good appetizers. Then a hop over for a big burrito in the Mexican food to go shop just off of Christmas Circle… (We’d splurge on the glasses of wine, and recover some with the lower co$t of a very good Burrito Dinner!).
If you guys make a run over the hill into San Diego/Bay Park area, ping us and drop into our S&B Home. I can promise good wines, and with some help from nature – we may get a green flash from the upper deck…
Enjoy Borrego for us too:)!
Best,
Smitty
Cheers for the tip. I’ve been to the Mexican place quite a few times (and those burritos are huuuuge!), but have never tried the other place. I’ll keep it in mind in case we’re looking for a “fancy” night out.
And cheers for the offer in SD. We may well drop by in Spring.
Nina
Yeah.. doesn’t suck too bad here. 🙂 Thanks so much for sharing so many of your favorite spots with us.
You’re most welcome 🙂
Nina
Hey Nina & Paul…Happy Christmas….Well, three months on the road with all the local state parks here in the panhandle of Florida to keep us amused….AND, WE ARE LOVIN’IT!!! FEB, 15 we head for the Texas coast and then Sam’s and off to Sequoia, Yosemite and the central coast….of course, these are ‘dreams’ but WHAT A LIFE…WE ARE LOVE LOVE LOVIN IT and it is fitting us to a T.
Grew up in SoCal and Borrego was a good stomping ground for my family….some day soon ours!
Thank you for all your wonderful posts…you helped it all come true.
Website is ‘in the process’…new camera and learning wordpress is no easy task…but I’m UP to it all!
SO HAPPY you guys are loving the lifestyle. You never really know until you get out there and try it, but seems it’s a perfect fit for you. Many happy travels to you!
Nina
Ya, your very last photo of the sunset silhouette of the mountain range is almost exactly what we experienced last night, except our “range” was the eastern side of the San Gabriel’s with snow-covered Mt. Baldy as the star attraction. Love this time of the year in the desert.
We’ve had some SPECTACULAR sunsets recently, especially with the clouds. I’m always blow away by how bright and neon-like the colors can get. Solstice evening the colors changed and lingered for an HOUR after sunset! Amazing!
Nina
Hector and I are in Why, enjoying the desert also! We plan to go to Borrego Springs on January 3rd, maybe we’ll see you there.
Brenda
Our jello plans are to still be here. Aluminarium are coming round that time too, so should be a pretty little gathering. Glad you are enjoying Why. Can’t wait to see your pics of the Organ Pipe Cactus. I know they’ll be stunning!
Nina
Yes, I know, I’m excited about seeing them too. Hector is still feeling down from his cold (which he caught from me), but I’m sure he’ll have some great photos.
I hope you are into hanging for awhile!! We don’t arrive til the 15th. We are really looking forward to returning. We had such a wonderful time there two years ago with the amazing views, Jeep roads, and tons of hiking. There is something about the peaceful nature of that little town and the wide open desert. Enjoy your time in the desert:) Merry Christmas to you, Paul, and Polly!
Not sure we’ll be here quite that long Pam, but I know you’ll love this area. Lots of rocks & hiking for you!
Nina
You see more folks in the desert than we see here in Southwest VA. It’s what hear about RVers, very nice and social. Hope to be there someday. BTW I am not getting emails. I canceled one email address and signed up for another one. The new one above never started. Could you look into it for me.
It’s a VERY social place out here! Not sure what happened to your e-mail and honestly not sure how to check it since it’s all handled automatically by my Jetpack plugin. I’ll try and look into it to see if I can figure it out!
Nina
Silly question, but have you checked your SPAM folder? Maybe it’s ending up in there?
Nina
John,
I figured out how to check my e-mail subscribers and could not see your e-mail in there. So, my best advice is to try and sign-up again. You should get a “confirmation” e-mail when you do this which requires you to click & confirm that you do actually want to sign-up. If you’re not getting this initial e-mail, check your SPAM folder. Once you click “confirm follow” you should get the e-mails for all future blog posts automatically.
Hope that helps!
