A Touch of Salt

My adventures takes me to the Salton Sea a place I have always wanted to see. Susan wasn't interested in this trip so I'm on my own. That's okay it gives me a chance to do some bird watching.

The Salton Sea is one of the world's largest inland seas and also one of the lowest spots on earth at -227 feet below sea level. It was created in 1905 when floods on the Colorado River breached the gates of the developing Imperial Valley. Consequently, over the next 2 years the entire volume of the Colorado River flowed into the Salton Basin creating a 45 mile long by 20 mile wide body of water, hence the Salton Sea was born.

The Salton Sea

Lacking any outflow the Sea is becoming saltier and saltier accelerating many changes. Instead of nice sandy beaches the shoreline is riddled with crunchy white barnacles and dead fish. Contributing to the salinity of the water is the constant evaporation of the remaining water and the leaching of fertilizers from surrounding farmland.

Diminishing shoreline due to evaporation

The Salton Sea State Recreation Park covers 14 miles of the northeast shoreline. The campground offers full hookups in basically the far end of the parking lot. Other state campsites are provided further down the road but with limited facilities.

State campground with full hookups

As I continued down the road I came to Bombay Beach, a community founded in 1929. Once a thriving getaway for weekenders and boaters, it is now a skeleton of it's former self. The town was flooded in 1976 & 1977 due to tropical storms causing a dramatic rise in the Salton Sea. Now a dike separates the town from the sea. As I walked through the town I saw many photographers taking pictures of the shells that someone use to call home. When the temperatures during the summer reach 118 degrees the smell from the dead fish on the beach is intolerable.

All that remains of a popular mobile home park

Skeletal remains of mobile home

Abandoned RV

Once a home



When you get to Niland on CA-111 look for Main St turn left cause Salvation Mountain and Slab City are not too far away. Salvation Mountain is a 50 foot high and 150 foot long religious folk art monument created by Leonard Knight. It's made adobe style using bales of straw, cement, sticks and anything else Knight could get his hands on.

Salvation Mountain

Knight had lived in the back of his truck until his declining health caused him to move to a nursing facility.

Knights home on wheels

Knights cats have no names...they roam the mountain freely

Turning to the right after exiting Salvation Mountain parking lot you get to Slab City.

Welcome to Slab City

Once home to Camp Dunlap Marine Barracks in 1942, now all that remains from the military installation are the concrete slabs where buildings stood, hence the name. Today it is home for RV enthusiasts and squatters living off the grid. However, the city has several issues namely garbage and improper sewage disposal.

RVs and garbage everywhere

Someones idea of folk art

As you continue to drive around the 200 + acre area you see just about everything from brand new rigs to old junkers.

This one has solar and wind generated power

Tin and tarps with pitbulls and barbwire...scary

Once a 5th wheel now a burntout shell left to rot 

Garbage everywhere

Not all is bad about this place. Many individuals are trying to get people to clean up their messes and to dispose of sewage properly. Also, every Saturday they host an open-air show at The Range where resident musicians and anyone else who wants to showcase their talent can get on stage and perform. 

The Range open-air nightclub complete with stage, lights, speakers, and tattered couches

As I was leaving Slab City to make the journey back home I couldn't help but stop to take a picture of the famous shoe tree that was featured on the movie Into The Wild.

Cool shoe tree

 



A date in Indio, CA

We arrived in Indio, California a couple of days ago and I didn't have time to blog so here I am. Why Indio you ask? Well it's close to the Salton Sea and also it's very close to the Palm Springs area. The park we chose is Indian Waters RV Resort, a sister park to the one we stayed at in Casa Grande. The park is beautiful, well maintained but sites are close together. After spending 4 days on the Colorado River this definitely feels a little claustrophobic.

Palm Springs is a very unique area. It's about 120 miles from LA and has seen a population growth in the last 10 years by 45%. Being in the Coachella Valley the climate is influenced by the surrounding geography. High mountains on three sides contribute to the warm climate year round. This climate makes it idea for growing dates. Our first stop was Shields Date Garden. We got there around lunch and the place was packed.

Around since 1924

As we got out of our truck the fragrance in the air from the orange, lemon, and grapefruit blossoms was absolutely stunning. I told Sue to kept going I just wanted to stay in the parking lot savoring the wonderful smell.

Orange Blossoms

Did you know that dates are the oldest known cultivated tree crop and most expensive to produce. I didn't, all I knew about dates is when my mother made dates squares I was all in. Anyway our visit to Shields was very informative. We watched the movie "The Romance and Sex Life of the Date" in their theater then sampled different kinds.

Medjool Dates....my favorite

Our good friends Marilyn & Dave told us we had to try a date shake but beware they are sweet. As we stood in line it seemed that everyone wanted a date shake. Who knew they would be so popular.

Lineup for date shakes

After grabbing our shake, only one because it might be to sweet for me we went to tour their date garden.

Notice who has the date shake

Fact: After a date shoot is planted it will be 5 years before it produces 30-40 pounds and 10-15 years to produce 150-300 pounds of dates. Dates are reached by climbing up ladders that are permanently attached in the trees. The ladders are moved upward every couple of years as the tree grows.

Date Palm with ladder attached

With the date shake gone we ventured into downtown Palm Springs to see some sights. The large statue of Marilyn Monroe is quite the tourist attraction. Marilyn Monroe was discovered in Palm Springs in 1949 at the age of 22. 

