March 31, 2026

The Magic of Newberry Springs: The Senior & Family Center, and the Drifting Sands Cafe

Welcome to the Outdoor Adventure Series podcast! In today’s episode, we're recording from the heart of the community at the Newberry Springs Senior/Family Center and the beloved Drifting Sands Cafe. We're chatting with local volunteer, Kim Gregory. Kim shares her journey from Menifee to Newberry Springs, her involvement with the community center, and what makes this desert town such a warm and welcoming destination.

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The Newberry Springs Community Center
The Senior & Family Center, and the Drifting Sands Cafe

Welcome to the Outdoor Adventure Series podcast! In today’s episode, we're recording from the heart of the community at the Newberry Springs Senior/Family Center and the beloved Drifting Sands Cafe. We're chatting with local volunteer, Kim Gregory. Kim shares her journey from Menifee to Newberry Springs, her involvement with the community center, and what makes this desert town such a warm and welcoming destination.

Get ready to discover the people and places making this a Route 66 destination and must-visit spot on your next road trip!

DICUSSION

Introduction to Kim Gregory

Kim’s Background and Move to Newberry Springs

Kim’s Involvement in the Community

Activities at the Senior / Family Center and Drifting Sands Cafe

Daily life at the Community Center

Community Center and Cafe operating hours

  • Wednesday–Saturday: 7 am–2 pm
  • Sunday: 7 am–3 pm

The Drifting Sands Cafe Experience

Community Center Features and Thrift Opportunities

The Chamber of Commerce

Living in Newberry Springs & Why Visit Newberry Springs?

Social Media and Contact Information

LEARN MORE

Newberry Springs Senior / Family Center, and Drifting Sands Cafe - 33383 Newberry RD Newberry Spgs CA 92365

https://www.facebook.com/NewberrySpgsSeniorCenter

Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce

To learn about Newberry Springs, CA, the Route 66 Big Birthday Bash, the Pistachio Festival, and much more, visit the Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce at https://newberryspringschamber.com/ or on these social sites:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/NewberrySpringsChamber
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/nbsp_chamberofcommerce/

The Mother Road e-Newsletter: https://motherroadnewsletter.com/newsletter/

NEXT STEPS

Visit us at https://outdooradventureseries.com to like, comment, and share our episodes.

KEYWORDS

Newberry Springs Senior/Family Center, Drifting Sands Cafe, Newberry Springs Chamber of Commerce, Route 66 Centennial, Outdoor Adventure Series, Podcast Interview

#NewberrySpringsSeniorFamilyCenter #DriftingSandsCafe #NewberrySpringsChamberofCommerce #Route66Centennial #OutdoorAdventureSeries #PodcastInterview

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WEBVTT

00:00:06.320 --> 00:00:15.599
Hello everybody, this is Howard Fox from the Outdoor Adventure Cherries Podcast, and I am here in beautiful Newberry Springs, California.

00:00:15.679 --> 00:00:22.800
It's a beautiful Saturday working with the community leaders of Newberry Springs to get to know the community.

00:00:22.960 --> 00:00:25.600
The big thing out here is you can't miss it.

00:00:25.760 --> 00:00:26.640
You shouldn't miss it.

00:00:26.800 --> 00:00:30.800
You don't want to miss it, is Route 66.

00:00:31.120 --> 00:00:34.640
And this is the centennial anniversary of Route 66.

00:00:34.880 --> 00:00:42.000
And Newberry Springs is an important stop along that wonderful mother road.

00:00:42.159 --> 00:00:51.679
And I've had the pleasure of being escorted around, being introduced to a lot of the leaders in the community, the folks that are really passionate about Newberry Springs.

00:00:51.840 --> 00:00:54.320
Now I get to take a little rest right now.

00:00:54.560 --> 00:00:57.439
My host, Carla Claus, who is Mrs.

00:00:57.600 --> 00:01:00.719
Centennial Route 66, the Mrs.