Nina
My wife and I love Borrego Springs, we make a trip at least once a year, usually stopping for an ice cream sandwich at the gas station/junk food mart. We stay on the east side of the lake in February but spend quite a bit of time cruising that area. Once I am totally unincumbered, fall 2016, we will be boondocking the west side also. Love the canyons there.
So, I’ve never had an ice cream sandwich at the gas station. Is it a “Borrego thing” I should try?
The canyons are gorgeous here. Gotta get out and get me some slots while we’re in the area.
Nina
Its definitely a “Borrego thing” We had one there the first time and one ever since.
OK. ADDED to the “list”!
Nina
It was great meeting you Nina and Pauli. Hope to run into you guys again someday. You blog is fantastic and thanks for the encouragement!
Happy Holidays!
Tim, Denise, LuLu and Tuks
Wonderful to meet you and your gorgeous doggies. Happy trails to ya!
Nina
I totally see why you love it here so much, especially after a warm day like today. Glad to hear there’s thrift stores in town. Have to check them out Wed after the Farmers Market.
The thrift stores here are great. Definitely worth checking out. Looks like it’s going to be another warm one today!
Nina
Merry Christmas Nina and all. Thanks for another place to put on our list. ☺
Beautiful photos of the area. Sounds like a real fun and quiet place to spend the holidays.
Merry Christmas to you and Paul, and the rest of the boondocking Christmas caravan clan! 🙂
Your friends don’t seem to be getting the hint that some real actual time alone would be nice. You are just too nice! Maybe you can escape in the middle of the night…
Fear not! The caravan is still a mutually agreed thing. We’ve got a really good, relaxed schedule with lots of alone time during the day and get-together’s every now and then in the evening. We’re a harmonious pair of rigs 🙂
Nina
Hope to be doing that soon. Just need to convince my better half!
Happy Holidays all!
Our jello plans include Christmas in AB next year – and it’s close enough for most of the boys to join us for a night or two 🙂 Great shot of the serpent, it took a while to find Cherie!How fun to catch up with all the usual suspects – I bet the stories around the fire are a hoot!! Of course you moved the beast and her toad (hope Paul is back home soon). Happy Holidays to you all.
She’s really hidden in that shot isn’t she 🙂 It was a tad nerve-wracking to move the beast on my own, but it was really no problem in the end. Just had to make sure I double-checked everything since I was down to one pair of eyes. The drive itself was fabulous.
Nina
If the Howard and Linda are of the RV-Dreams…please say hello and Merry Christmas from the Traveling Light 2…Steve and Queenie Malcolm. They got us started out right 6 years ago at one of their rallies in Long’s SC. We have been thankful every day for their advice and instruction, (and fun time). We would not be enjoying this life if it were not for You, Howard and Linda and the Tehnomadia folks.
The 3 blog sites are a must read for us every issue. You have all made our choice to become full timers a very good one…thanks to ALL of you!
If we were there we would spring for Mamas’ Apple Pie and Homemade Ice Cream.
Amazing that 3 of the 5 RV bloggers that we follow so closely on line are all in the same place! How cool is that!
And thanks so much for your photography…we attach the pictures to our bucket list plans on Streets and Maps.
Merry Merry Christmas…and a Blessed New Year to all of you. Maybe we will cross paths in the future!
It’s a different Lynda & Howard. The RV Dreams guys are over on the East Coast at the moment, dealing with some tough family stuff.
We’ve got quite the blogger gathering here nonetheless.
Nina
I enjoy reading your posts, thank you! It’s so funny how we flipflop with ideas. Having not yet retired, therefore not yet in the full time world, we try and imagine what we will do. Boondocking has been something we’ve toyed with a lot and definitely want to try it. you sure make it sound appealing and we are anxious to try it for sure.
Merry Christmas!
You can check out our blogs if interested, On Our Way and Chillin’ with Patsy.
It takes a while, once you go fulltime to “find your groove” with travel, sightseeing & parking. We did far too much our first year, but managed to slow down our second year. That’s also when we did more boondocking and discovered we loved it. All you can is experiment. You’ll find your groove before long.
Nina
Last year we went and visited every last sculpture out there. Some were so far off the road we were almost trail blazing to get to them but we made it. We got the pickup stuck in the sandy road near the tail side of the Dragon. We laid down clothes in front of the tires and finally got out. Ruined my favorite flannel shirt and a hoodie so this year we plan to take strips of carpet with us!
