Category: History

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Travel Guide

Published by UnderHistory travel on

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is one of California’s largest state parks. This vast desert is located east of San Diego and is home to lots of awesome attractions. Here are the top places you can explore in Anza Borrego State Park.

Font’s Point

Font’s point is one of the coolest places in all of Southern California. It has an awesome viewpoint that you can drive up to and it looks out over the craggy ridge lines all the way out into the distance. The best time to visit Font’s Point is sunrise because the sun actually comes up over the Salton Sea. To get to Font’s Point, you will need a four-wheel-drive car. A two-wheel-drive is not recommended because it is four miles back and it could get pretty sandy depending on the time of year.

Borrego Palm Canyon

Borrego Palm Canyon is one of the park’s most popular hikes. This is actually the only place in the entire park that you have to pay to get to but that money goes to help the state park system and to continue to provide for the upkeep they do especially in Anza Borrego State Park. The trail goes back into the canyon behind the campground and it’s about three miles each way. Be sure to keep your eyes peeled for bighorn sheep you will often see them on this trail. When you get all the way to the back and you see the greenhorn coming out of the desolate desert, it’s a pretty awesome sight to see.

Galleta Meadows Sculptures

The Galleta Meadows Sculptures are about two dozen sculptures that are in the Borrego Springs area and they range from sea serpents and grasshoppers to scorpions and even a jeep. These sculptures are about 15 to 20 feet tall and they are all made of metal. It’s especially impressive when you see some of the animals that have hair and the hair are actually made of metal as well. Note that Borrego Springs is a dark sky community so they try to limit light pollution in the area, making this a great place to come for astrophotography especially with the sculptures in the foreground.

The Slot

The slot is your typical slot canyon; something like what you would see in Arizona or Utah but this is in the heart of the California desert. The trail is accessed by a half-mile dirt road, just take your time and go slow. When you get to the parking area, you can walk down into the canyon it’s about a half-mile through the Slot. Sometimes, it’s so narrow you have to go sideways to get through. In the end, you will see the natural arch bridge which is the most impressive part of this hike then you can turn around and come back out the way that you came.

Arroyo Topaido Mud Caves

This extensive mud cave system is one of the largest in the entire world and it’s accessed by a seven-mile off-road that you should not attempt without a four-wheel-drive car. As you are driving out be sure to stop at the Hollywood and Vine sign which is set up on a small hill. When you get to the caves note that the caves are dangerous you should not go in without a flashlight and a helmet. Also, don’t go in after it has rained as the caves can move around. However, once you start exploring you will notice this is a pretty cool place to check out.

Chasm Cave.

Goat Canyon Trestle

The Goat Canyon Trestle is one of the largest wooden trestles in the entire world and they connected an extensive desert railway system in the southern part of California. The road to get to this trailhead is another off-roading adventure. When you get to the trailhead, there’s no sign so make sure you have a GPS track. Also, bring tons of water and know that you are hiking in the desert so don’t do it in the summer or when it’s really hot it’s not worth it. That being said when you finally see the trestle, it’s an incredible experience. There is a large wooden bridge that connects to the railway system in the middle of the desert and there’s nothing else around. It is really cool to see.

More History

Published by UnderHistory on

While we consider the consequences of terrorism, it’s history and its impact on us and our allies (and our enemies, who are not immune to terrorism either) let’s consider the humble dog.

Why the dog? Back in the day, each dog has been considered “the worst breed”.  Currently, the bully breeds (e.g., pit bulls) have that dubious honor, although it’s historically been other breeds such as German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Doberman Pinschers, wolf hybrids, and the list goes on.

The same goes with people. Right now, ISIS is the most dangerous group in modern terrorism. Before that, there were areas of Canada (In Quebec, a Marxist group of nationalists that sought to build an socialist nation independent from the rest of Canada there), the U.S (Jewish Defense League, who declared its purpose was to protect Jews from antisemitism), Puerto Rico (FALN, whose goal was to have an independent Puerto Rico), and the Weather Underground (the weathermen) who, in the 1960’s, was a leftist organization which was anti-capitalist and anti-Vietnam War.

I could keep going. Going, in fact, as far back as the first century when terrorism was first documented when the Sicarii Zealots, led by Josephus, Judas of Galilee formed a small, extreme offshoot of the Zealots. Josephus claimed that the Sicarii would conceal their short or small knives and/or daggers under their jackets or cloaks, mingle with crowds at large events, like a festival, kill (or murder) their victims, then disappear when panic ensued. Most notable was their assassination of Jonathan, a high priest.

My point here is, it’s the Muslims’ turn to be the bad guys. Remember back in World War II when we incarcerated all of the Japanese Americans when Japan attacked Pearl Harbor in Hawaii? Gee, how did that work out for us? Forty years after the fact, the U.S. government finally apologized to it’s people of Japanese heritage. After a couple of years being locked up, these people tried to return to their homes and businesses but…they were gone, taken over by non-Japanese people. They couldn’t find jobs. They couldn’t get loans. It took years for them to acquire new land and get new houses.

Today, many families are suing the government to be paid back what their families lost. This is the price we pay for racism. This should teach us all that we are all people, no matter what color or race.

So, sure. We can ban all Muslims entering our country, screening both them and the ones that are already here, and figure out a way to effectively screen anyone else coming into the U.S. That’s what Donald Trump wants to do. Believe me, I’m all for taking any reasonable, cautious step after that 9/11 fiasco where we not only let the perpetrators into the country we actually taught them how to fly the planes they used to take down the twin towers. Talk about adding insult to injury! But what IS reasonable and necessary? Couldn’t it have just as easily have been another Timothy McVeigh? How do we know? What do we do to protect ourselves and our families? How do we make sure that the terrorists don’t win?