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It's April, one of the best months of the year weather-wise here in Borrego Springs. There are a lot of great activities planned for this month here in California's Secret Desert™, but if your idea of a good time is to just chill out, we can help with that, too!
This issue features the first Backcountry Craft Beer and Wine Festival here at The Springs on Saturday the 29th, our other events and activities, our quirky "RV of the Month" feature, and the new "Camp Host Chronicles" feature.
So, read on and enjoy!
G
ive us a call to reserve your place at The Springs at 760-767-0004. Our team of friendly reservationists is ready to help you everyday from 8 AM to 5 PM. Or, you can book online at our online booking engine here.
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Explosion of Spring Color at The Springs
by Kerry Hubbert |
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Upcoming Events and Activities
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Tuesdays, Thursdays and Saturdays through April 15,
Water Aerobics Exercise with Nesya
in the Saltwater Pool at 10:30 AM. No charge to RV Guests.
Tuesdays and Thursdays at 9 AM through April 13
Hatha Yoga with Nesya.
Tuesdays, April 4 and 11, 6 PM,
Campfire Night at the Waterfall Ramada.
We bring hot dogs and S'mores, you bring a chair and your favorite beverage.
Wednesday April 12, Birding the Springs with Hal "Hawk Guy" Cohen.
Meet at the Entrance to the Recreation Center at 9 AM
Wednesdays and Fridays at 10:30 through April 14,
Pilates and Toning with Nesya
Sunday, April 2 at 6:30 PM,
Star Party with Dennis Mammana
T
his month: The Greatest Light Show on Earth!
High above the arctic regions of Earth glow the shimmering colors of the northern lights - the aurora borealis. Learn the origins and lore of these mysterious lights, and relive Dennis Mammana's most recent journeys to the frozen lands of Alaska, Iceland and Norway to capture with his camera the greatest light show on Earth!
$20.00 per person includes d
inner and beverages, indoor slide show and star talk presentation by Astronomer Dennis Mammana, and a trip out to our Astronomy Park for some guided stargazing (weather permitting).
Thursday, April 13 at 6 PM,
Open Mic and Jam Session with Harry Joe Reynolds.
Got a song to share or want to jam with the group? Bring it! The Springs Wine and Beer Bar will be open.
Saturday, April 29
Backcountry Craft Beer and Wine Festival at Dreamweaver Amphitheater.
Join us for a fun day of craft beer, wine, music and food. This event is a fundraiser for the Anza-Borrego Foundation.
See a calendar-style schedule of April events and activities
here .
Wildflower Vista
by Dayton Borders
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Proper Golf Skills and Etiquette Need Early Education for Best Result
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| Junior Camp Host and Golf Marshal Makena holds a clinic on the proper care and grooming of sand traps at The Springs. |
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The Camp Host Chronicles
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Imagery is an important part of communication; sometimes
non-verbal signals can be even more powerful than verbal.
For years, camp hosts at the Springs have signed camp sites after they cleaned them with their own personalized logos
drawn in the sand.
Camp Host Bill marks his sites with the dragonfly
in memory of his late wife Terri.
Hosts Eddie and Karen say "we were here" with a palm.
Rodney and Liliane mark their handiwork with the gecko.
Linda and Bruce make their mark with a image of the sun.
Sometimes the campers respond with
their own images
with creativity and humor.
The anonymous "kidkamper" left her mark before
mysteriously disappearing.
This one took some effort and time.
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Thanks for reading, and we'll
see you soon in sunny and starry Borrego!
Sincerely,
Dan Wright
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Borrego Springs is an
International
Dark Sky Community |
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Backcountry Craft Beer and Wine Festival to Benefit Anza-Borrego Foundation April 29.
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The Trevor McSpadden Band will entertain at the fest April 29.
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On Saturday, April 29, The Springs at Borrego will host the first Backcountry Craft Beer and Wine Festival. Several regional breweries and wineries will be here to showcase their handicrafts, entertainment will be provided by Steven Ybarra and also the Trevor McSpadden Band, and we'll have delicious made-on-the-spot food by HoBros Wood-fired Pizza Kitchen.
The festival is a fundraiser for the Anza-Borrego Foundation, which is the non-profit arm of the massive and beautiful state park that surrounds Borrego Springs.
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San Diego Music Award Winner
Steven Ybarra will headline entertainment at the festival. |
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Update: Swainson's Hawk Migration Blows Away All Records With Massive Numbers
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The 2017 Swainson's Hawk migration through the Borrego Valley is nearing its end, but not before shattering 2016's record numbers.
As of March 29, 11,573 Swainson's Hawks have been counted in the migration since February 19. The previous high count was in 2016 with 8917 hawks counted.
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A "kettle" of hawks over
the Borrego Valley.
by Hal Cohen
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Hal "Hawk Guy", Cohen, Hawk Watch leader, said there may be a more-the-merrier factor as large groups of the hawks attract even more to join them. In addition there has been abundant food available in the valley, especially the sphinx moth caterpillar, a favorite.
On March 18 alone, 3713 Swainson's were counted, by far the most ever in a single day in the history of the Borrego Valley Hawk Watch. Then on March 25, 1248 Swainson's migrated through the area.
These huge numbers of migrating birds have attracted attention, with major news publications taking note of what used to be a very little-known phenomenon. Audubon Magazine even sent a team to interview Hal, and the result will be an article about the migration and about birding in general in Borrego Springs that is scheduled to appear this fall.
The Swainson's Hawk has probably the longest migration of any North American raptor, travelling up to 14,000 miles from its breeding ground in the western US and Canada to its winter home in the pampas of Argentina and Brazil. Hal estimates the total population of the migrating Swainson's Hawk at 800,000 to one million birds.
Hal has made studying the migration through Borrego a multi-year project, and you can see all the posts and many more amazing photos at his "Borrego Valley Hawkwatch" blog here.
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Swainson's Hawk
by David Clark |
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In Memoriam
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Beloved Anza-Borrego Desert State Park Ranger Steve Bier died unexpectedly on March 29, 2017. He will be sorely missed.
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Photo Courtesy of Deutchlandradio/Kerstin Zilm
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The RoadRunner Pickleball Club is open to the Springs' Guests Every Day.
The Springs Guests are welcome to join The RoadRunner Pickleball Club seven days a week! All skill levels are encouraged to participate from 8:30 AM to 12 noon every day.
If you want to play, just come to the Pro Shop and pick up a free 10-play punch card.
Recently a couple of serious pickleball players tripped to The Springs, and posted
this entry on their very well-done blog called RV Picklers. They describe The Springs as a "must stop", and we call their blog a "must read"!
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The Springs at Borrego Rated 10/10*/10
for 8 Years Running
For the eighth year in a row, Good Sam RV Travel Guide has rated The Springs at Borrego with their highest rating of 10/10*/10. Out of the approximately 12,500 parks that Good Sam rates each year, less than 1% achieve this rating.
Parks are rated on their facilities, amenities, customer service, and especially, cleanliness. Many thanks to our amazing RV staff, camp hosts and housekeeping crew for accomplishing such unprecedented achievement.
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Sunrise at The Springs
by Jack Taylor
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RV of the Month
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The very rare 1974 Cayo Motovator by Avion. Built on the
Dodge B350 Van platform, the RV portion of the rig
came with a lifetime-of-the-purchaser factory warranty.
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