Love & Latitudes Travel Blog

I adore the desert. Years ago, a friend of mine said it took her a while to adjust to these often barren landscapes. She was used to trees and forests—but eventually, she warmed up to “the beauty of desolation.” And I can certainly appreciate her perspective. But for me, it’s always been a love story.

Maybe that has something to do with my upbringing. My grandparents lived just a few hours inland from my parents' home in Orange County. Either on the way to or from my grandparents’ place, my family would explore areas like Joshua Tree National Park or Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.

While I’m in and out of Joshua Tree—either for my own enjoyment or to photograph my lovely couples on their wedding days—I rarely make it to Anza-Borrego. And even when I do, it’s usually only for a short while. So, with a little time in my schedule, I decided to pack up our adventure van, Clyde, and book it out to Borrego Springs for a few weeks.
It was early February, so the weather was forgiving. Not too hot, not too cold. With all the rain sweeping into Southern California, I expected there to be lots of flowers. And boy, was I right.

My spouse and I got into a routine of driving out to see the flowers. I’d snap photos while he followed along, taking time to inspect each plant and say “hi” to the bees and hummingbirds doing the same thing as us. We’d then kick back in the van, reading or listening to podcasts for a few hours, before getting back out to capture sunset.

While seasonal flowers were the main draw for me, we also took a few hikes in the area. I’ll be honest. Most of the time, I’ll put a lot of research into our hikes—weighing our options and choosing something that’s the right duration and scenery. But this trip, I decided to pick almost at random—which proved to be a lot of fun in its own way. Sometimes it would be an all-uphill hike with stunning views. Other times, it would be more of a meandering stroll. In either case, it was a joy to be outside.

Borrego Springs is a small town with a population of 1900 people. The demographics skew older (the average age is 62). And downtown itself spans only a few blocks near Christmas Circle. Everyone we ran into was extremely friendly and easygoing. And there was no shortage of vanlifers and RVers in the area.

One of the main draws for Borrego Springs is the more than 100 metal statues by Ricardo Breceda. Subjects include animals real and imagined—like turtles, dragons, serpents, horses, elephants, dinosaurs, and more. It’s a lot of fun to explore these oddities—I’m a sucker for weird and random desert ish.

All in all, it was a delight to soak up the area. We visited local parks, the library, bars, shops, restaurants, and even the weekly farmers market. But as is the case with nomads like us, the road is always calling.

So we are already on our next adventure. Maybe we’ll see you on our journeys! Especially if you book Love & Latitudes Photography for your outdoor wedding or elopement.

Happy trails,

Diana