Just east of the San Diego / Imperial County border, beside Interstate 8, is a piece of road-side Americana that has been a restful way station and entertaining stop for travelers since about 1928.
Bert Vaughn, originally from West Virginia, came to Jacumba about 1910-1920. Vaughn had business on both sides of this steep pass and recognized it as a logical place to build some type of traveler rest stop. Before Highway 80 was built, it took a month to travel between Yuma and San Diego.
He owned the nearby town of Jacumba and decided to develop this site. I 1922, Vaughn began building what would eventually become a 70-foot tower from local rock, bound together with hand mixed mortar mixed with hand carried water when springs went dry. The tower is made with four-foot thick walls that have withstood wind and the blasting of the near-by highway cut. The tower was finally completed in 1928. The top deck offers views of I-8 and sometimes to Mexico and Arizona. Located almost 3,000 feet above the Imperial Valley, the tower provided a cooling rest to travelers coming from summer temperatures of more than 100 degrees in the valley below.
The tower was abandoned for many years until Dennis A. Newman bought it and restored the tower. He added a shop around its base to sell refreshments and trinkets to travelers.
Today an antique store occupies part of the shop. Inside the tower, 57 steps lead to the hurricane deck at the top of the tower with a fantastic view. Along the way, the upper floors of the tower are a museum. The collection is eclectic, just a collection of anything old that happens to come along, old faded photos and newspaper clippings, taxidermied animals, Native American artifacts, the building of the tower, local history, and more.
Boulder Park
There are two attractions at Desert View Tower. The second is Bolder Park, a collection of loose quartz granite boulders forming canyons, passages, and caves. During the Great Depression, W.T. Ratcliffe sculpted human heads and a menagerie of animals such as snakes, lizards, turtles, lions, and who knows what.
The Site
The rest of the site includes the trail to the Springs and other hiking.
The carvings and tower are registered as an official California Historical Landmark (#939).
The tower is open from about 8:30 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. every day.
Admission to Hurricane Deck and Boulder Park:
Over 12 years of age: $2.00
Under 12 years of age: $1.00.
Directions:
From Interstate 8, about the Imperial / San Diego Counties border, take the In-Ko-Pah exit from Interstate 8 and drive east (north of I-8) about a half mile.
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