This view of the Carrizo Gorge was taken from the Sacatone Overlook that is within the McCain Valley Resource Conservation Area which is off I8 just north of Boulevard, CA. The trestles you see are part of the San Diego and Arizona Eastern Railway, which has been referred to as “The Impossible Railroad”.
Links: McCain Valley RCA
The Pumpkin Patch is an interesting geological site located within Ocotillo Wells State Vehicular Recreation Area east of Borrego Springs. The “pumpkins” are actually concretions which are formed much like a pearl, in that sand is naturally cemented around small objects such as a pebble, a piece of shell, or an insect.
The Kelso Depot was constructed in the Spanish Colonial Revival architectural style in 1923 by the Union Pacific railroad and served as a depot until 1962. The restaurant and boarding rooms remained open until 1985 when the depot was closed. It fell into disrepair and was scheduled for demolition but a group of local citizens was able to forestall its removal. Ownership was transferred to the Bureau of Land Management (BLM) in 1992. With the creation of the Mojave Preserve in 1994, the Depot became part of the National Park Service (NPS). Restoration began in 2002 and the landmark was reopened in 2005 as the visitor center for the Mojave Preserve.
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