A day in the desert

10 Apr 2004

I thought a good way to spend a weekend would be to visit the Anza-Borrego desert, just a few hours east of San Diego.

One of the things I love about california; you can drive two hours in any direction and be in a completely different climate, geography, and ecosystem. Observe that three days earlier I was snow skiing two hours north.

I was ready for some quiet solitude. So I packed up the car and headed east. Anza-Borrego is the largest state park in the lower 48 states. The park is one of the few places where camping is permitted anywhere and for free. The only rules are that you camp away from the roads and do not have open fires.

The unique environment demands unique adaptations from it’s resident creatures. The high heat and low rainfall demand that animals and plants alike make the most of the scarce water available.

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