00:01:00.960 --> 00:01:03.439
Princess Route 66.

00:01:03.759 --> 00:01:11.280
And so Carla has been my guide and really helping to set up these wonderful interviews, but she does allow me to take a rest every once in a while.

00:01:12.560 --> 00:01:20.319
And I am now sitting in the Newberry Springs Family Center and the Drifting Sands Cafe.

00:01:20.560 --> 00:01:26.480
I have a wonderful glass of iced tea, and it's homemade iced tea, so I am really a happy camper right now.

00:01:26.640 --> 00:01:29.200
And in front of me, I have a lovely young lady.

00:01:29.359 --> 00:01:31.359
Her name is Kim Gregory.

00:01:31.439 --> 00:01:36.000
And Kim is just going to have a little conversation with me and share a little bit about herself.

00:01:36.159 --> 00:01:38.480
So, Kim, thank you so much for being on the podcast.

00:01:38.719 --> 00:01:39.519
Oh, my pleasure.

00:01:39.680 --> 00:01:40.560
Thank you for having me.

00:01:40.799 --> 00:01:41.920
Fantastic, though.

00:01:42.079 --> 00:01:44.319
Kim, how long have you been in Newberry Springs?

00:01:44.719 --> 00:01:47.280
I have been in here since 2022.

00:01:47.599 --> 00:01:48.480
You're a newbie?

00:01:48.719 --> 00:01:49.519
I am a newbie.

00:01:49.760 --> 00:01:50.879
What where did you move from?

00:01:51.120 --> 00:01:51.840
Minnefee.

00:01:51.920 --> 00:01:53.599
Okay, now I have never heard of Minnefee.

00:01:53.680 --> 00:01:54.079
Where is that?

00:01:54.239 --> 00:01:56.239
It's near Marietta and Temecula.

00:01:56.480 --> 00:01:57.760
I've heard of Temecula.

00:01:57.840 --> 00:01:59.359
I bought a bottle of wine in Temecula.

00:01:59.599 --> 00:02:00.000
Oh, there you go.

00:02:00.079 --> 00:02:00.159
Yes.

00:02:00.400 --> 00:02:00.879
There I go.

00:02:01.040 --> 00:02:02.799
What brought you to Newberry Springs?

00:02:03.120 --> 00:02:04.400
I had lost my fiance.

00:02:04.879 --> 00:02:05.120
Oh.

00:02:05.280 --> 00:02:08.240
So I came out here to live on my mom's property.

00:02:08.560 --> 00:02:08.719
Okay.

00:02:09.120 --> 00:02:09.520
Yeah.

00:02:09.840 --> 00:02:12.800
And you're just enjoying I love it out here.

00:02:13.039 --> 00:02:14.800
Oh, the time you're like I love it.

00:02:14.960 --> 00:02:21.039
Now, what is keeping you busy here in Newberry Springs besides you taking care of the property?

00:02:21.520 --> 00:02:27.919
Being here at the community center and at the Drifting Sands Cafe, helping our customers and helping our community.

00:02:28.240 --> 00:02:28.560
Okay.

00:02:28.960 --> 00:02:33.280
Now what what is a day in the life of first the the community center?

00:02:33.840 --> 00:02:36.800
Well, here at the community center we have a lot of activities.

00:02:37.919 --> 00:02:49.199
Um we have book club, we have our book club, we have Bunko, we have the Radio Club, we have the historical society.

00:02:50.479 --> 00:02:50.960
Bingo.

00:02:51.199 --> 00:02:51.680
Bingo.

00:02:51.759 --> 00:02:52.960
Oh yes, bingo.

00:02:53.520 --> 00:02:57.280
And we're getting a lot of other activities coming our way.

00:02:57.599 --> 00:02:58.560
Excellent, excellent.

00:02:58.879 --> 00:03:01.120
Now, how many days a week do you spend here?

