Hot Springs, Salvation Mountain and Slab City

It is getting hot in Southern Arizona. We headed back down to Quartzsite area to meet some friends and begin our trek into California and Slab City. We spent 2 nights around Ehrenberg on BLM land. For the next week or so we will be travelling in a group, this is a first for us since leaving on this trip. With us is the couple we met in FLorida Jim and Shannone, the are travelling in a discrete cargo van that looks like a plumbing van. A couple from Florida travelling in a truck and pull along trailer. Alaska Jim is riding in his truck camper, Roxy is in her lifted Astro van.

We are travelling to 5 Palms a hot springs in South Cali. This area has a heavy industrial industry. There are fields of produce farms interspersed with cattle feedlots. The air quality is poor and the mountains in the distant are difficult to see, however some people believe that this particulate matter in the air is what provides such amazing sunsets.

Imperial Sand Dunes. It is HOT here. The sand reminds me of peaks and valleys of velvet, it is so smooth.

I tried to go into 5 Palms without expectation. Walking down to the hot spring through sand and low dry brush you can spot a cluster of tall palms, walking closer you can see a path through the brush and opening into a little desert oasis. The only signs of humans are 2 medium sized rugs one a shag and the other an indian style rug and a board for a bench. There is a pipe that comes out from the sand soil providing a fresh supply of water from deep below. The water is clean and moderately warm. During the day you will find some folks lazing around the water in the shade provided by the palms, wearing either a swimsuit or a birthday suit. A group of us soaked in the evenings full moon and on another day we watched the sun rise through the palms.

The morning soak was pretty chilly!

Slab City and Salvation Mountain

This was always a destination we wanted to experience. Here's a little background info. In 1984, Leonard Knight started to create Salvation Mountain as a means to spread the message that God is love. He used garbage and donated supplies from the area to build his mountain. People from all over come to view his work so I guess you could call his mission successful.

Slab City is an infamous area of South California. Gettin both positive and negative reviews. I guess the long and short of it is that this area of land being old military grounds is fairly worthless for development and so in the 70's people began camping out here and never really left. In talking with people it seems people are living here as a social revolt, some people have endured financial bankruptcy, others want to live a simpler and cheaper life, there are people who winter here and then there are people passing by to check out the area. On any given day its not uncommon to see drug tweekers, people cleaning the garbage from their property, children running around, typical roaming "slab" dogs, people hiding from the sun in the library, always groups of locals conversing over the sound of military missile testing in the distance, almost a nightly acoustic jam session around a raging campfire. I have given much thought on just how to blog about this place. At first like many I wanted to show the weirdest of the weird, because there is a lot of that. But after spending time here "slabbers"are just wanting to live their lives without another camera being shoved down their throats. Overall this experience has given us an intimate look into a very different style of living. Not once did we feel anything but safe and welcome, other than a few run-ins with a pack of roaming dogs. As it seems most of the slab community are very warm and inviting and have created a very unique place to call home.

The Library

(apparently the old librarian is buried in the front yard)

East Jesus

California Ponderosa- every Tuesday a chili supper is held here for $1/bowl, afterwards music by the fire.

Some neighboring camps

This is Dr Spencer's compound, he invited us to use his solar oven to cook ribs. He has one of the nicest homes in the Slabs

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A military base was located just behind us. It is common to hear missile testing and one morning we heard and felt the magnitude of a MOAB(mother of all bombs). For some people it creates a sense of security and others a feeling of unease

The Range hosts talent every Saturday

The hot springs

Overlooking Slab City. The military base in the distance

Some pretty soft sand in the desert

We have bittersweet feelings leaving "the slabs." I appreciate the feelings associated with change and new experiences but even more appreciation for the lessons learned as these new experiences become familiar. After saying "see ya later" to new friends it was time to drive out of this little piece of freedom.

The Salton Sea This area was once booming with tourism but is now a ghost town.

The lake was created from a flood from the Colorado River. Fish were introduced in the lake and it quickly developed into a resort area. Over time the fish became over populated and as a result began dying off. Now the water in merky and brown the shore is lined with fish carcass there is a foul sulfur smell. In the distance smog hangs over the lake and mountains border the valley. It has an eerie post apocalyptic feel. Desolation and remnants of mans impact are all that remain here.

So from here we are moving up to the Mojave desert to explore Joshua Tree National Park