Saturday Drive - Desert View Tower

You gotta love the Old West. I'm 40 miles east of my home, in Jacumba, near the Mexican border, just off Interstate 80. This tower is technically a millionaire's tribute to the workers who labored to carve a road through the impenetrable moonscape that guards the east to west approach into San Diego. In reality, you are looking at a tribute to the glory days of eccentric millionaires. This was built by Bert Vaughan over a five-year span in the 1920s.


This is a view from inside the tower, taken on my iPhone.


An amazing moonscape.

Looking out in the other direction. Below, one of the early roads into San Diego county, probably old Highway 80.

Looking out further into the Anza Borrego Desert and Imperial Valley 3,000 feet below.

Just outside the Tower. Is this too cool for words or what? Thank Merle Ratcliff, an unemployed engineer during the Great Depression.

Down on the desert floor.