Classic Trip - Campo, California 1998

Back inwards 1998, nosotros took this prepare excursion along the border inwards San Diego County.  Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 chip has changed since then, but y'all tin withal become downward in that location in addition to ride the rails.

A Trip Back inwards Time
...an accessible & affordable adventure to the borderlands of California.

Where is it?

Campo, California in addition to Tecate, Baja California, United Mexican States

Campo is a tiny speck of a town along the U.S. of A. of America - United Mexican States border located halfway betwixt Tijuana in addition to Mexicali (or San Diego in addition to El Centro on the U.S. of A. of America side) across the border from Tecate, Mexico. The challenge hither was to brand a overnice weekend inwards Campo instead of it beingness a side trip from San Diego.

Campo is located nine miles northeast of Tecate, United Mexican States on the U.S. of A. of America side of the border. From L.A. nosotros took the 10 (San Bernadino) Freeway E to Interstate 15, in addition to then southward to Interstate 8 inwards San Diego, in addition to then E on the 8 to Buckman Springs Road (about 35 miles). Then southward on Buckman Springs Road to Highway 94 inwards Campo. Right (west) on 94 to Forest Gate Road. The entire drive took only over three hours. From San Diego, count on nigh an hour.

Preparing for this trip was difficult. There are no accomodations inwards Campo - period! There is some camping ground nearby, but roughing it was non what nosotros had inwards hear alongside our boy Tim & his 200 pound ability wheelchair. We were also taking along some guests in addition to needed to direct maintain room for them too.

Calling ahead to Campo produced no proficient data on where to rest nearby. We had considered staying inwards Tecate but could non acquire reliable data on accomodations in that location exterior of a really pricey spa. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 bed & breakfast inwards nearby Dulzura offered some intriguing possibilities but, alas, they were booked for the weekend.

Two others inside a xx mile radius looked interesting, Jacumba Hot Springs in addition to Stallion Oaks Ranch. Both had hot tubs to soak off the desert dust, in addition to both were reasonably priced. Influenza A virus subtype H5N1 telephone telephone to Jacumba Hot Springs revealed that although they were exclusively nigh xx miles away, the drive to Campo would accept nigh an hr on the narrow, winding roads inwards the area. Stallion Oaks also offered a 2 sleeping room cabin nosotros could rest inwards for a piffling less than 2 motel rooms at the hot springs. Stallion Oaks got the nod.

Stallion Oaks Ranch is inwards Descanso. From Campo, backtrack to Interstate 8, caput W dorsum toward San Diego in addition to acquire out on Highway 79. Go due north i mile to Riverside Dr. in addition to plough left. Turn left i time to a greater extent than at Viejas Grade in addition to brand an immediate correct on Oak Grove. Turn correct i time to a greater extent than on Boulder Creek Road. Stallion Oaks is at 10950 Boulder Creek Road. (619) 445-0271.

(UPDATE 2010: Much of Stallion Oaks burned inwards a 2003 fire, it is at nowadays the Unity Center Retreat Center in addition to a subsequent rest at Jacumba Hot Springs was horrible...can't recommend)

To Tecate, the easiest agency nosotros works life is to become dorsum to Campo in addition to caput W on Highway 94. Turn left (south) on Highway 188. The International Border volition live 2 miles instantly ahead.

The trip:

Bright in addition to early a beautiful May Saturday, nosotros laid upward out on our adventure. We had picked this item weekend to become because the San Diego Railroad Museum was scheduled to live using their restored steam engine on their excursions out of their historic Campo depot. Most weekends they operate a diesel fuel engine (you tin banking company tally the schedule out at their web page at www.sdrm.org or past times calling toll-free at 888-228-9246).

First halt was for some breakfast. Today, nosotros were going to the bully Homestyle Cafe inwards Guasti (exit Archibald Ave. off of the 10 spear inwards Ontario. Turn correct (south) in addition to plough left into Guasti...follow the signs).

If you're hungry for breakfast...really hungry...this is the identify for you. Mammoth portions of bully homestyle cooking are inwards store for y'all here. One repast is enough for 2 people. We had eggs & ham, eggs & sausage, in addition to Tim had a pancake. All except Tim's repast came alongside biscuits & gravy in addition to potatoes. Tim's pancake was 12" across in addition to an inch thick.

