A trip to Jacumba, CA

                                                Lake Jacumba

                                                Mural outside the Alpine library

                                                Art by James Hubbell

                                                            Truffles!

We took an overnight trip from San Diego to Jacumba to stay at the Jacumba Hot Springs Hotel.  The whole drive is only about 90 minutes from San Diego - less if you start from downtown.  Our first stop was in Alpine to see the stained glass installation by local artist James Hubbell.  He passed away in 2024, but his artistic legacy is all over California and beyond.  
 

In Jacumba, we really enjoyed the hot springs at the hotel.  We walked over to Lake Jacumba, which is a natural spring-fed lake.  There were so many birds!  We walked over to see the remains of the "Impossible Railroad".  I forgot to take pictures.  This rail line ran between Arizona and California and was named "impossible", because of the extraordinary terrain, requiring twenty trestles and seventeen tunnels.  It was abandoned in the 1970's.  There is a small, but pretty train depot left behind and about six abandoned train cars.  The "Goat Canyon Trestle" is a well known hiking destination.  We didn't attempt it this trip.  Maybe next time!

Jacumba is a tiny town.  There is a store, a mid-century modern gas station, the hotel, restaurant and a good view of the border fence.  It is a 10-minute jaunt off I-8.  Just off I-8 on the way to Jacumba from San Diego is the Wisteria Candy Cottage.  We picked up a box of excellent truffle.  These are the size of golf balls!  The inside is very light and creamy - not dense like most truffles.  They were a delight!