Marching On

A glorious night sky resonates above this sculpture of a marching mammoth in the Anza Borrego desert of southern California. 

Hanging out with the Scorpion and the Grasshopper

The town of Borrego Springs sure has a lot of cool metal sculptures but two of my favorites have to be the Scorpion and the Grasshopper.  It just seems like such a uniquely "desert" thing, to have these sculptures scattered around.  It somehow seems normal, in a way that you wouldn't expect if you found them in any other environment.  Like you would totally expect to see stuff like this out in the middle of the desert but not in the middle of a forest.  At any rate, I think they're super cool and I love photographing them.  Especially at night.  

Sky Spirits

I have a few more night images to share from Borrego Springs.  This guy kinda creeped me out but he sure made for an interesting photograph with the night sky.

Imperial Sunset

During my time at the Imperial Dunes I witnessed one of the most incredible sunsets I'd ever seen in my life.  The color started as a soft orange glow on the horizon and a little while later the entire sky had exploded with red and pink hues.  The color was unbelievably intense and lasted a very long time.  One of the highlights of my trip for sure!

Sahara in the Southwest

When I view these images the first thing that pops into my mind is the Sahara desert.  The Algodones dune field is so massive it's easy to imagine yourself in the Sahara and not in southern California.  In my previous post I mentioned how Highway 78 is the main dividing line between the wilderness area of the dunes and the area where off-road riders are allowed.  In this first photo you can see a commercial truck passing through the dunes on Highway 78.  The dune field shown behind the truck is the southern edge of the wilderness area.  

The following photos show some riders enjoying the off-road area of the dunes south of the highway.  Admittedly, it was very cool to finally see these dunes in person and I would have loved the opportunity to ride on the dunes myself.  I grew up dreaming of riding an ATV across the dunes as they were often featured in off-road magazines that I was really into at the time.  The next time I visit this area I will have to rent an ATV and fulfill that dream :-)  

Imperial Dunes (Glamis)

The first sand dunes that I would visit on my southwest trip, the Algodones Dunes contains Imperial Sand Dunes Recreation Area (also known as Glamis), an extremely popular area for off road enthusiasts.  The dune field is a mighty impressive sight and stretches for roughly 40 miles from north to south with an average width of 5 miles.  Highway 78 passes through the dune field and the area south of the highway is where the majority of the off road use takes place while the majority of the dune field north of the highway is designated wilderness.  I was blown away by how much area the dune field covers.  As you approach the dunes on Highway 78 you literally can see them spanning the entire horizon.  

Morning Light at Font's Point

My last moments overlooking the Borrego Badlands from Font's Point were incredible.  A warm, soft glow washed over the landscape as the sun approached the horizon.  I actually prefer (most of the time) the quality of the light before the sun comes up as opposed to after it comes up.  The light is often too harsh after the sun has risen.  But, before it breaks the horizon, the beauty and mood often defies description.