Borrego Springs is one of my favorite places. It definitely is a far drive out from the Southern…read moreCalifornia area and the weather was very warm in the summer. However, it was absolutely worth it because the night sky is so breathtaking. The Milky Way at Borrego Springs is truly unreal and it's so hard to describe, you just have to really see it in person. I really loved all the sculptures and being to admire them during the day and under the night sky. Highly recommend experiencing Borrego Springs once in your lifetime!

The Galleta sculptures are a disorganized, worn out set of sculptures spread out across miles of…read moreone of Borrego Springs valleys. The sculptures themselves need upkeep (lots of bird poop on them) and a simple map on site guiding you to their location would be helpful but it doesn't exist. Drove miles on unpaved roads looking for structures that would stand out and did it prior to sundown (as recommended) but it just made it even harder to find them. Sunset shots as they described were not all that spectacular although now that I've been there I would definitely visit either in the early morning hours or late afternoon when the heat is not so overwhelming. Definitely not worth seeing unless you're in the area. Disappointing.

Tucked away inside the massive 285 acre Kit Carson Park, you'll find Queen Califia's Magical Circle…read moreGarden by renowned artist Niki de Saint Phalle. Completed and opened to the public on October 26, 2003, this whimsical, meaningful, and colorful sculpture garden is surrounded by an incredible 400 foot snake wall. Once you meander through the mosaic & mirrored mini-maze, there are nine freestanding sculptures: Cathead Totem Birdhead Totem Yelling Man Totem Bullhead Totem Untitled Totem (Bird on a Square) Kingfisher Totem Step Totem Snake Totem Each totem is something marvelous to behold, and de Saint Phalle's mosaic work is simply spectacular. There are also 3 freestanding benches faced in travertine marble by Pierre-Marie Lejeune that measure from 13-20 feet in length. In my opinion, the standout feature of the garden is the central structure called Queen Califia and the Eagle Throne. It is so beautifully unique, and the space underneath almost feels sacred with the golden egg (former) fountain and the spectacular celestial ceiling. Queen Califia was a legendary black Amazonian who was believed to rule a terrestial island of gold and riches "to the right of the Indies." It is only fitting that this special garden has been erected in her honor. In fact, this is the only American sculpture garden by Niki de Saint Phalle! The garden is surrounded by a locked fence and is only open on Tuesdays and Thursday from 9am-12pm, and on 2nd & 4th Saturdays from 9am-2pm. Docents were available to answer questions today, and they are usually onsite during the hours when the garden is open. This special space is certainly worth a visit, and it would be lovely to pair it with a hike and a picnic in the park for sure. Keep in mind that there is a short walking trail that you need to traverse to get to the garden after you've parked your car, Additionally, you can hike in from other areas of the park as well. Be sure to take a look at the story boards to the right of the entrance facing the snake wall before you enter to gain more history and context for this special installation that we are lucky to have in Escondido. Entry is free and parking is free. There are bathrooms in the park. I took about 20 minutes to peruse the area, and that was enough time for this visit (it was also 90 degrees), but do plan accordingly depending on your interests and needs. Peace.

When I knew I'd be spending a few days in Escondido, I started looking into all that this San Diego…read moresuburb comes to offer. After checking out TripAdvisor, Queen Califia's Magical Circle Garden stood out. I'm all about art, especially when the scale is impressive like it is here. We stopped by on a Tuesday morning around 9:30 a.m. Make sure to check out their website to see when they're open because their hours are quite limited (Tuesday and Thursday from 9 a.m.-12 p.m. when I was there and every fourth Saturday from 9 a.m.-2 p.m.). It's located inside Kit Carson Park. I didn't have any trouble parking in their lot and then walking to the sculpture garden. Once you arrive, take in all the artist, Niki de Saint Phalle, created. It's weird, it's cool, and it's trippy all in one. There's some information you can read to learn more and while we were there, there were some members of the non-profit that is involved with the art installation there that told us more about it. Walk around and take it all in. You can easily do it in 10-15 minutes and it's a free attraction. Saint Phalle has other artwork in San Diego, but the Magical Circle Garden, is by far the most expansive one in terms of scope. And the most interesting in my book.

East of San Diego, the town of Julian rests comfortably in the Peninsular Ranges. It's a…read morefascinating little spot, with the entire town being a historic spot. It was the site of a gold rush in the 1870s, it had a notable African-American population, and is now also famous for its apples (like Sebastopol further north) The appeal of Julian is in its history. While its days as a gold rush boomtown have come&gone, they're still famous for their apples. Enjoy the apples in pies, cider, or freshly picked off the tree. Julian is an interesting midpoint between the Pacific and Anza Borrego/Joshua Tree. It's lodged in the mountains, with beautiful forests, yet as one travels eastward one reaches the Colorado Plateau/Mojave Desert. It's a breather between the ocean&the desert. California's Peninsular Ranges are geologically unusual, and Julian seals the deal with its uniqueness&warrior spirit. Wrestling mountain lions&bears before lunch is its hallmark.

