Spent a week down in Borrego Springs to get away from the noise and commotion of the holidays. (Well, at least that was the idea.) A relative lets us use his little vacation house on the outskirts of town a couple of times a year, so we like to visit in the spring and fall. (Summers get a little on the toasty side so we stay home.)
The Anza Borrego desert can do the soul a world of good. It’s a great place to decompress: Vast, wild, and silent. There isn’t a single traffic light in the whole town. You can hike for miles in the foothills without seeing another soul. The town itself is well-stocked with a wide assortment of desert types: Artists, bikers, hermits and weirdos of all kinds. The only local scene is a wonderfully dumpy bar and grill called Carlee’s, right in the center of town off the “Christmas Circle” roundabout. If you’re in Borrego on a Friday night, Carlee’s is the place to be. Just don’t raise a fuss about the food prices because, as they’ll proudly tell you, they don’t care what you paid for it in San Diego.
Borrego is like a Palm Springs that never grew up. If you’ve never heard of the place, you should know that the locals like it that way. They are (quite reasonably) protective of this little town. I for one hope it never “grows up.”
Well, in any case we’re home now. Malibu is not quite as lit up as usual for the holidays this year. Perhaps a sign of “these troubled economic times” (like that’s an issue with the average resident here!)
Bring on Christmas.