We are a couple that love plane rides to far off destinations that require a passport and possibly a visa. The farther away from home, the more excited we are. Not because we don’t love our home; we live in beautiful sunny San Diego! We just love the adventure. This year, we are taking less passport worthy trips. We have a few family events, work obligations and travel savings. California is a beautiful and diverse state. You have the mountains, the forest, ocean and desert all within easy driving distance. This year we are concentrating more on the beauty and adventures that are right outside our front door.

Recently we took a day trip out to Anza Borrego. California has gotten an incredible amount of rain so flowers are blooming everywhere! We heard there was a super bloom out in the desert so we packed our car and headed out. There is something so inspiring about the desert. You have the rugged terrain, deep valleys, tall cacti lining the roads and the badlands that blow your mind. Most people don’t find the desert to be particularly beautiful. Jared on the other hand absolutely loves the desert. He spent some of his childhood in Arizona and has fond memories of riding mountain bikes with his dad. The drive out to Anza Borrego took a while but the landscape was so interesting that it didn’t feel long at all.

We had no idea what to expect when we arrived in this small town, national park and a small central park with trees to shade you from the sun. We explored around the town, the national park and then laid around in the shade listening to a few local bands play in the gazebo nearby. We decided to check out Fonts Point in the badlands. Alas, this path required a car with 4-wheel drive and we have an old Honda Civic. A quick Google search led us to another point where we could see the badlands but it would require a good 2 hour drive around to the other side. I can’t even express how worth it that extra drive ended up being.

We hit the lookout point just as the sun was setting over the mountains. The sky turned pink and orange and the colors of the desert came alive with purples and blues. We felt like we were the only ones in the world. The drive home on a dark deserted road solidified that feeling. No lights or cars could be seen. We live in California’s second largest city so to be in an open space with a sky full of stars is an exciting feeling. Without a second thought, I pulled off to the side of the dark road, turned off the engine, blasted our music and told Jared to follow me. We danced in the dark, in the middle of nowhere under a diamond sky. Just for good measure, (because how often are we in this situation), we danced naked.