We saw enough of people hither ordering brusk stacks exclusively to live amazed at the three foursquare feet of pancake they had ordered. Plenty of accept out boxes were inwards operate here.

This drive is particulary scenic...once y'all acquire on Interstate 15. First, y'all drive past times all the dairy farms of Chino & Norco (scenic but also aromatic), in addition to then through the rolling hills of Temescal Canyon, into Lake Elsinore. From there, y'all come upward upon Southern California's premiere vino country, Temecula.

We stopped at Temecula to alternative upward some sandwiches at the local Togo's Eatery to accept alongside us for later. Togo's makes bully sandwiches in addition to are really reasonably priced. Togo's inwards Temecula is located at 28150 Front St. at the Rancho California acquire out off of Interstate 15.

The invention was to consume a picnic at the depot inwards Campo, but nosotros were all withal thence total from that huge breakfast that nosotros skipped luncheon in addition to saved our sandwiches for dinner.

For beingness on the border of i of the hottest deserts inwards the nation, Campo is amazingly green. This is due to the extremely high H2O tabular array inwards the area. The Campo depot itself sits on the southward side of the lush, light-green meadow that is visible throughout the town.

We arrived at the Campo depot of the San Diego Railroad Museum at 1:00pm, xc minutes earlier the side past times side prepare was scheduled to depart. One of the museum's docents was only nigh to get-go a walking tour, thence nosotros grabbed some mutual frigidity sodas out of the H2O ice breast & tagged along.

On the walking tour nosotros saw some bully onetime railroad equipment & rolling stock all inwards diverse stages of restoration. Pullman cars, onetime San Francisco streetcars, cabooses, diesel fuel & steam locomotives in addition to more.

We learned that this item railroad was built around 1915. In fact, y'all tin encounter that appointment stamped into the rails in addition to many of the bridges nearby.

Next door was Fort Leggett, the final mounted cavalry shipping service inwards the U.S. of A. of America At the get-go of World War II, this base of operations housed 5,000 men in addition to 10,000 horses. As the cavalry was motorized, the base of operations became a infirmary unit of measurement in addition to a prisoner of war army camp for Italian in addition to High German prisoners. Many of the POW's contributed to the structure of nearby buildings in addition to roads.

After the tour, nosotros headed dorsum to the depot surface area to await the train. The prepare consisted of the antique steam locomotive, three restored rider cars, in addition to i restored baggage automobile that served every bit an on-board snack bar every bit good every bit housing the restroom facilities. The doors on the baggage automobile are left opened upward to render a scenic spot to stand upward in addition to acquire some fresh air every bit y'all travel.

The star attractions here, of course, are the trains. The museum has enough of rolling stock on display in addition to inwards operate for their excursions. We came today to accept to regular weekend excursion offered past times the museum to nearby Miller Creek. Today though, nosotros would live pulled past times vintage steam ability every bit opposed to the onetime diesel fuel that commonly runs. (Note: The museum also runs special occasional trips the other agency into Tecate, United Mexican States combined alongside vino or brewery tour in addition to also sponsors special one-of-a-kind trips such every bit to the Copper Canyon or latterly held Comet Trains at black to scout the Hale-Bopp Comet. Visit their spider web site or telephone telephone them for to a greater extent than data on these special trips.)

Kids of all ages only seem to honey trains. Especially onetime ones (trains in addition to kids). The ride lasts nigh xc minutes in addition to goes through some absolutely gorgeous scenery. Throughout the ride y'all encounter just i route in addition to exclusively sporadically at that.

You terminate upward inwards a surface area that has seen absolutely no evolution inwards the final 100 years in addition to looks just every bit it did when bandits, cowboys, & Indians freely roamed the area. In fact, non much has changed...this surface area is withal heavily used past times smugglers to convey undocumented aliens in addition to contraband into the states. The U.S. of A. of America Border Patrol is a much seen presence inwards the surface area trying to fighting this. Today nosotros encounter no criminal elements at play but practise non direct maintain to effort really hard to imagine why such a ground has attracted outlaws throughout history.

Museum docents render an first-class commentary on the area, it's history, in addition to the train's history every bit the journeying commences. Noticing the frequent whistling of the train, they remind y'all that y'all likewise would live pulling that whistle every adventure y'all got if y'all were doing it for fun.

