Prepare Borrego Springs Businesses for Tourist Season

America at 250: Reflecting on the Experiment of Independence

San Diego History Center Opens America 250 Exhibit Celebrating the Nation's 250th Anniversary

A December 1939 travel magazine captured Borrego Valley as one of Southern California's emerging desert destinations. One of the many historic items preserved with the Borrego Sun collection is a rare issue of Motor and Outing Magazine , published by the Los Angeles Examiner on Sunday, December 3, 1939 . The "Motor and Outing Magazine" was a popular recurring Sunday supplement distributed in the Los Angeles Examiner during the mid-20th century. It primarily featured regional travel guides, automotive lifestyle stories, and outdoor recreational content showcasing destinations and weekend trips across Southern California. Anza-Borrego Desert State Park was officially established by the State of California in 1933 . This particular page shows how Borrego Valley was presented to Southern California travelers in 1939. The accompanying caption describes the valley as “a spectacular cactus scene” and notes that it was part of Anza Desert State Park, highlighting the desert’s seasonal beauty with “spring flowers” blooming in winter. Nearly 90 years later, the image offers a rare glimpse of Borrego as an early desert destination promoted to motorists exploring Southern California by car. The photographs in the feature are credited to John H. C. Stingle , who documented several scenic locations throughout San Diego County for the publication. Historic items like this help tell the story of how Borrego Springs was introduced to visitors long before it became the community we know today. They provide a unique glimpse into early tourism, desert travel, and the publications that showcased the region's beauty nearly 90 years ago. ---- These documents are part of the Borrego Sun materials acquired by Ram Media Foundation . Separately, The Borrego Sun archives are being preserved and digitized by the San Diego History Center , ensuring that decades of Borrego Springs history will be preserved for future generations. To support the future of local media and preserve the past, please contact Andrea at andrea@rammediafoundation.org .

Don't Miss These Summer Night Sky Events

Written bids are due July 20 for ongoing landscape maintenance services beginning Aug. 1, 2026.

The Emmy Award-winning host called the sculptures "the most remarkable metal sculptures to be found anywhere in the world."

Circle of Art Continues a Tradition of Art and Giving in Borrego Springs

Soroptimist International of Borrego Springs representatives Sally Theriault, Scholarship Committee Chair, and Jenny Huntley, Treasurer, present scholarships to Borrego Springs High School graduating seniors during Awards Night.