California

Following is a series of interactive field trips taken to various local deserts in our home state over the last decade.  The pictures on this page are from the Colorado desert, which comprises most of the Imperial Valley, two hours east of san diego, and were taken on June 23, 2005.

Much of the Imperial Valley is both flat and below sea level.  In the photo above, taken at the Yuha Rest Stop off of Interstate 8, just east of El Centro, the importance of irrigation is also seen.  Although the lush greenery on the other side can almost seem like a mirage of a desert oasis, it is actually supported by an intricate canal and irrigation system, fueled by water from the nearby Colorado River and Salton Sea, both the subject of much debate and controversy.  The Imperial Valley actually produces much of California's diverse agricultural products, many of which are grown in few other places in the world.

The sign in the photo above basically says it all.  Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza wanted to join the maritime expedition of other Spanish explorers in Monterey by traversing harsh and unknown land.  This was one of the points he crossed on his way through the vast desert state park that bears his name:  Anza-Borrego Desert State Park.  Fourth grade students interested in learning more about Anza can read pages 68 and 69 of the social studies book Oh California!

Again, the sign in the photo above says much of what needs to be said about this southeastern-most point in the state of California, just yards from the Mexican border and a few miles from Yuma, Arizona.

The Andrade Canal System, in the southeastern-most corner of the state of California plays an important role in supporting irrigation for the Imperial Valley.

A northeastern view of the Andrade Canal, just a few miles West of the Arizona border and a few minutes north of the Mexican border town of Algodones, where one can park on the United States side of the border and walk across the border into Mexico.

The photo above shows just how intricate this pumping station at the Andrade Canal is, with a view into Mexico just beyond the power lines in the distance.  Just across the border is the town of Algodones, a town of 20,000 that serves as the most convenient shopping for residents of Yuma, Arizona and some of the nearby tiny towns in the Imperial Valley.  Many shops, restaurants, and a tourist office are a short stroll from the large Andrade parking lot on the right before crossing the border; United States citizens may cross the border between the hours of 10 a.m. and 10 p.m. every day and may stay in Algodones for up to 72 hours without obtaining a tourist card (such cards are available at the tourist office and require a passport, birth or naturalization certificate, voting registration card, or notarized affidavit of citizenship)..

Click here to see the desert plant life of the Borrego Springs Desert Botanical Gardens

Click here to see the resplendent otherworldly glory of the Glamis

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