Desert Trip (Day 11)

Today we spent some quality time at the Anza-Borrego Desert State Park visitor's center. The building itself, a work of art, or rather architecture, was designed by Robert D. Ferris, AIA and dedicated in 1979. It is invisible from its own parking lot, which is right next to it, because the building was constructed into the side of a hill and covered with desert landscaping on the back and sides. The curved front, faced with local stone from adjoining private land, seems to embrace the park which lays before it. The deeply inset entryway is always shaded and cool, like the burrows of the desert animals who dig deeply into the earth to escape the summer heat.

The exhibits inside were very interesting and informative, the 15-minute slide show was wonderful, very well done and has won several awards. We heard a lecture by a volunteer naturalist on the coyote, of which there are many in the Borrego Springs area. In fact, the coyote's natural range includes almost all of Alaska, Canada, the U.S., Mexico and Central America. Because of the coyote's breeding habits, and its abilities to reintroduce itself into an area which has been cleared of coyotes by man (by poisoning or shooting them), it is virtually impossible to eradicate them. Their main source of food is rodents, although they will readily eat other small animals and almost anything else that is available, although they will seldom, if ever attack something bigger then them - like people. We also learned, that despite the cartoon, a road runner (pictured below) can not outrun a coyote. We also were told that a coyote can not outrun a mountain lion. Its called the food chain.

After the lecture, we went outside the visitor's center and went on a wildflower walk led by a park naturalist. The wildflowers that bloom in the desert in springtime have not quite reached their peak yet, but the naturalist was able to find many that were blooming. She also answered many questions about desert plants in general.

We came back to the RV for lunch and then went to the local shopping center to look around. Although it was a big shopping weekend almost everywhere else in America (President's Day Weekend), the small mall here was almost deserted, with several stores closed. We found a few things to buy anyway, and then returned "home" to the RV and grilled some chicken for dinner.

The weather is great - sunny and a little cool (low 60's) but very comfortable. Tomorrow looks like a hiking day and more looking around the area.