Pretty cool that you’ve visited every sculpture! I think we’ve only seen around 40 or so. There are definitely some sandy spots out there so I could totally see getting stuck. Glad you got out of it OK, despite losing your shirt 🙂
Nina
Fun to have you join us for the Winter Solstice gathering, though we missed Paul and hope the holiday visit will be good for him! I found your corkscrew and will get it back to you soon 🙂
Merry Christmas and best wishes for the new year!
Oh cheers!! I had totally forgotten about the cork screw. I’m sure I would have missed it eventually! And by the way, thanks so much for hosting the Solstice get-together. It was a fun evening!
Nina
looks like fun…we won’t be there until spring….have a merry merry and a happy happy…hope to see you both and the paws in the new year…
Spring will be wildflower time. It might be hot, but it’ll be GORGEOUS!! The desert wildflowers are epic here.
Nina
Had our first round with mice wanting to take up residence in our coach. We used Victor live traps from home depot 3.99 each. Worked perfectly and we caught 4 already. Amazing how the desert has so much life. I think I’ve successfully taken down the for rent sign. The idea of trying to seal everything up from mice seemed ridiculous. I was wondering how you’ve handled the situation. Does your resident kitty work effectively ?
Mice!! Oh yeah we’ve dealt with those and did some major re-sealing work to make sure they never came in again (so far, so good). Here’s the full (and in retrospect very funny) story:
https://www.wheelingit.us/2013/04/21/so-what-the-eeeeeeeeeek-happened/
Nina
That scenery is just amazing, Nina! Wish we were there…although 50 degrees and sunny in West Michigan on December 23rd is ok, too! Another ‘no shovel’ day over here!
We can’t wait to explore that area in the next few years! Happy trails!
50 and sunny sounds pretty darn nice. A mild winter so far in MI I guess? Hope you have a wonderful Christmas!
Nina
Favorite place to be is Borrego. Glad you are enjoying the fine weather (the coast is at its best also). My first youtube was about the mysterious truck tracks that just stop in the middle of Clark Lake??? It also is a terriers impression of the prehistoric animals cavorting behind the cactus.
BORREGO SPRINGS SCULPTURES
http://youtu.be/C3nas2wdB88
Enjoy
Rand
Cooooooool! Cheers for sharing that. I have yet to hike down to the dry lake bed itself, but it’s on my list of things to do in the next 2 weeks.
Nina
I’ve noticed the name “Borrego Springs” on my giant Socal wall map so I was excited to see your post knowing you would share the “side” of Borrego Springs I would like to see 🙂
So much to do and see in this area. It’s HUGE! We’ve been coming every year and still haven’t seen it all.
Nina
Merry Christmas to you both and your pets too. I’m in Borrego Springs right now as well. No RV but tent camping and hiking. Enjoy a great weather we’re having, farmers market, oranges, grapefruits and dark quiet nights.
Awesome! You hanging in the State Park campground? There’s so many places to camp out here. Love that the State Park allows you to disperse camp anywhere for 2 weeks.
Nina
I stay in primitive campgrounds. Each has a pit toilet and lots of privacy especially on weekdays. It is also free.
Yup the primitive campgrounds here are real nice. No cell signal tho’ (at least the ones weve tried), but great locations with great surroundings.
Nina
Ricardo Breceda, the sculpture artist, moved from his original workshop on I-215 to Vail Lake campground and recreation area in Temecula where he had a huge warehouse and sculpture garden. We had the pleasure of meeting him there by chance a few years ago. His sculptures also decorated the entrance to the campground. However, a Dec 2013 Union-Trib article stated he was planning on moving his workshop to Casa del Zorro in Borrego Springs. I don’t know whether or not he actually made the move. But, if he is indeed in in Borrego Springs, his workshop is well worth a visit.
What an interesting little piece of info. I’ll try and see if he’s moved here. Would love to see his workshop!
Nina
God Jul Nina!
I lige maade!
Nina
We love Borrego Springs and will be there in late February for a week — we’re hoping for a good wildflower season this year. Wishing you and Paul the happiest of holidays. And by the way, you are mighty impressive with your ability to take care of and move the beast all on your own!
