02-05-2026 A Beautiful Week with Friends and Flowers

Early morning view of Mt San Jacinto and Gorgonio Pass from Catalina Spa

Our life at Catalina Spa and RV Resort settles into the kind of routine that we love so much when spending time in the California desert. We wake early almost every morning and are often in the pool by 5:30 AM, but occasionally as late as 6. 

The lower pool before dawn.  We never went to the upper pool

After a long hot shower in the roomy bathrooms we return home by way of the short path between our rig and the pool and shower house.

Mattie loves leash free walks in the open desert

We wake Mattie for her early morning walk. Sometimes I go with Mo and Mattie and sometimes I stay at home and make breakfast in time for their return. I love the desert at this time of day with the early morning shadows on the surrounding mountains and the rosy pink glow of the rising sun on Mt. San Jacinto.

Sometimes there are a few dogs in the open space where we walk on the north side of the park. Most of the time, however, Mattie can run off leash to her heart’s content, running back to Mo quickly at the command, reinforced by the tiny treats she has learned to carry in her pocket when she is out walking.

The park is only half full this year. The biggest reason is that the Canadians aren’t here as they have been in past years. The park is feeling the pinch and there are a few indications that funds are short. There aren’t as many park functions as in past years, but that doesn’t bother us at all. We have never been much for attending social gatherings. 

Music in the pavilion on Friday afternoons 

Our main social life in the park is the Friday afternoon music in the nearby pavilion and our morning conversations with Mike in the pool. Mike and his wife Shannon return every year for about three months from their home in Prince George, BC. Mike is usually our only companion in the pool by 6 AM and he is a kind and gentle conversationalist. Shannon is the main vocal performer that provides the Friday afternoon entertainment.  Dave on the right with the red guitar plays exceptionally well, and you can barely see James on the keyboard on the left who is excellent.

Our friends Nickie and Jimmy from Nevada City, California, arrived at the park on the last day of January and plan to stay for a month. We look forward to spending time with them now and then while we share this desert space. They are easy friends to be around.

Mo's flautas were the best

A few days after they arrived the four of us decided to try out the newish Mexican restaurant in Desert Hot Springs that Jeanne and Alan were so excited about. Mo and I no longer have any need or desire to drive to Palm Springs or anywhere else in the Coachella Valley for superb Mexican food. I think it was one of the better meals we have eaten out on any of our visits. Not only was the food superb, the presentation was lovely and interesting. Each dish had a different type of artistic plate and the sides were done perfectly. I had birria tacos for the first time and I am totally hooked. I hope I can find some as good in Grants Pass.

Sue's birria tacos with fantastic dipping broth

Nickie really was happy with her enchiladas

On another day Mo and I traveled to Cathedral City to enjoy another desert tradition that we love. The Mary Pickford Theater It’s Da Place is movie-going at its best. Giant screens, 12 movies to choose from, great sound, huge recliners with lots of space between seats, and beer, wine, and pizza served in the lobby to enjoy with your movie. 

Lovely theater

We saw "Song Sung Blue" and I was in happy tears throughout the entire movie. The music moved me so much. I had forgotten how much I loved Neil Diamond’s music back in the early 70s. Somehow it just slipped away and the movie brought it all back. It was a wonderful movie.

We mentioned to Nickie and Jimmy that we were planning to do a day trip to Anza-Borrego State Park. They were tickled about the chance to share that time with us and asked if we minded if they went along. Separate cars, of course. Our Tracker is our rolling garage for traveling and they have a Smart Car, so two people per vehicle is all anyone can manage.

Anza Borrego is an easy day trip from Catalina Spa

The trip south to Borrego Springs is easy. Maybe an hour and a half traveling east along the infamous Dillon Road that bisects Desert Hot Springs and then south on Highway 86 along the western shore of the Salton Sea. (I say infamous because no one seems to know who "Dillon" was). The Sea is full of water this year and is lovely from a distance. We had no need to get closer. The beaches are muddy and the smell isn’t great. No matter, we were heading uphill toward the Santa Rosa Mountains to the west and the largest state park in California.

