Nightfall at the Palm Canyon Resort was cancelled in 2012 due to financial problems. The resort was closed for a year as they looked for a new owner. Whoever bought the place did over one million dollars of renovation work, and the place is really nice. This is the new lobby. Behind the lobby is the restaurant.

The exteriors were all redone and painted in an old west style. Very nice.

That was my room - the Dress Shop on the second floor. It only takes about two minutes to walk from my room to where the scopes are set up in the RV park next door. What a great concept - not having to tear down the rig every night and getting to sleep in a real bed at night. Fred and I usually come down a couple of nights before the star party starts and also stay an extra night or two to make it a seven night trip. It's about 500 miles from Santa Cruz so we like to make it worthwhile.

One of the pools and hot tub from my balcony.

Looking out to the desert from the lobby area. This region of desert is really beautiful. You can even rent or lease a nice house out here.

On one of the first days of the star party they host a reception at the bar - sodas and light bar food. You gotta buy your own booze. Jeff and Chris.

Walter and Chris came down together with Walter's new trailer. He tricked it out to accommodate all of his astronomy gear. There was still room for Chris, his telescope and camping gear. Jeff, Walter and Al.

There's my rig. An Astro-Physics 900GTO mount with a Celestron 9.25" EdgeHD OTA. I'm still using my SBIG ST-4000XCM color camera. Here I'm guiding with an SBIG ST-i planetary camera. This year my imaging included NGC 891 (a galaxy) and NGC 6888 - The Crescent Nebula. Gotta do something about all that cabling :)

Fred keeping an eye on all of our gear.

Fred all ready to go with his rig: Losmandy G11 GoTo mount with an Orion 190mm f/5.3 Mak/Newt OTA. Imaging with an SBIG ST-4000XCM One-Shot-Color (OSC) camera.

Al's site with his 12" SCT for imaging.

Al setting up his 18" computerized Dobsonian. Probably talking to Annie :)

Walter and Chris packing it all up for the 12 hour drive back home (at 55 mph with a trailer).

Chris and Walter just about ready to go.

Here's all of us from the 2013 Borrego Springs trip. Back row: Walter, Lynne, Fred, Chris. Seated: Jeff, Ron, Al.

Here's a little better picture. Back row: Al, Ron, Fred, Lynne, Jeff. Front row: Chris and Walter.

Chris and Walter hitting the road for home.