Anza Borrego! The largest state park in California is only a short drive away (2 1/2 -3 hours) and has some of the best star-gazing in So. Cal. Inside the park is the city of Borrego Springs. You aren’t going to find a Walmart or Starbucks here, so if that is your thing this is not the place you want to be. We cruised in from the South and all I could think of is that this stuff, rocks and  boulders going straight up, would be impossible to hike on unless you were a mountain goat or a mountain climber. As I made my way into the valley you could sense the stark beauty in the parched earth that was peeking through a few bushes, cacti and flowers . There is a quiet presense to the dessert and Anza Borrego is no slouch in that department. The energy around Indian Head Mountain can be seen and felt from miles away. The motel was something out of a 1960’s Doris Day movie. The Stanlunds is a single level, drive up to your room type of place, but adequate for a short stay in Anza. Some of the rooms have a full kitchen, we had a fridge and microwave in ours. We ate at a place called Carmelita’s Mexican Grill & Cantina. The enchiladas were good, the margaritas were even better and the place was packed. Leaving the restaurant, the stars, one of the best features of the park were putting on a stunning display. We went in late April which is the end of the season for most visitors. It can reach some really high temperatures during the day making it really hard to hike, but the evenings were perfect. You could sit out with no jacket and just enjoy the peace and quiet.