Borrego Springs: Desert town makes great weekend getaway

Photo courtesy of San Diego Visitors and Convention Bureau

Photo courtesy of San Diego Visitors and Convention Bureau

By Steve Scauzillo, Staff Writer

If hiking, botany or four-wheeling are not your things, Borrego Springs can be a great weekend getaway for the metropolitan couple or the Southern California family. Though remember, this is not Frank Sinatra’s Rat Pack desert. You are far from the car-choked boulevards of Palm Springs or the highway-close Indian casinos.

Borrego Springs (borrego is Spanish for bighorn sheep), is a fancy name for an isolated desert valley east of Temecula and west of the Salton Sea.

The town has two main streets: Palm Canyon Drive and Yaqui Pass Road. You know you are there when you see the traffic circle, known as Christmas Circle. From here, actually a city park, spin a cluster of restaurants and inns.

Some notable places to stay include the Borrego Valley Inn, a 15-room hotel; the Borrego Springs Resort & Spa, a 1970s-like throwback with a karaoke room and a bar that is straight out of “Mad Men,” one of our favorite places to hang out (don’t miss the all-day happy hour); or the low-budget Hacienda del Sol motel. For RVers, there’s the Leapin Lizard RV Ranch in nearby Ocotillo Wells, and the Desert Sands RV Park in town.

We stayed at the newly restored La Casa Del Zorro, a 42-acre resort with five swimming pools, main room and individual casitas. We went in early June and the air conditioning at the place didn’t work. Even the AC in the casitas, where they finally moved us, didn’t bring down the temperatures inside the bedroom to less than 82 degrees.

Learn from our experience: Don’t go in the summer unless you don’t mind heat. In fact, most tourists visit in February and March, but Raffetto advised booking a stay for November or December, when the highs are 77 degrees and 69 degrees, respectively, as opposed to June, July and August, when the mercury tops out above 100 degrees.

From desert wildflowers to dazzling sky displays including a glimpse of the Milky Way, Borrego Springs makes you feel like you’ve left civilization behind.

In a way, you have.

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Borrego Springs: Badlands, mud caves, Ocotillo Wells, gas domes

This is of the off-roading area in Ocotillo Wells, near Borrego Springs. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Convention and Visitors)

This is of the off-roading area in Ocotillo Wells, near Borrego Springs. (Photo courtesy of San Diego Convention and Visitors)

By Steve Scauzillo, Staff Writer

The  80-year-old Anza-Borrego Desert State Park lies in a secluded part of the Southern California desert. Nearby, there’s also:

• Borrego Badlands, a red-clay display of craggy hills and odd rock formations, including something called the Pumpkin Patch. This is a place of rounded rock deposits scattered across the desert floor.

• Mud caves, as many as 22 caves and more canyons to explore.

• Ocotillo Wells, visited by about 2 million people a year. The off-highway vehicle area is popular for three- and four-wheeling and dirt bikes.

• Gas Domes, a place with bubbling mud pots similar to what you’d see in Yellowstone Park on a much smaller scale.

•Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, 634,000 acres (roughly the size of the Angeles National Forest), which in spring features wildflowers and in March and April, blooming flowers of magenta, lime green and lemon yellow bursting from a barrel or beavertail cactus. In summer, the ocotillo plant’s spindly stalks are filled with water, its flower tips like flames of fire.

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Fess Parker Inn plans beer pairing dinner on July 26 in Santa Barbara

 The culinary team, led by Executive Chef Kirk DeLong from Rodney’s Grill at The Fess Parker – A Doubletree by Hilton Resort, believes nothing tastes quite like an ice-cold hand crafted beer to quench summertime thirst. 

With that belief in mind,  DeLong is taking beer to a whole new level with the resort’s first ever Beer Pairing Dinner complementing a $79 per person (plus tax and gratuity) delectable four-course tasting menu with hand crafted beers from Orange County’s The Bruery.  

The tasting dinner will be held on July 26 at 7 p.m.  

Founder Patrick Rue whose six-year-old company, The Bruery, will provide a brief overview to guests about the pairing of signature beers with each course.  Chef DeLong will share with diners highlights of American dishes and the use of fresh regional produce and ingredients which complement the beers.  

Advance reservations for the tasting event are required by calling the resort’s concierge at 805-884-8533 or via open table at www.Rodneyssteakhouse.com.

The menu will feature: Sea scallop, habanero-red pepper gazpacho, kiwi-dragon fruit chutney paired with Trade Winds Tripel; Hoisin duck breast, pomegranate risotto, rainbow Swiss chard, port jus Paired with Saison Rue; Sea bass, heirloom tomato, tempura beech mushroom, saffron-fennel broth paired with Mischief; Hawaiian sweet bread pudding, Rori’s Artisanal Creamery vanilla bean ice cream Paired with Sucre.

