WKNDS ARE OUR JAM.
The weeks over here are crazy. Zack works all day, I am always on the computer hustling to get something done, the dogs need us every second (very needy dogs), & it’s just pretty damn hectic. The weekends are my time to disconnect & our time to get some quality time together.
I am not what you would call a spontaneous person, but something changes in me on the weekends & I am the queen of last minute adventures. Actually, I am in the beginning stages of planning to purchase either a Westfalia or a converted van to make weekend adventures that much better. I just became aware of converted vans & OMG- look them up on Instagram. Some of them are nicer than my house!
Totally getting off topic, but very excited about my future van life. Back to the point- our latest weekend adventure to Slab City & Salvation Mountain.
You’ve probably heard of Salvation Mountain or seen the colorful LOVE mountain somewhere on Instagram *maybe mine*, but the town of Slab City seems to be less known… & worth talking about.
If you live in Southern California or if you’re visiting- I highly recommend taking the trip to this BIZARRE (in a good way) place…. & when you do READ THIS POST FIRST!
& OF COURSE… ZACK MADE THE CUTEST LITTLE SLAB CITY EDIT EVER!! Watch below, love him!!
What You Need to Know About Slab City
+ Slab City is located in imperial county, about 2 hours from San Diego & an hour and a half from Palm Springs.
+ The most POPULAR thing about Slab City is Salvation Mountain. Salvation Mountain is a “visionary environment” created by Slab City resident, Leonard Knight. He created the mountain using adobe, straw, & lead free paint. It is bright, covered in bible versus, there are caves, & it is a real mind blow. The Folk Art Society of America declared Salvation Mountain “a folk site worthy of preservation & protection” & has been called a “national treasure”. Truth.
+ The residents of Slab City are definitely an interesting group. Squatters, Burning Man artists, RV residents, snowbirds, & then a handful of some more sketchy characters. The appeal to many is it is free to park your vehicle or tent & you can stay as long as you want. There are a handful of different camps, which are like small communes where Slab City residents live.
+ There is no place for water or food, so come prepared with snacks & beverages (lots of beverages, it get’s warm!).
+ There is concern about the safety in Slab City, but personally, I feel totally fine on a day trip. The place is crowded with tourists, so as long you stay on the popular path of things to see (see below), you will be fine. I wouldn’t suggest straying or staying into the night. People do camp & stay at the hostel there, but personally I wouldn’t feel comfortable with that. My only suggestion is to be respectful, & give some donations.
+ THIS SPOT IS FAMOUS. Slab City/Salvation Mountain was featured in the movie “Into the Wild” (watch it- great movie, GREAT scene!!), TONS of music videos have been filmed there (KE$HA & Coldplay included), & the influencer’s are OBSESSED w/ this super Insta-worthy place! That said, expect a crowd- every time I have been the crowd has been anywhere from 50-100 people & taking photos involves waiting in line
What to Do (& Where to Get Your Instagram)
1. Salvation Mountain
the real highlight & the main reason people go to Slab City. It’s the first thing you will see when entering Slab City. You can NOT miss Salvation Mountain. There is a parking lot, & there are attendants managing the place. They are SO nice & have a cooler of cold drinks usually (but give them a couple dollars!). You can walk around the mountain & explore the caves… but PLEASE, read the signs. There are parts of the mountain you need to stay off of & it’s rude when people don’t read the signs. They will call you out over a loud speaker & it’s embarrassing. Take pictures though, lots of pictures. It is the perfect spot for getting that shot.
2. East Jesus
The next BEST thing about Slab City is easily East Jesus. East Jesus is a sort of commune of Slab City where artists live & create. From what they told me at Salvation Mountain, the artists do a lot of work for Burning Man- which is so rad. I do NOT suggest bringing children here as it is not the safest place- lots of broken glass involved in the art & things that kids will want to touch but shouldn’t. It’s like a scary playground to look at, but not play on.
The highlight for me was the wall of TV’S. It is so rad & makes for a dope Instagram. Read the East Jesus survival guide on their website, it’s A GREAT READ. Trust me.
As for getting here, it’s down the road from Salvation Mountain to the left & there are signs, but when you’re at Salvation Mountain- ask them to point you in the direction of any/all of the places I listed. That’s how we got directions!
3. The Library
The only library in the United States where you can get a *semi* cold beer (for a dollar!). This library may not be your Instagram spot, but 100% worth checking out. People have donated over 4000 books, it’s dusty, they’ve got chickens, there are lots of doll heads & it’s just a cool thing to see. We met a few people there staying in the local hostel from Amsterdam & the guy running the place was a real gem of a guy. SUPER FRIENDLY.
4. The Range
This is the stage seen in “Into the Wild” & at night the residents come to perform music. As I said above, I wouldn’t stay the night, but people do ALL THE TIME & not gonna lie- I’d love to see this go down. Watched some videos on YouTube & it looks like a real good time. It’s on the way to the Library, so just ask someone at East Jesus or Salvation Mountain to point you in the right direction.
6. Slab City Hostel & Internet Cafe
These are all on the same road as the Library & the Range. We didn’t go to these, but I would have sort of liked to see what they looked liked. Especially the internet cafe, an internet cafe in this part of town is interesting to me.
5. The DIY Skatepark
Okay, I can’t tell you where this is in relation to everything else cause I am directionally challenged & I was posting an Instagram while Zack was driving here. It’s just one HUGE empty pool/bowl where people skate. My boyfriend is a skateboarder, so of course we went for him to skate & me to take pictures. I also got to skate a little, which was SO fun because I am actually pretty good. Also, a group of Korean people came & filmed a dance video which was A REAL HIGHLIGHT because I am legit obsesssed w/ Korean culture.
6. The Hot Springs
on your way out, if it’s still light out, there is a hot springs to check out/dip your toes in. Again, you need to ask someone at Salvation Mountain how to get here… but it’s very easy. When leaving it is on your left, past Salvation Mountain, behind some metal cisterns. As we were leaving, two very large men came & got naked to jump in. That was interesting.
7. The Salton Sea
Okay- so this technically isn’t in Slab City, it’s about a 20 minute ride, but I was BUMMED we didn’t have time to check it out. The Salton Sea fascinates the fuck out of me. It’s a dead sea & from what I’ve seen- it looks very apocalyptic. There are sofas in the sand, lots of dead fish, & in one spot the water is PINK (due to chemicals, which is gross, but great for an Instagram!).
The Salton Sea is the largest body of water in all of California & used to be the HOT place to be. They said it was gonna be the new Palm Springs, the Beach Boys hung out at Bombay Beach, & people were buying property left and right. Then the fish started to die, the birds started to die, & everyone just abandoned the place. People DO live there still, so don’t go knocking on doors thinking it will be an empty house, that’s pretty much the most dangerous thing you can do cause I am sure these people own shotguns.
WOULD YOU GUYS GO TO SLAB CITY? It’s not the fanciest place in the world by any means, & I am sure some of you are thinking “WTF”, but I promise you- it’s RAD & sooo worth a visit!
The weekend adventure club has another one planned this weekend, for 4/20 *DUH*, so follow along on the gram to see where we’re headed next & if you have ANY cool spots we need to see in California, please share!!