Monday, July 16, 2012

Borrego Springs - Around Town

Just a small grouping of shots taken around the little town of Borrego Springs. It's a small place in the middle of a huge desert. Lot's of snow birds come to this area in the winter, but in the summer it is deadly hot and only fools and people who really want to be there are around. It's one of our favorite places and strangely enough one of the BEST little restaurants you'll ever eat at is there. 

This doesn't really keep to the theme, but hey, an artistic photo every now and then, never hurt anyone, right? Actually, this shot was taken just a little ways out of town, so it kinda qualifies.

A double decker bus!  I guess that if the London Bridge can now be found in the desert several hundred miles from here, why not an English double decker bus here?

Of course this (and every other) American desert is littered with awesome old pickup truck bones. Borrego Springs is no exception. This little beauty is worth some money.

Don't ask me! I only take the photos! I do know that it's either a 1949 or 1950 "shoebox" Ford.  i guess it's been sitting there for a while.  That grill and front bumper are worth quite a bit of money. Of course these days reproductions are readily available, but purist restorers want original parts like this.

No clue! I do know that about 50 years ago I saw a car fall off of a lift in the service bay to the right. It's been remodeled since then, but it's the same place. I guess I have been coming to the desert for along time.

One of the sculptures I didn't post before. I liked it because I got out of our jeep to take a photo of this one.

Cholla cactus.
  More spines per square inch than any other cactus in the desert. 

nature trail around the visitor center

Just because it was barren and pretty.

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62 comments:

  1. I love love love that first photo. It would make an amazing painting.

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  2. Love the desert beauty- including the remains of the old vehicles. Lots of character in Borrego Springs-

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  3. Interesting photos, Pat! Those old cars in the desert are are fascinating to see. I thought someone would strip all the parts to sell.

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  4. wow that jeep on the rocks looks so cool

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  5. Awesome photos, Pat! Must say I am partial to the one with the tree growing out of the car.

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  6. What's the name of the restaurant? We get out that way sometimes...

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  7. This place is beautiful with different details ( I mean about the creative sculptures).The first image is breathtaking, very well captured!
    Thanks for sharing!
    Léia

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  8. I have always wanted to go there. I used to try to get my husband to drive me there so I could photograph the spring wildflowers but he always said it was too far away with the price of gasoline. Now that he has passed, I'll probably never get out there because I don't like driving that much. I'll drive around my home area, but don't like long trips and hate freeways. :-(

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  9. Excellent shots as usual. That first one is worth embiggening for sure! Love the colors in it!!

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  10. Old trucks littered in the yard sounds like my life on the farm. And my husband still drives one of my Dad's old rusty trucks. Of course I think it has seen better days!

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  11. This is one of my favorite batches of your pics. I especially like the palm tree car.

    Be well, Pat.
    xoRobyn

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  12. What great desert shots, Pat, as always, and such beautiful skies and wispy clouds! A wonderful collection of typical American desert litter, too! The cactus is so lovely and I agree, hard to believe the arrangement in the next to last shot is natural! I love it! Have a great week!!

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  13. what a great set of pix! loved 'em all. such creativity in a sort of barren place. :)

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  14. I went through the Anza Borrego desert once but never made it to Borrego Springs. Your pics make we want to return to the desert.

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  15. Love the tree, such character!

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  16. The cactus growing through the Ford makes me even more respectful of nature than ever before. True beauty. I love the desert.

    Nice collection of images PattyPoo!

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  17. These shots are great. Did you go in the winter? if not you are either crazy or really like the desert. Your words, not mine. don't know if you saw my vacation pictures. Let me know what you think.

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  18. So many things can be done with wrecked cars. Nice photos.

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  19. Great shots. You're right, barren and pretty!

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  20. Those are such darn interesting photos Pat!

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  21. The artistic tree is awsome, Pat. As for the rest they are a delightful array of desert scenes as well.

    My hubs first car was a 1951 Ford which he carries a photo of in his wallet :)

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  22. Beautiful photos Pat, especially that first one! There is something so very appealing about desert landscapes...

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  23. love you take the best pictures

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  24. Perfect selection of desert photos -- love the memories ....isn't it amazing out there? Bill cries when he sees old abandoned pickups and cars (such a sentimental guy ;>)

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  25. Those are some great shots Pat. The first pic is a masterpiece of landscape...too cool. Is that tree actually growing out of that old Ford?? That looks incredible.