You might still be a tad early for the wildflowers at that time, but you never know. Several years ago we were here in April and caught them in full bloom. This is a good website to track:
http://www.desertusa.com/wildflo/ca.html
Nina
It’s actual called Anza Borrego Desert State Park. Just wanted to let you know. Enjoy.
Indeed it is….cheers.
Nina
What a wonderful place to relax and enjoy the holiday. We are planning to be there with our hiking club in March. Love your photos Nina, especially the last one of Polly and the sunset panorama. Happy holidays to you and Paul.
No END of hiking out here LuAnn….and you should start to see some of the wildflowers in March.
Nina
I wish you Peace Out…in the desert solitaire, even tho you have good friends to share it with. Tis the season to share. Some day we must get around to that area…it’s a hole in our travel map that needs to be explored. And thanks for keeping your highly informational and entertaining blog going.
Box Canyon Mark…sipping wine by the fireplace after a lovely trek through deep fresh snow here in Lovely Ouray.
I have no doubt you guys would love this area. Plenty of remote and crazy trails (and slot canyons) to explore!
Nina
Great post Nina, thank you so much for taking us all along on your adventures. I want this lifestyle :). Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas to you too!
Nina
Hi Nina & Paul. A friend of mine introduced me to your site and I’ve found it delightful and very informative. I’m new at this. I would like to boondock Borrego and looked at links for the park system out there but could not find anything definite enough to see in what areas to find a site. Do you know a good map link? How do you find where to refill with safe fresh water and dump the waste water tanks around Borrego? Merry Christmas to you and your family of four legged furries! Regards, Tom
All good questions! I have details of our boondocking area in my “boondocking” section, but here is a link to the official Borrego info on the other primitive sites in the area (this is a downloadable PDF document -> look on Page 3 “Backcountry Camping”):
http://www.parks.ca.gov/pages/638/files/anza-borrego%20desert%20state%20park%20magazine.pdf
And you can dump & take on water at the State Park itself.
Hope that helps!
Nina
Nina – thanks much for the link and helpful info. Here is another link I just found, which lists eight primitive camp areas and many hiking trails including a pictograph site:
http://www.hikespeak.com/campgrounds/anza-borrego-desert-state-park-camping/
I’m taking my Winnebago in for maintenance after the holiday and will be heading out that way soon.
Regards, Tom
Sorry, messed up subscription on WordPress.com. Am posting this to try and reactivate emails for new posts. duh me…
Oh Phew! Thanks for reporting back. At least I know my e-mail list isn’t messed up.
Nina
Just got back from spending Christmas in Valley of Fire and it stuck me that all the RV blogs I read don’t mention what I consider a big issue with RVing – weather. The wind blew a lot the 3 days we were there and the nights were quite cold. This made sitting around the campfire, as shown in many pics of idyllic RVing impractical. Hiking during the day was good on 2 sunny days and not so good on the windy, overcast one in between. I’d like to hear more about the challenges of encountering less than ideal weather and having to brave the elemens or hole up in the RV.
I’ve actually written a bunch of different posts about the weather, especially some of the more extreme stuff we’ve gotten into. Here’s a few examples:
About planning your travels with the weather in mind:
Travelling w/ The Weather -> The Flip Flop Barometer
Planning RV Travels Part I -> 4 General “Rules” For Planning Where To Stay & When To Go
About cold weather camping:
Lessons in Cold-Weather Dry-Camping = Our Sierra Nevada Week-end
Sweeet Boondocking & Cool R-Values -> Handy Insulation for RVers
About camping in moist/humid environments:
4 Tips For Tackling Humidity & Moisture In Your RV On The Coast
About the wind (which is ALWAYS around in the desert in winter/spring):
Blown Away
Windy Days & An Old Fort – Silver Springs, NV
Wind Storms, Another Beast & Cottonwood Outings
Crazy Utah Weather & Cliff Dwellings On The Trail Of the Ancients
And one time when we actually hit 90MPH winds!!
A Rock N’Roll Goodbye – Cape Blanco, OR
Many more, but that’ll give you a taste.
Nina