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Borrego Springs: Feasting on grand canyon at Font’s Point

By Steve Scauzillo, Staff Writer

My cautious side resisted the suggestion.

“Really, it is a tradition here in Borrego Springs,” explained our guide, Joe Raffetto of California Overland Desert Excursions.

My wife, Karen, and I hadn’t noticed that Raffetto had tossed his grimy baseball cap in the yellow Jeep we rode in on and put on a suede cowboy hat. He was ready for what would happen next.

I gave in. “OK,” I answered, lowering my head.

“Stand together. Look down at your feet. Walk 10 big steps, then stop and look up,” he instructed. I could hear my tennis shoes squishing against the coarse sand until I stopped and looked out.

My eyes feasted on a 360-degree panorama of the badlands of Anza-Borrego Desert State Park, sprawled in Technicolor reality.

This Grand Canyon-like place appeared out of nowhere. The precipice held steady as hot desert winds tickled my back. I felt like “The Lion King’s” Simba on Pride Rock surveying my kingdom.

We had arrived at Font’s Point, a landmark four miles off County Road S-22 and Route 78, not far from the golf courses and emerging resorts of the small town of Borrego Springs, yet separated from civilization in both space and time.

Font’s Point, named after Father Pedro Font, the chaplain who accompanied Juan Bautista de Anza on the journey to Monterey in 1775, amazed those pioneers then and is still delivering today.

From the edge, I could see striated rock canyons carved by ancient riverbeds. It’s a place of mammoth fossils from the Pliocene Epoch unearthed by paleontologists. It was a place once teeming with giant mammals until the Colorado River veered south and left it dry.

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airBerlin offers summer sale to Europe

 

Whether you are still looking for a spontaneous city trip this summer, or the long-awaited winter vacation in December, airBerlin’s Summer Sale includes the right deal for your travel plans.

Booking period:
 July 14-July 25, 2014
Travel period: August 24 to December 14, 2014
Great low rates are also available for departures in 2015!
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Trains keep guest awake at The Mission Inn in Riverside

Dear Mr. Irwin,

I was pleased to see your article about the Mission Inn in last week’s Star-News. My husband and I chose the Mission Inn last November as a meeting point for friends visiting from Minneapolis. None of us had ever stayed there before.

We were trying to show our Midwestern friends something special about SoCal. Everything seemed to be going just fine. We had a splendid time at the wine bar and Duane’s for dinner. Then we parted for the night.

Our friends had a room somewhere on ground level, but my husband and I thought we had scored!!! We were shown to a suite (Rm 405) on the rooftop I think you mentioned in your article. It was beautifully furnished and spacious and had attracted curious lookie-loos peeking through the door while we unpacked our bags.

Outside our door was a big rooftop terrace (which we had to ourselves) with fascinating architecture and fabulous views overlooking the very picturesque hotel courtyards. We felt we were in an environment as close to Europe as you can be in this part of the world!

Then came time to call it a day and we were looking forward to a good night’s sleep. Well, it was a very short sleep, interrupted ALL NIGHT by freight trains EVERY 15 MINUTES!!!! honking their horns all the way through town from the RR 3-4 blocks from the hotel. It was impossible to sleep.

In the morning, our friends maintained they heard nothing and slept well. We’ll never know whether they were just being polite. When we mentioned our lost night’s sleep at the desk while checking out, we got little smiles and nods saying yes, the trains are a bit of a problem, but nothing more.

It’s too bad; the hotel is really a fabulous place and we had a good time exploring Riverside, but will now be super-vigilant about the room we get if we ever decide to go back.

Just wanted to share this experience with you,

Tania Rizzo

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The Mission Inn: Fine dining offers steak, seafood, pizza and brunch

 

54 Degrees at Duane's (Photo courtesy of The Mission Inn)

54 Degrees at Duane’s (Photo courtesy of The Mission Inn)

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

For more upscale dining, try Duane’s Prime Steaks and Seafood at The Mission Inn. The very elegant restaurant has received the AAA Four Diamond Award since 1996, as well as Wine Spectator’s award of excellence.

We loved the warm amber decor and marveled at the central masterpiece, “Charge Up San Juan Hill.” The 8-by-6-foot painting of Teddy Roosevelt and the Rough Riders is one of the largest paintings in The Mission Inn.

54 Degrees at Duane’s wine bar next door offers 28 wines by the glass and 285 wines by the bottle. The simpler Mission Inn Restaurant is famous for its champagne brunch on Sundays, with unique food stations and a mimosa bar.