00:03:01.840 --> 00:03:04.000
I probably spend about four days a week here.

00:03:04.319 --> 00:03:04.879
Four days a week.

00:03:04.960 --> 00:03:07.120
And what are the hours here at the community center?

00:03:07.439 --> 00:03:09.439
It is Wednesday through Saturday.

00:03:09.520 --> 00:03:11.199
It's from seven to two.

00:03:11.520 --> 00:03:14.479
And then on Sundays we're open from seven to three.

00:03:14.879 --> 00:03:15.599
Seven to three.

00:03:15.840 --> 00:03:19.599
Now the Drifting Sands Cafe, do you participate in the running of that?

00:03:19.680 --> 00:03:20.639
Or yes, I do.

00:03:21.120 --> 00:03:23.120
Um I'm also a volunteer waitress here.

00:03:23.439 --> 00:03:31.360
Volunteer waitress.ish kind of uniform with the big badge that says Kim on it.

00:03:32.000 --> 00:03:34.400
Yeah, we're we're gonna be working on new t-shirts.

00:03:34.639 --> 00:03:34.800
Okay.

00:03:34.960 --> 00:03:38.400
And I know if you're working with Carla, she's all into this planning stuff.

00:03:38.560 --> 00:03:39.199
Oh, absolutely.

00:03:39.360 --> 00:03:39.919
Absolutely.

00:03:40.159 --> 00:03:46.240
So what is it like to, I mean, uh everybody that I'd met so far said, have you been to the Drifting Sands Cafe?

00:03:46.319 --> 00:03:49.520
And so finally I'm here, I'm gonna have breakfast.

00:03:50.159 --> 00:03:53.280
What is what is the most popular meal here at the cafe?

00:03:53.680 --> 00:03:54.800
Oh, that's a good one.

00:03:54.879 --> 00:03:57.360
Probably our hamsteak special on Saturdays.

00:03:57.680 --> 00:03:58.719
Okay, very nice.

00:03:58.960 --> 00:04:04.080
Now, as I noticed as I look around the room, you've got in the community center, there's a lot of bookshelves.

00:04:04.319 --> 00:04:06.319
Do people just come here and donate their books?

00:04:07.360 --> 00:04:09.280
Donate their books, their their clothing.

00:04:09.439 --> 00:04:14.319
We have a thrift store out on the side of us, and we also have a rummage room in the back.

00:04:14.479 --> 00:04:14.719
Okay.

00:04:14.960 --> 00:04:18.480
So they're knickknack paddywax and give your dog a bone.

00:04:18.560 --> 00:04:18.639
Okay.

00:04:18.800 --> 00:04:18.959
Yes.

00:04:19.199 --> 00:04:22.399
It's really funny when you talked about this I mentioned thrift store.

00:04:22.560 --> 00:04:34.079
When I was growing up in Oak Park, Michigan, my mom, may she rest in peace, when my dad passed away, she ran the local, there was a local Benabreth thrift store in town.

00:04:34.319 --> 00:04:34.560
Nice.

00:04:34.720 --> 00:04:35.519
And she managed that.

00:04:35.600 --> 00:04:39.360
So whenever I hear the word thrift store, I immediately think back to my mom.

00:04:39.519 --> 00:04:40.160
Oh, nice.

00:04:40.319 --> 00:04:43.600
Now, there's another room here, and I took a picture of it before.

00:04:44.000 --> 00:04:49.199
Oh, yes, that's our and that's our chambers uh com of commerce.

00:04:49.519 --> 00:04:50.000
All right.

00:04:50.160 --> 00:04:50.319
Yes.

00:04:50.720 --> 00:04:51.839
Now I love chambers of commerce.

00:04:52.240 --> 00:04:52.639
So do I.

00:04:52.800 --> 00:05:02.399
I get to work with a lot of them, and uh it's what's really important for me in the chamber is you're bringing visitors in, you're bringing families in, helping to start businesses.

