WARNER SPRINGS More Than Meets the Eye
by Jim Evans

Perhaps Donna Abell said it best when she said "We may be one of San Diego’s best-kept secrets." But the "secret" has been out for a long time for those in the know because the unincorporated village of Warner Springs has been a popular destination for visitors for years. Abell, Director of The Spa at Warner Springs Ranch, moved to Warner Springs 19 years ago from Hawaii and has never had second thoughts. "It is so peaceful here, and the air is so clean — there’s not enough ocean around us, of course" she says laughing, "but I guess you can’t have everything."

Located off rural Highway 79 in the foothills of the Palomar Mountain in San Diego’s back country just 21 miles northeast of Ramona, Warner Springs encompasses the Los Coyotes Indian Reservation to the eastern part of the Cleveland National Forest to the Northern Canada Agua Caliente Canyon to the Northeast Pacific Crest National Scenic Trail (AllRefer.com Reference). Of course, most of Warner Springs consists of wide-open spaces without any man made markers and, if you miss the green road sign — Warner Springs (pop 203) — heading north on Highway 79 from Santa Ysabel, it is possible to almost miss it entirely. The population has actually grown to slightly more than 1,200, but the casual visitor would have to look hard to find them all.

WARNER SPRINGS UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

The Warner Unified School District buildings on the right are the first clue that there is actually a thriving — albeit small — community here. The sprawling campus includes a preschool and K-12 elementary school/middle/ high school buildings serving more than 300 students from a district of approximately 432 square miles (great schools.net, Warner Unified School District). Small but mighty, the high school ranks well above average compared to similar schools in the county, and its smaller class sizes — the envy of most overcrowded urban schools — enhance the relationship between teachers and students and the overall learning experience.

Crystal-clear therapeutic hot spring water in an Olympic-sized pool. Originally in the mid 1800s local Indian folk, using palm tree fronds to cover the hot springs, created a popular steam bath-house; a delight for the weary traveler and the mule-train cowboy. In later years movie celebrities adopted the Ranch as their own pleasure ground and retreat.

COMMUNITY CENTER

Across from the campus is the Warner Springs Resource Center/ Community Wellness Center, a popular meeting place for com-munity events. With Center Director Myrtle Cassell at the helm, the Center reaches out to the community with a variety of programs. Recently the Center hosted a Valentine’s Day party sponsored by the Back Country Project CARE to reach out to many of the seniors in the area who might be isolated or live alone.

The Resource Center represents a collaboration of different community and social service agencies coordinated by Cassell. "We provide health faires, sports physicals (for school), commodities programs, booster club meetings — all kinds of services," says Cassell. "We are a source of information and referral services, and we are the official polling place during elections." A true "community" center.

WARNER SPRINGS RANCH

Photo by Forrest Letzring

Further up the road from the schools and the community center is the CDF station on the right, and a fringe of large, well-kept Spanish- style homes with red-tiled roofs is the first sign of a residential area.

Just after the residential area, Highway 79 bisects the legendary Warner Springs Ranch, a sprawling 2,500-acre ranch founded by John Warner in 1844. To many, the identity of Warner Springs has almost become synonymous with the ranch — probably, at least in part, because the ranch is the most visible presence along the main highway in a population that is largely scattered and rural and in a community without a natural town "center." The Warner Springs Ranch IS the center, more or less. And, after all, the ranch was once a regular stop for the historic Butterfield Overland Stage which attracted early visitors such as Kit Carson and Presidents Theodore Roosevelt and Ulysses Grant, so it is naturally situated along the main thoroughfare anyway.

But the Warner Springs Ranch has evolved into much more than just a stagecoach stop over the years and has brought well-deserved renown to the Warner Springs community. It is the magnificent 18-hole, par-72 champion-ship golf course on the west side of the highway with its adjoining pro shop and tennis courts that first catches the eye — a sea of manicured landscaping with a picturesque backdrop of mountains and open pasture land. The immediate question is, "what in the world is this incredible golf course doing in the middle of this isolated back country?"

The answer, of course, is in the subtlety of the resort itself which tends to highlight the golf course by its almost nondescript appearance from the road. Discreetly camouflaged behind a canopy of mature trees and greenery, the resort sits quietly opposite the golf course on the east side of the highway sheltering more than 240 private individual bungalows — many in original adobe and most with fireplaces. The passerby has to look carefully to even see the buildings through the shade and tranquility. Even the gated entrance and front office building blend in with the natural surroundings.

