One of the most unique places I have ever visited is Galleta Meadows in Anza Borrego. My friend Jordi and I visited here on our first RV road trip. There are approximately 130 extremely detailed metal sculptures that are sporadically placed across the desert. It is quite the sight to see. These rusted, expertly crafted sculptures span across several miles.
The elephants are my favorite sculptures!
Dennis Avery, the late owner of Galleta Meadows commissioned Ricardo Breceda to create these sculptures to fill his expansive land. He envisioned a grand outdoor gallery that honored the history of the desert as well as past cultures. Ricardo modeled some of the sculptures after ancient animals whose fossils were found in the surrounding areas. These animals roamed the area around 300 million years ago.
Most of the trails look like the one above so it’s alot of fun just walking through the desert and coming up on these amazing pieces of art. They just seem to appear out of nowhere!
If you know me, you know how much I love wine! I was stoked to come across these sculptures.
The amount of detail in each statue is breathtaking!
Ricardo’s artistry was born when he crafted a dinosaur statue for his daughter. Some say that the statues are still a work in progress. Each time Ricardo announces his “last statue” eventually another one appears. While these enormous pieces of art are stationary, they feel like they are moving. Ricardo expertly arranges them in such a way that you can almost feel the motion.
The dragon is the biggest statue and can be seen on both sides of the road going through the meadow.
As word gets out about these amazing statues more and more people are coming to visit. If you happen to be in the Anza Borrego Desert it is an amazing place to take a stroll! You never know what type of animal you are going to come across next!
Leigh says
That is really breathtaking.