Many people told us we had to go visit "Slab City" which is billed as the "last free place in America". When Patton's army left the area after WWII, they left behind huge concrete slabs that had been the flooring for the army's huts. Over time, people who wanted to drop out of society began setting up camp on these slabs. We were told it was a wild, untamed and dangerous place to visit.
Naturally, we had to go see them. So we donned our hippie outfits (by which I mean the POD people uniform of capris, t-shirts and flip flops) and off we went to Niland, California. We knew we had arrived when we saw a very unwashed old man wearing a very large sombrero and a very short kilt and riding a donkey (which was normal sized). We would have asked him (the Mexi-Scot) for directions but he didn't look like he had a GPS (or many functioning brain cells.) He was very smiley though.
As you drive into Slab City (which, btw, has better roads than Sudbury and they don't pay taxes!), you are faced with a great big hill that has been covered in paint and a lot of bible passages. This is Salvation Mountain and it is a wonder to behold. I did not feel inspired to repent my sins. But then we were told we had to find Jesus. East Jesus, that is.
A little further on, we saw signs for a pub, a library, and an internet cafe. Most of the "hippies", as far as we could see, were driving huge motorhomes and fifth wheels. These people did not look like they even owned love beads or water-walkers. The few places we saw that looked "hippie-ish" were very well tended, albeit most of the garden decorations were made from scrap and old appliances. There wasn't a long-haired freaky person to be found (if you don't count us).
The trail led us around to East Jesus, with a bypass to West Satan. This place was really cool! The artist has used junk to create some really unique artwork. I loved the wall made out of used bottles. It was very sparkly.
In spite of the 100 degree heat (that's 2,378 Celsius, by my reckoning) we wandered around this amazing sculpture garden. It's truly awe-inspiring what people can do with trash!
After that, it was a quick trip to the Salton Sea, by way of Bombay Beach which is a) not east Indian and b) not a beach. But it is a dump. You can't even see the sea from there because they've piled up a lot of dirt in front of it. No idea why and there was no one to ask.
So we came home, with not even a tale of being shot at by some paranoid, disgruntled counter-culture freak who hates revenooers and guv'mint agents.
Peace and Love, ya'll.
As you drive into Slab City (which, btw, has better roads than Sudbury and they don't pay taxes!), you are faced with a great big hill that has been covered in paint and a lot of bible passages. This is Salvation Mountain and it is a wonder to behold. I did not feel inspired to repent my sins. But then we were told we had to find Jesus. East Jesus, that is.A little further on, we saw signs for a pub, a library, and an internet cafe. Most of the "hippies", as far as we could see, were driving huge motorhomes and fifth wheels. These people did not look like they even owned love beads or water-walkers. The few places we saw that looked "hippie-ish" were very well tended, albeit most of the garden decorations were made from scrap and old appliances. There wasn't a long-haired freaky person to be found (if you don't count us).
The trail led us around to East Jesus, with a bypass to West Satan. This place was really cool! The artist has used junk to create some really unique artwork. I loved the wall made out of used bottles. It was very sparkly.In spite of the 100 degree heat (that's 2,378 Celsius, by my reckoning) we wandered around this amazing sculpture garden. It's truly awe-inspiring what people can do with trash!
After that, it was a quick trip to the Salton Sea, by way of Bombay Beach which is a) not east Indian and b) not a beach. But it is a dump. You can't even see the sea from there because they've piled up a lot of dirt in front of it. No idea why and there was no one to ask.
So we came home, with not even a tale of being shot at by some paranoid, disgruntled counter-culture freak who hates revenooers and guv'mint agents.
Peace and Love, ya'll.
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