Friday, November 11, 2011

Slab City

All I can say is that this is like no other place I've ever been. Despite the lack of water, electricity and other services this place is home to about 150 year round residents as well as the RV snowbirds that hang out here in the winter. A short time after we arrived we saw a UPS truck and later a big yellow school bus drop off six children. There's a church, library, internet cafe and more here as well. Apparently it does function like a small city.

The community bulletin board with the Sun Works solar store in the background.

Most of the full time residents make an encampment near one of the many Palo Verde trees here. Some kind of additional shading is also added to guard against the scorching 120 degree temps. common here in the summer.

Though we hear the hum of a generator most of the time most people here employ solar panels or wind generators to keep things running. With most campers able to occupy at least a 1/4 acre for themselves it's surprisingly quiet and uncrowded here. The weather is nice too, 72F now and 60F this morning at sunrise.

There is a lot of junk here, we expected that. It's really awful in some places. There is a group, slabcity.org, who is trying to change this but some people just spoil things for everyone else.


We think this lady was headed into Niland for supplies. Other people bicycle or hitch hike the 3 miles into town.
3 story tall Salvation Mountain is the first thing you see coming into town. The Folk Art Society of America has declared Salvation Mountain a national treasure.


The interior of Salvation Mountain is a labyrinth of odd shaped rooms and bizarre art work.

I met the owner of this establishment who told me what all else there is to see here. I will probably post some more photos in a day or two.

3 comments:

  1. COOOOOOL! Love seeing your pics of the place. So definitely HAVE to go there.
    Nina

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  2. Slab city is a far cry from the fancy RV parks!..a little dose of reality does a blogger good!

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  3. Slab City is where we had our solar system installed by Solar Mike back in December of 08. I recognized his place in your first photo. We spent 3 days there and by the third day I was beginning to gain a bit of an understanding to the place. Didn't like Slab City at first but it wasn't long and I began to feel the spell that place can cast over someone.......:))

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