That's because the engineers, the conductors, the brakemen...in fact everybody working here...are unpaid volunteers doing this only for fun. You tin fifty-fifty sign upward to ride inwards the cab in addition to accept a few minutes at the controls yourself.

With the trip over nosotros headed dorsum the agency nosotros came to notice our cabin at Stallion Oaks inwards nearby Descanso. Fortunately, the folks at Stallion Oaks had faxed us the directions earlier nosotros left or nosotros would direct maintain actually been lost.

Stallion Oaks is located inwards the foothills that Pb upward to Julian. It's agency off the primary highway assail 200 person acres of oak wood in addition to meadows. We rented a 2 sleeping room cabin that also had a living room, dining room, kitchen in addition to fireplace. Very create clean in addition to nicely decorated. The cost for all this? $99 per night, divide betwixt us in addition to our guests that came to $49.50 for each party.

There are also motel rooms hither that get-go at around $50 per black in addition to luxury "romance" cabins that direct maintain their ain spa for around $130 per night. There is also a campground alongside everything from tent spaces to full-hookup RV spaces.

Facilities hither include a pool, a spa, a line-fishing lake, covered bridge, wagon rides, full general store, in addition to more. We settled inwards for a overnice long soak inwards the spa that actually cutting the day's route dust off of us. Afterwards, when Tim works life that the TV would non acquire whatsoever stations here, nosotros went for a moonlight walk inwards the nearby meadow. We exclusively got a duet of musquito bites, but they are out there.

In the morn nosotros hiked to the lake which is nigh a mile from our cabin. It was in addition to then that nosotros noticed all the toxicant oak lining the road. Luckily, nosotros must direct maintain missed touching whatsoever the black earlier because no i got a rash. We got to the lake, which was a piffling depression at the time. It was withal a overnice walk, including a covered bridge, although it was a chip buggy alongside flies & gnats.

After the hike, nosotros packed up and headed downward to Tecate where nosotros planned to consume breakfast.

Even though nosotros had a map, nosotros made a incorrect turn and ended upward going nigh twoscore miles out of our way. The backroads downward hither are really slowly to acquire lost on! It's a really scenic surface area though thence it was withal a overnice drive.

We crossed the border at 11:30am and, after a quick inspection past times the Mexican border officials, nosotros were on our way. It's a grand total of 2 blocks from the border to downtown Tecate where nosotros parked at the town plaza in addition to laid upward out to notice some food. You powerfulness fifty-fifty desire to green on the U.S. of A. of America side of the border in addition to walk inwards (U.S. auto insurance is void inwards Mexico) but beware it’s all uphill coming back.

We chop-chop works life Cafe Los Pinos on the E border of the plaza in addition to ate there. The repast for the three of us consisted of quesadillas, 2 bowls of menudo, in addition to 4 tacos accompanied past times refried beans in addition to soda. Great nutrient in addition to exclusively $11.00 for everything.

After that, it was off for an afternoon of shopping where my married adult woman picked upward some pottery at bully prices (watch out though, because in that location are some reasonable pottery stores in addition to some really unreasonable ones...shop around and bargain).

Tecate is dissimilar whatsoever other Mexican border town I've seen inwards that it is to a greater extent than similar a small-scale Mexican town in addition to dissimilar the anything goes atmosphere y'all notice inwards other border towns similar Tijuana. It's quiet, pretty, in addition to peaceful. Be aware hither that the border closes at 8:00pm...if you're inwards Tecate after that, y'all either pass the black or drive to Tijuana or Mexicali to acquire home.

Tecate is also the domicile of Cervecería Cuauhtémoc Moctezuma, makers of town's namesake beer. Brewery tours are available, along alongside gratis samples inwards their beer garden, if y'all telephone telephone inwards advance....

After our afternoon inwards Tecate, nosotros headed dorsum to the U.S. of A. of America There was a total of 4 cars inwards describe at the border crossing making for a really quick crossing. As y'all powerfulness know, this compares alongside a few hours that a Tijuana border crossing tin accept on a Dominicus afternoon.

After getting lost inwards the morning, nosotros decided our best course of written report of activeness was to caput dorsum toward Campo and move dorsum out through there. From hither it was a nice, uneventful ride dorsum to L.A. in addition to the reality of our jobs. All-in-all, this was a really pleasant overnighter that didn't fifty-fifty come upward closed to breaking the budget.

-Darryl
Copyright 1998 - Darryl Musick