Galleta Meadows Estate

Hey Friends,

No callbacks or update on my job status yet. I'm starting to grow a little weary of all the waiting but have resolved to enjoy my summer vacation in the meantime. A couple of weeks ago I managed to convince two of my friends that walking in 100 degree heat in the desert would be a lot of fun - and it was!

In the depths of the Anza Borrego Desert lies a treasure of metal sculptures that spans across a large part of Borrego Springs. This unique park, if you will, is called Galleta Meadows and is one of the most fascinating outdoor art exhibits that I have encountered.

Owned by multimillionaire and now deceased (July 2012) Dennis Avery, he first commissioned Mexican artist Ricardo Creceda decades ago to weld and create metal sculptures of animals and things that once lived in the area. You know, like mammoths and such. These sculptures were than scattered all across the estate hoping to draw in crowds of tourists. Among the over 120 metal figures scattered about, you will see dinosaurs, elephants, sloths, camels, horses, and a long dragon-looking serpent that cuts across to the other side of the road, just to name a few. Below is a NOT to scale map of the area and surrounding sculptures. In many ways it was like a scavenger hunt to beat the heat and see all these magnificent works of art.

Source

We took tons of silly pictures and some seriously stunning ones as well. It's hard to miss the series of free-standing art as you're driving up toward Borrego Springs. We parked on the side of the road as soon as we hit the first set of sculptures and wandered around until we thought we had seen it all. Then my buddy found the map above and we realized there were still miles of sculptures to be seen. So we hopped back in the car and uncovered the rest of what the huge estate had to offer.

It's pretty amazing to think that places like this exist. There were sections that were very Jurassic Parkesque and I felt like a kid again, aimlessly wandering around. I know it's in the middle of the desert, but the Galleta Meadows Estate makes for an interesting day trip and is well worth tolerating the smoldering heat for in my opinion. Otherwise you might consider planning a weekend getaway to a neighboring resort or something and catch the sculptures somewhere along the way. Remember to bring plenty of water to keep you hydrated and sunblock is highly recommended.

Happy exploring and as always, thanks for reading!