00:05:03.360 --> 00:05:04.800
And they're always there for us too.

00:05:05.040 --> 00:05:05.600
Excellent.

00:05:05.839 --> 00:05:09.439
So i is Newbury Springs, is this this is it?

00:05:09.600 --> 00:05:10.399
You're staying here?

00:05:10.800 --> 00:05:12.319
I have no intentions of moving.

00:05:12.639 --> 00:05:15.120
Okay, because I'm always looking for my next place to live.

00:05:15.199 --> 00:05:18.560
And I'm thinking in the two days I've been here, I gotta find a place to live.

00:05:18.800 --> 00:05:19.199
Yeah, yeah.

00:05:20.079 --> 00:05:21.600
You got a lot of properties out here for sale.

00:05:21.839 --> 00:05:22.480
There you go.

00:05:22.800 --> 00:05:29.839
So if you had to share with our listeners, why should you visit Newberry Springs?

00:05:30.240 --> 00:05:40.639
Why should you make it a stop on your Because the people here are so so warm and welcoming and it's just a beautiful, beautiful, beautiful little town.

00:05:41.120 --> 00:05:41.439
Okay.

00:05:41.920 --> 00:05:43.759
Now, I don't want to put you on the spot.

00:05:43.920 --> 00:05:45.839
This is a lobball question here.

00:05:46.560 --> 00:05:51.680
Does the community center, does the Drifting Sands Cafe, are do you have a website?

00:05:51.839 --> 00:05:54.319
Are you on in in like Facebook, Instagram?

00:05:54.800 --> 00:05:56.959
We are on Facebook and we're also on Instagram.

00:05:57.199 --> 00:05:58.720
Okay, and how would I find that?

00:05:59.279 --> 00:06:03.519
Just look up Drifting Sands Cafe or Newberry Springs Senior Family Center.

00:06:03.839 --> 00:06:11.439
Okay, and we will make sure in our show notes we have those links there, as well as some photos of the cafe and the community center.

00:06:11.519 --> 00:06:14.800
And we'll also have a link back to the the chamber offices.

00:06:14.879 --> 00:06:15.600
So okay.

00:06:15.839 --> 00:06:20.560
See, Kim, I told you this is like it's like having a beverage with a friend you haven't seen in 15 years.

00:06:21.120 --> 00:06:21.600
You did great.

00:06:22.079 --> 00:06:22.959
Thank you so much for spending time.

00:06:23.199 --> 00:06:23.839
Thank you so much.

00:06:24.000 --> 00:06:24.720
All right, take care.

00:06:24.959 --> 00:06:25.519
All right.

00:06:26.319 --> 00:06:27.279
Okay, everyone.

00:06:27.439 --> 00:06:30.399
We hope you enjoyed today's episode with Kim Gregory.

00:06:30.480 --> 00:06:37.120
She is a volunteer here in Newberry Springs at the Family Center and the Drifting Sands Cafe.

00:06:37.279 --> 00:06:48.319
We'll have some photos up on our show notes and links back to the center and cafe as well as to the Chamber of Commerce, whose office is also here.

00:06:48.639 --> 00:06:54.240
As for us, you can find this episode up on our webpage, outdooradventures.com.

00:06:54.399 --> 00:07:00.560
You can also find the episode up on Facebook and LinkedIn on our Outdoor Adventure Series pages.

00:07:00.879 --> 00:07:06.480
A YouTube video of this episode will be up on our YouTube channel, Outdoor Adventure Series.

00:07:06.639 --> 00:07:11.439
And of course, you can listen to this podcast wherever you get your podcast from.

00:07:11.680 --> 00:07:15.920
All right, folks, wherever you are, whatever you're doing, go out there and have a fantastic day.

00:07:16.079 --> 00:07:22.160
And we look forward to having you join us on a future episode of the Outdoor Adventure Series podcast.

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Take care now.