Las Campanas Mexican Cantina in the front courtyard offers seating under shady umbrellas. We sampled the signature margaritas and Mexican cuisine for lunch.

Bella Trattoria Italian Bistro, located under an outside arcade on the pedestrian plaza, offers southern Italian cooking with pizzas baked in a brick oven, custom pasta dishes and pressed panini sandwiches.

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The Mission Inn: Presidential Lounge and Spanish Courtyard ooze history

The Spanish Courtyard at The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

The Spanish Courtyard at The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

The Presidential Lounge is named for the many presidents who have stayed at The Mission Inn. If the presidential portraits on the walls weren’t enough of a hint, the majestic mosaic presidential seal on the floor under our feet was a dead giveaway.

Theodore Roosevelt visited in 1903. Richard Nixon and his wife, Pat, were married next to the fireplace, while Ronald and Nancy Reagan honeymooned here. Take a minute to try out the enormous chair hand-built for the portly

William Howard Taft. A total of eight presidents have visited, including John F. Kennedy.

Outside is the Spanish Patio, a restaurant that feels like it is in the inner courtyard of a castle in Spain. Its design was inspired by owner Frank Miller’s visit to Spain in 1911. Some of the tiles came from Seville, while the four grinning gargoyles in the water fountain are copies of a waterspout from a castle near Barcelona.

In March, the Spanish Patio celebrated 100 years. Every month for a year it will feature a special entree.

In July, it is Ronald Reagan veal osso buco with herb couscous, roasted chanterelles and turnips. In August, the menu will include Cary Grant barbecued squab with fingerling potato salad, mustard green slaw and red onion paste.

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The Mission Inn: Time travel is possible at this elegant hotel

The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

The Mission Inn in Riverside. (Photo courtesy of Mission Inn)

By Richard Irwin, Staff Writer

Time travel is possible. Travelers just have to use their imaginations to step into the past. Fortunately, they can combine Old World charm with modern amenities for a comfortable visit in Riverside.

It was on a record 104-degree day that we stepped through the San Gabriel Mission style bell tower at The Mission Inn in Riverside to find a vibrant part of California history. As we strolled down the lush garden path past ancient Spanish cannons, we stopped in front of a huge birdcage.

Normally, two brightly colored macaws greet guests, much as they have done for more than 100 years. But the heat had driven the birds indoors.

Stepping through the doors, we entered another era, a time when Spanish missions towered over the land, calling the faithful to worship.

Moving into the cool, dark lobby, we rolled our carry-on bags past elegant seating areas to a beautiful wooden registration desk. An antique phone on the desk drew us back into California’s colorful 1900s.

No soaring ceilings, glass walls and marble desks can be found here. The Mission Inn celebrates its unique past by maintaining its historic style. The mission of the Mission is to share its glorious history with travelers tired of the hustle and bustle of the modern world.

Soon, we were huddled in a tiny European style elevator for a rumbling ride to our room. Each of the 238 guest rooms and 27 suites are decorated differently. No cookie-cutter rooms here.

We then took the elevator to the rooftop of the historic hotel for a magnificent view of downtown Riverside. While there, we found a secluded, restful patio on top of the Rotunda wing.

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Hyatt Regency San Francisco offers baseball package

Located on San Francisco’s exciting waterfront within walking distance of San Francisco Giants’ AT&T Park, Hyatt Regency San Francisco offers a new baseball package. 

The San Francisco Baseball Package includes accommodations for two, a $20 food and beverage credit for the hotel’s Eclipse Restaurant and Lounge to celebrate pre- or post- game as well as a $25 gift card that is valid for redemption at AT&T Park or at the Dugout team store, located adjacent to the hotel in Embarcadero Center. Available through October 31, 2014, rates for this package start at $234.

To secure the best values for the San Francisco Baseball Package, recommendations are to take advantage of several Sunday and Monday home games, as follows:

Sunday, July 13 against the Arizona Diamondbacks

Sunday, July 27 against the Los Angeles Dodgers

Monday, July 28 against the Pittsburgh Pirates

Sunday, August 17 against the Philadelphia Phillies

Monday, August 25 against the Colorado Rockies

Sunday, August 31 against the Milwaukee Brewers

Sunday, September 14 against the Los Angeles Dodgers

Sunday, September 28 against the San Diego Padres

 

Reservations and Information

The above package is available through October 31 and is based on availability.  Rates will vary according to dates of reservations. For reservations and additional information, visit www.sanfranciscoregency.hyatt.com or call(800) 233-1234.

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