The visitor center is nestled softly into the surrounding landscape

Anza-Borrego Desert State Park is the largest state park in California, stretching across more than 600,000 acres of badlands, canyons, palm oases, and desert mountains. Named for Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza and the Spanish word “borrego,” meaning bighorn sheep, the park is best known for its dramatic spring wildflower blooms and the elusive desert bighorn sheep that roam the rocky slopes. In good bloom years the desert floor can erupt into sweeping carpets of color that draw visitors from all over the state.

Standing on the roof of the visitor center

Our first destination was the beautiful visitor center. We have visited here often in the past so didn’t spend much time with the well-done exhibits. We also didn’t walk the lovely interpretive desert paths because it was too warm to leave Mattie in the car and she isn’t allowed on any of the trails in the park. Our main purpose for visiting the center was to ask for information about where the spring blooms are most prolific. The first attendant gave us a map with several locations marked, but the second person came over to tell us that she knew of a place where our dog could run and play in the desert without a leash. Perfect!

Nickie and Jimmy also wanted the chance to see Coyote Canyon, another area well known for amazing blooms along the four-wheel-drive route. The attendant made sure that Nickie and Jimmy knew they couldn’t attempt the Coyote Canyon road in their Smart Car. We decided that with a bit of juggling of our gear into their car, the four of us could fit into the Tracker for the drive up the canyon.

Sue in the dunes at the Big Springs preserve

But first we split up for some separate adventures, the two of them choosing to hike the Palm Canyon Trail while Mo and I took Mattie to her very own desert wildflower heaven. Dogs aren’t allowed on the Palm Canyon Trail because it is disruptive to the wild mountain sheep that live there. I was not about to hike that three-mile round trip of rough rocky ground. Smooth and level is now my style!

Sand verbena and dune primrose 

Up close look at the dune primrose

The Big Springs County Landfill is not far east of Borrego Springs with a nice big parking area and not a soul in sight. Mattie was in heaven and so were we. The desert sand verbena was in full bloom as far as we could see, interspersed by the big clouds of white dune primrose blossoms and punctuated by the bright golden yellow of desert sunflowers. It was thrilling to have the entire area to ourselves.

sand verbena and dune primrose brightened by the desert sunflower

We then drove north toward Henderson Canyon Road where the dune primrose and sand verbena were in bloom for as far as the eye could see on both sides of the road. Cars were parked along the highway on both sides of the road with people kneeling in the sand taking photos of the flowers. It was spectacular.

Not a bad place to wait for Nickie and Jimmy to arrive

Mo and I drove to the entrance to Coyote Canyon and waited a bit for Nickie and Jimmy to arrive after their somewhat hot and rough hike. We emptied the back seat of our car into theirs and the two of them piled in for the trip up the sandy, rutted road that leads into Coyote Canyon.

This was in 2011 when we made it through Second Crossing in the Tracker

There are several creek crossings on the route and when Mo and I traveled this road back in 2011 we made it up to Third Crossing before we had to park the car and get out and walk. This time, Second Crossing stopped us. I got out and attempted to walk across the creek with my sticks to check it out. The water came up to my knees, as long as I was standing on a big boulder, but on either side of the boulders were deep ruts where I never found the bottom.

We weren't so lucky this year with much more water in the creek

We decided that Second Crossing was a “no,” and parked and walked around a bit enjoying the view. It was great fun watching the Jeeps pull up to the crossing, guys getting out to tell the drivers where to go and then watching the Jeeps hit the boulders and the deep gullies under water as they bounced across the creek. Most of the time the water covered the tailpipes and the back bumpers of the Jeeps as the drivers gunned through the water and up the other side.

Lots of blooming brittlebush in Coyote Canyon

We then watched some dirt bikers attempt the crossing and when that didn’t work they went around until one of them got fully and deeply stuck. I was very happy to be an observer and not a driver in any of these situations.

Not sure if and when this guy got out of this spot

I think everyone had fun on our trip into Coyote Canyon, including Mattie

It was a great day for the four of us and I took way too many pictures of the flowers.