Marilyn statue

After walking off the date shake in downtown Palm Springs we headed back to the campground for a long deserved swim. With the sun going down we saw a hot air balloon going for a sunset flight.

Up, up, and away

Buckskin Mountain State Park

Located a short distance from Parker, AZ, Buckskin Mountain State Park is our next destination. I'm looking forward to less traffic noise and being close to water. As we arrived we were greeted by a wonderful volunteer who gave us all the ins and outs of the park. Love this place already, happy happy people.

On the beautiful Colorado River

Check-in & Rangers Station

We had a back-in site with a view of people hiking the mountains. All sites have water and 30 amp service however some have sewer connections, we did not.


Our Site # 25

We got set up in very short order so I went for a walk exploring the park. I love this place, lots of hiking trails in the mountains and it's so quite. The occasional boat or jet ski flies down the river but that adds to the excitement of the place.

A 300HP engine on this ?boat

So the first hiking trail I went on overlooked the campground and Colorado River. In total it took me about an hour. I sat up there enjoying the peace and quiet. I had to climb back down as it was getting really hot and I didn't bring water with me. I could have stayed until sunset.

Yes our rig is down there...somewhere

I was up early the next morning wanting to explore another trail in the mountains. I bought a walking stick at the ranger station and asked about rattlesnakes. Their answer "because of the high temperatures they are out so go early in the morning and be careful". Okay, so away I go. So far no rattlesnakes today but I was rewarded with a wonderful trail and beautiful scenery.

I went to the mines first

Mines like this everywhere you look

Mine shaft the sign said 25 +/- feet deep

The trails were easy to moderate with some areas being quite steep and narrow while other were like walking down the road. On my way back I passed people with dogs which is okay with the park. Dogs are allowed on the trails. However, in saying that the number of cactus along the trails are huge. So dog owners beware. Because of the sharp thorns, I had another flat tire yesterday on my bike. I pulled no less than 20 thorns out of my front tire.

I was feeling pretty good about hiking these paths so away I go the next day to Interruption Point. This is a little longer but was rewarded with another day beautiful weather and gorgeous views of the river.


Easy path

The reward...looking at the California side of the Colorado River

Barrel Cactus & Rock Formations...love it

We spent 4 nights at Buckskin Mountain and I knew we would come back someday. It was our type of park. Susan and I were able to use our bikes, there's plenty of birds and wildlife to see, I was able to hike, and most of all it was quiet and peaceful.

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument, AZ

From all the blogging I've done so far I think you can tell how much I love the National Parks & Monuments system. I desperately wanted to see organ pipe cactuses so what better place than Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument. We are within striking distance only 1 1/2 hour drive there, so away we go down the AZ-15 toward Why, AZ then straight into the park.

We really didn't have to go very far before our adventure started. You've seen it, we have all seen the signs saying "Open Grazing Watch for Animals....Next 15 miles". But, have you very seen a cow on the road! Well, as we crested a big hill, what's on the road...you got it, not a cow but a bull just sauntering across the road taking his time. As we stopped in time he was giving us the eye, unsure whether to charge the truck or kept on going. Thank goodness he kept on going.

"No Bull"

With that out of the way we arrive at the park ready to explore. We make our first stop at the visitor center since who else is better acquainted with the surroundings but the rangers. He gives us his little spiel, some maps, and the warning....wait warnings for what. Not animals on the road again? Nope drug traffickers and people with guns. We are only 7 miles from the Mexican border. Great I'm glad Susan is in the bathroom for this one. We decide on the 21 mile Ajo Mountain Drive through desert and mountains.

Beautiful Organ Pipe Cactus

Situated in the Sonoran Desert, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument has a variety of species that flourish in a very harsh environment. Early settlers who encountered dead cacti thought it reminded them of church pipe organs, hence that's how the name came about.

Within a few miles of the start I met some fantastic people who were very familiar with the trail. They stopped, I stopped it was like follow the leader. Fortunately for me they knew where all the great cristates where.

Saguaro cristates

Organ Pipe cristates

An array of desert plants with the Ajo Mountains in the background

We decided to stop at Arch Canyon for our picnic lunch and where rewarded with a beautiful view and a wonderful walking trail.

"The Arch"

Arch Canyon and the trail bottom right

As we continued along the trail I left my new friends behind not before they gave me all the remaining great places to stop. The pinkish to chocolate-colored rock within the Ajo Mountain range is rhyolite which formed years ago when volcanic rock flowed over the surface and cooled.

Beautiful colors in the mountains

Organ Pipe Cristates

Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument is one of the few places in the United States where organ pipe cactus grow. Organ Pipe produce their first flowers at age 35. The flower opens at night allowing for bat pollination and closes by mid-morning. They can live 150 years and the average height is 15 feet.

Organ Pipe Cactus

Ocotilla with Ajo Mountains

Smaller arch in the rock surrounded by organ pipe cactus

Lower elevations....no organ pipe cactuses just saguaros

The 21 mile drive took us about 3 hours with several stops and hikes along the way. As we exited the driving trail I wanted to see Lukeville which is the border town between USA and Mexico. Well their was nothing there except lots of border patrol guards and fencing.

On the left...Mexico & on the right USA