    I think all your trips to the desert turn out such amazing views I can see why you never get tired of trekking around out there.

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  26. Great shots as always Pat..it's crazy when you see abandoned vehicles like this..where I live, sometimes we'll be hiking on a trail through the woods, and all of a sudden, off to the side of the trail, we'll see some car or pickup truck..right there in the woods. It's nuts.

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  27. The "barren and pretty" one is my fav here. Love the ridges of texture in that shot.
    Rosemary

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  28. Nice pictures. An awesome place. The first reminds me of the Hanging Tree.

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  29. LOVED these photos, Pat! My favorite is the double decker bus. How cool! :)

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  30. My part of Colorado is going to start looking like your desert if we don't get some rain.

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  31. All these images are great! I love your "finds" in the desert. The one with the palm tree growing out of the Ford is simply amazing. I definitely agree with your assessment on your first and last images. :-)

    Thanks for your recent visits and comments on my blogs. Things have been rather hectic and I'm delinquent in getting back to everyone.

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  32. I read something once about the people that make a living dumping stuff in the desert. Doesn't it work the other way too. Isn't someone out their picking the dessert for the items that can be turned into ready cash.

    I have seen a few folks on the TV program American Restorations restoring items customers have found in the desert.

    Love the first and last shots. They are wonderful. Just the kind of thing I would frame and hang on my wall.

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  33. Hi there - no desert post would be complete without a few old trucks - I used to think they were part of the ecosystem!

    Have to agree that the bee-eaters are rather splendid.

    Stewart M – Australia

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  34. Pat Stoltey (above) says Colorado is dry right now. We had rain for a while here in Virginia, and now we're looking droughty again. So I would love to be out there in the desert right now, where the air is dryer and where it's SUPPOSED to look droughty. Though it really doesn't. There's so much amazing stuff in it -- including a rusty jeep!

    Wonderful photographs as always, Pat! And thanks for stopping by and commenting on my grandbaby post. Babies ARE awesome! Even more awesome than the awesome desert!!

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  35. Thank you for the kind and thoughtful words on the passing of my beloved Alex. I appreciate you. Sister Gracie from Brian's Home

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  36. The jeep sculpture is neat! I'm sure it's a little hot there now!

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  37. Beautiful pics! We love it there. You must be talking about Carlee's restaurant :)

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  38. Have you gone east on the main road, just at the edge of town, there is a roundabout. Go around it, then north to the fields. There a lot of metal art dinosaurs, etc. That is the road to the really good "flower walk" in the spring.

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  39. I have about 3 double decker buses in the woods behind my house. Those things are a dime a dozen.

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  40. I love that area just outside of Anza, thanks for reminding me. And there's that little area that's rather green and lush with houses and horses in the backyard called, I think, Hidden Valley -- unless I'm confusing that with the salad dressing.

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  41. BEAUTIFUL SERIES my Friend!

    LOL- I hope the Tires on my Jeep hold up better than those--I didn't know RUBBER could rust. Or are they a different element?

    J

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  42. ✿彡✿⊱╮¸.•°
    Bonitas fotos.
    Gostei muito da foto da árvore.
    Bom fim de semana!
    Beijinhos.
    Brasil
    ✿彡

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  43. Great shots. Love the truck acting as a planter.

    Darryl and Ruth :)

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  44. I so enjoy our trips, especially your wonderful finds.

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  45. I'm quite attracted to the heaps of rusty stuff you find in the desert. Very cool.

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  46. These are great photos! Nice post.

    www.modernworld4.blogspot.com

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  47. Super cool shots of the old rusted out vehicles and abandoned structures! They are all great. How did you ever find all of those? I've seen a lot of abandoned car photos, but these are really quite unique in the genre. And I've also seen that arrangement outside the visitor center. I second your disbelief.

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  48. i just died of happiness looking at these

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  49. Mynx - thanks so much! Feel free to use it if you like.

    Shelly - I agree with you! I love the things you can find there.

    Icy BC - Thanks! Some of them seem to be stripped, while others just sit and rust away.

    baygirl32 - It was pretty cool. It was done by the same guy that did the other ones I posted a couple of months ago.

    Alex - Thanks Alex! That is one of my favorites also.

    trav4adventures - The name of the place is Carlee's. It's REALLY good.

