Photos from the DeAnza brochure: Volleyball, a lawn for sunning, and outdoor pool are only a few of the fun things to do while visiting. New indoor heated pool is popular during the weather extremes of mid-summer and mid-winter.
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By Gary and Patty
September, 2003 - For those of you who have never been there, De Anza is located about an hour’s drive east of San Diego right off Interstate 8, between El Cajon and El Centro, 15 miles north of the Mexican border, in a little gas station town called Jacumba.
An Indian casino is about 20 minutes away, and there is also a great Mexican restaurant nearby, otherwise all there is in this part of the state are beautiful rock formations (part of the 30,000 acre DeAnza State Park) and illegal immigrants sneaking past the resort under the cover of darkness.
It has certainly grown during the past couple of years, with over 300 trailer hookups now functional, two swimming pools (one heated and indoors), tennis courts, horseshoe pits, shuffle board area, and a 12-seater built-in Jacuzzi whose water gets changed every night. The resort itself is over 500 acres in size, most of it underdeveloped, but with plenty of room to spread out in the future. There is talk of building a railroad depot on one corner of the site so visitors can take the train from San Diego instead of driving, but that is a few years away.
The Clubhouse has several large rooms that can hold simultaneous convention meetings, plus the main dining room with its large 6-ft television. They also have a pool table and other similar game tables in a side room. They even have a PC with an Internet connection, for those just cannot stand not being connected to civilization during their stay.
The chef is an old Navy cook, and he definitely knows how to mass-produce good meals for several hundred people at a time! There is also a new second-shift cook who specializes in pizza (really good!) during the hours when Old Navy is not on station.
The bar on the outside patio seems to be the center of guest attention from mid-day on to about midnight. The patio is quite large and well insulated to protect the guests from the summer heat. This is also the site of the weekly Karaoke, and these people really get into it (so did Ricc!)
My only complaint was the flies, which were annoying but not too bad. I also noticed that there were a lot of dogs, both leashed and unleashed, yet there wasn’t any “poop” to be found! And the animals got along and were generally as mellow as their owners. I was also pleased to see a massage therapist doing his trade out under a tree in the football-size lawn area adjacent to the patio. Reminded me of Topanga.
We stayed in the new “motel,” built adjacent to the clubhouse. The room was very clean and reminded me of a Motel 6, but hey, who spends a lot of time in their room anyway? There are only 10 units for rent in this one building, but they have quite a few more planned for construction during the next two years. (I have to admit this is a vast improvement over the rented trailers at Glen Eden!)
The staff was courteous, efficient, and friendly. The little gift shop sold the usual souvenir shirts and wraps, but also snack foods and such necessities as toothbrushes, etc. for those who may have forgotten to pack all they needed.
Except for the fact that it is a 4-hour drive from the San Fernando Valley, I would choose to come here often. That said, I certainly recommend De Anza as a destination resort to anyone with a few days to spare and who wants to enjoy our lifestyle in relaxing comfort and meet new friends.
For more information about DeAnza Springs Resort, Call (619) 766-4301 or visit their website
at www.deanzasprings.com
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