We Drove an Hour for THIS?!…read more We drove an HOUR to Julian excited for the Grape Stomp Festa, paid $25 per person to get in, and within a short time we were already ready to leave. First of all... the grape stomping. I pictured a cute I Love Lucy moment. What I got was a long line to step into what looked like the SAME grapes that everybody and their mama had been stomping in all day. By the time we got there, those grapes had seen some things. HARD PASS. Then there's the $25 admission. Okay, so what exactly did we pay $25 for? Because once we got inside, we still had to pull our wallets out for basically everything. At least we get the souvenir wine glass, right? NOPE. They ran out. If a souvenir glass is advertised as INCLUDED with admission, how do you run out when people already paid for tickets? At that point, the grapes weren't the only thing getting stomped--so were my expectations. I figured we'd walk around, check out a bunch of vendors, grab some good food and make the best of it. Nope again. Not many vendors, the food was disappointing, and there just wasn't enough happening to justify the price. We spent more time DRIVING TO JULIAN than we actually spent at the festival. We eventually cut our losses and left to enjoy the rest of Julian, which ended up being much more fun. Maybe it's worth doing once just so you can say you did it, but for us? One hour drive + $25 admission + reused foot grapes + no souvenir glass + paying for everything inside = NEVER AGAIN. The best part of the Grape Stomp Festa was leaving it.

Sitting on a hill overlooking the small town of Julian, CA. It's so amazing to see the headstones…read moremarked with people born in the 1800's. Such a beautiful place.

Not much to see. Poorly maintained but if you are in the area you might as well drive through it.read more

Nothing like a great country Library. The first Tuesday of…read moreeach month At 6:00pm they have guest groups come in and play a free concerts for everyone who would like to come by. With free refreshments afterwords. I've been twice and will be there again next month. See You There.

A great small-town library - much better than one would expect. Lots of books and DVDs on site and…read morereally easy to reserve books from other libraries and have shipped in. Good internet service. Clean, new, well-lit, and comfortable. The staff here are very friendly and helpful - and act as a good place to ask for information on the area when you are visiting.

This is a fantastic park. It is large, there is plenty of parking on the street or nearby lots as…read morelong as it is not a Saturday morning with the farmers market and softball tournaments at the other park across the street. The park has some fantastic old architecture and there are plaques telling you about some of it. There is a giant grass area, with nice large trees, some shade, some picnic areas, and a section that you can reserve for large parties. There is a hamburger joint on the premises as well. There is a giant gazebo where a young musician was singing her heart out. There is a working old train, you can pay to take a ride around the park. Great spot for photography too, see attached photos.

I absolutely love Old Poway Park! It's located in a really nice, safe neighborhood and has such a…read morecalm, peaceful atmosphere. It's the perfect spot for family picnics, bike rides, or just spending a relaxing afternoon outside. There are also some great, yummy restaurants nearby, which makes it easy to turn your visit into a full day out. I do photography as a hobby, and this is one of my favorite locations to shoot--the scenery is beautiful, so much variety, and has so much character. Overall, it's a charming, relaxing place that I always enjoy coming back to.

It was a great gesture the chamber did, to get our locals shopping on small business Saturday. We…read moreneed more people shopping at our local small shops. Thank you from a proud Ramonan

I'm the director for a Ramona non-profit, Ramona Parks and Recreation Association & needed some…read moreinformation for a grant I was writing. Olivia at the Ramona Chamber was a great resource & our grant application was successful. Being a member of the Ramona Chamber has real benefits, even for a non-profit!

I happen to notice this building as I was sitting in a restaurant across the street. As I left the…read morebuilding I checked out the sign to see what it was. I reached my campsite and decided to read up on the library. The reviews were great so I decided to go the next day. Since I was visiting in the area I asked the librarian if they had any info what to do in town. She was very helpful and friendly. After pointing me in the direction to look for things to do in town. I sat and looked around the library and was admiring the architecture. It was a gloomy, windy and very wet day. But, being inside the library I didn't get that feeling. It was bright and open and with floor to ceiling glass windows it brought the outside beauty indoors. They had individual work rooms, meeting rooms, teens and youths areas. I decided to walk around and view the outdoors from the youth section. There the floor to ceiling windows opened up an entire room you can only look at from your chair. With the storm hovering above you could see Mother Nature in the works. What a grand room! So also in this area they had set up on the tables easels with canvas and paint supplies. I found out from the librarian that they sometime offer different art projects for anyone to do at no charge! So after my town adventures in the rain I returned to do a little painting of my own. In the two hours that I was there painting I also enjoyed the sound of the heavy rain tapping on the rooftop and windows. Watching the plants blowing in the wind and the dark clouds pass by. The library has a security guard just inside the front door. The entrance lobby is open and bright. The staff is very helpful and friendly. I would definitely return to the library if I'm in town. You should see for yourself what they have to offer.

Worth stopping by if you're in the area, or if you need a place to study, relax, take photos, or…read moreget out of the heat. They have a computer room which the public can access.