Warner Springs Ranch championship course meanders through the western foothills of San Diego’s Cuyamaca Mountains at an elevation of 3,000 feet.

General Manager Lori Schwank has worked at the Warner Springs Ranch since 1996. "People really appreciate the peace and quiet here," says Schwank. Indeed, Warner Springs Ranch was a favorite destination of many of Hollywood’s early screen stars including Clark Gable, John Wayne, Douglas Fairbanks, Jean Harlow, Bing Crosby, and others. Of course, they were partly lured by the ranch’s natural hot springs. The ranch offers two Olympic-sized pools — one of which is fed by the hot spring water and maintained at a therapeutic 104 degrees. "The hot springs are probably the heartbeat of Warner Springs," says Spa Director Donna Abell. "They are what originally attracted people here in the first place."

The facilities and amenities at the Warner Springs Ranch include something for everyone. The air is fresh and clean with lots of wide-open spaces for hiking and horseback riding — the equestrian center provides both ranch horses and boarding for owners, and a professional staff is available for guided trail rides and instruction in both English and Western Saddle. There are horseshoe pits, sand volleyball courts, multiple tennis courts, three oversized pools offering both hot mineral water or fresh water bathing, exercise and aerobics facilities, and more.

The Spa at Warner Springs offers every treatment imaginable for the mind and body including massage and aroma therapy, facials and skin care, body wraps, hand and foot care, or any combination of services to pamper ranch owners and guests. Located in a delightfully-converted historic ranch house, the spa services are administered in private rooms surrounding a grassy courtyard with the soothing sound of water trickling from a fountain in the middle. Spa Director Donna Abell — soon to be Donna Vernier — will be getting married here on June 11th."I really couldn’t think of a better place for the wedding," she says. "It’s so perfect here." Indeed!

The Hair Studio — for both men and women — puts the icing on the cake with a variety of hair services and treatments such as cuts and shampoos, weaving, tints, masks, scalp treatments, perms, makeovers, and more.

Cottage where Kit Carson stayed.

Food services are abundant. The Anza Dining Room in the main lodge serves breakfast and lunch on weekends and dinner every evening; the Country Club Golf Grill offers breakfast and lunch overlooking the golf course; the Poolside Grill serves poolside snacks; and The Cantina offers a complete cocktail bar and lounge.

Conference rooms are available, too, for meetings, conferences, weddings, receptions, and more. Have I left anything out? Probably. For anyone who has been on a cruise, the Warner Springs Ranch is like a cruise ship on land — only bigger and better. Marketing Director Jeff Brown has seen it all in a career that has taken him to some of the top resorts in the world, but "this really grows on you," he says. "The countryside is beautiful, and there are lots of wide-open spaces to hike and mountain bike and relax with nature. It’s all here — what more could I ask for?" What more, really. Tough job, Jeff!

HEAVEN? NO, IT’S WARNER SPRINGS

Just northeast and visible from the ranch, is the historic Warner Springs Community Church headed by Pastor Andy Graham. "I love the people here," says Graham. "They are a different cut — they love the back country, and they love their privacy, and I respect that." Graham, who was born in Pennsylvania but grew up in Tucson, graduated from the Talbot School of Theology and arrived in Warner Springs with his wife several months ago to begin his ministry."At least it wasn’t Alaska," chuckles Graham referring to one of his choices upon graduation, "and we really love the beauty and the wholesome environment of Warner Springs." Graham typically ministers to a congregation of 30-70 people "depending on the occasion."

SKY SAILING

Two miles further nor this the Warner Springs Airport which features one of the largest soaring centers in the U.S. Visitors can literally soar with the eagles in sailplanes — more popularly known, perhaps, as gliders — with a breathtaking panoramic views of the back country including nearby Lake Henshaw, Hot Springs Peak, and Palomar Mountain. Owners Bret and Karen Will at offer unforgettable adventures in sky sailing 7 days a week with an FAA-certified pilot as a guide. Lessons are also available for private glider licensing.

LAST WORD

Like many of its residents as described by Pastor Graham, Warner Springs might just be "of a different cut" than most
communities. And, as Donna Abell says, it may also be "one of San Diego’s best-kept secrets." Both descriptions are probably accurate.