    Leia - Thanks my friend! I appreciate it.

    Kay - I'm sorry to hear that. If you can ever find a way, it's well worth the trip.

    laughingmom - Thanks so much! I really like that photo as well.

    Sharon - I have an old truck also, but I try not to let it get rusty.

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  50. Robyn - Thanks Robyn! I really appreciate that.

    Sylvia - Thanks Sylvia! Without the clouds, it's just an okay photo.

    TexWisGirl - Thanks so much! There are so many creative folks in the desert. It seems like many of them are drawn there.

    Sally - I guess you had enough gas to avoid it! Not really much there anyway. But what is there is pretty interesting.

    Ms. A - Thanks! It was an awesome sight.

    Marie Nicole - I love it also! what man leaves behind, nature soon takes back.

    Budd - We usually go during the cooler months, but sometimes we go when it's hot. there is usually NOBODY in the desert when it's hot.

    Clarissa - Thanks Clarissa! I think that sometimes people intend to do something with them, but it never happens.

    sage - Thanks! Two of the things I like best about it.

    Brian - Thanks so much Brian!

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  51. Pam - Thanks Pam! I have to admit that sometimes, I just want to take "snapshots" and not worry about the technical or artistic side of photography. Sometimes though, I see things that I know I want take a little more time with.

    Nat - Thanks Nat! I totally agree about the appeal of the desert.

    becca - Thanks so much!

    Sallie - Thank you! I feel the same way about old trucks as your husband does.

    Chuck - Thanks Chuck! I'm pretty sure that the palm tree was already there when they put the car around it. Now I guess it is actually growing there. you are right about the desert. I'm not so anxiously waiting for it to cool down.

    Eve - Thanks Eve! I wish I could just pluck up a few and take them home.

    Rosemary - Why thank you! I like that one also. It's a beautiful place.

    Dr. Blood - Thanks! I'll be over!

    Leovi - thanks so much! Nobody was hanging on it when I was there!

    Pam - Hey Pam! I was pretty surprised to see it there.

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  52. Patricia - I hope you do get some rain out there. Much too dry!

    Lindy - Thanks so much! Love the desert! As to me visiting your site; it's my pleasure.

    Rita - I don't see a whole lot of dumping out there. I know it goes on though. I've seen that show also. I like it. I appreciate what you said about those two photos! thanks!

    Stewart - I totally agree! Old abandoned trucks and deserts go together.

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  53. Ann - I know what you mean. The desert looks dry, but it's very healthy that way. There are some spots not too far from where I took these photos that are called "bad lands." Not a single living plant there for miles and miles. I hope you get some good rain.

    Brian - My pleasure Brian!

    Carly - Heck, it was only 110 there today!

    Thetis - Right you are! Restaurant by day, bar by night. Love the food there. Oh yeah, I did a couple of blog posts on those sculptures.

    Mama Zen - Thanks so much!

    PTM - Okay, I'll take 3 dozen! Can I pay you the 30 cents later?

    Altadenahiker - Yep, it's close, it's green, but it's still blazing hot!

    John - Why thanks John! The tires looked better than the drivers face in that thing.

    Magia - Thanks so much! I appreciate it.

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  54. Darryl and Ruth - thanks! People are very creative out there.

    Laura - thanks so much! I LOVE poking around out there.

    EG CG - I am also! thanks...

    Gina - Thanks for stopping by and commenting.

    Stickup Artist - Thanks for the nice words. I found so much more than what I've posted. I guess I know where to look. Or maybe, I've spent too much time in the desert heat.

    Lovkyne - Hey Ven! Thanks! I think you'd do quite well out there with your camera also.

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  55. Great shots! I remember seeing the double decker bus as we drove by and I love the Ford palm tree pot. :)

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  56. Great shots Pat! It's very different countryside to what I am used to. That rusty jeep is really cool. And your last shot "barren & pretty" is gorgeous!!

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  57. Oh and I forgot to say, your first shot is stunning... I did "embiggen" it!

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  58. les voitures abandonnees donnent un plus au paysage,sympa,mais j espere qu elles ont ete depoluees...

    ;o)

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  59. I love that first picture!! It's my favorite. That double decker bus looks like it came straight out of Harry Potter. That cactus looks painful!!

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  60. No photos of La Cass del Sorrow? I remember your telling me it closed. So sad.

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