Salton Sea: Land of the weird

Photo By Cynthia McIntyre | For a "sea" that isn't one, and isn't really supposed to exist, the Salton Sea south of Palm Springs, Calif., has gathered about itself an interesting cornucopia of weirdness. The International Banana Museum features toys, figurines and framed bananas. The rotten one is above the lamp.  

BARSTOW, CA, UNITED STATES

05.29.2015

Story by Cynthia McIntyre 

Marine Corps Logistics Base Barstow

BARSTOW, Calif. - For a "sea" that isn't one, and isn't really supposed to exist, the Salton Sea south of Palm Springs, California, has gathered about itself an interesting cornucopia of weirdness.

There are the decaying fish for one. For two, a psychedelic "mountain" built as a tribute to spiritual salvation. Add in a squatter community of artists, oddballs and ne'er-do-wells; a smattering of owls; a banana collection; some hot springs; and burbling mudpots; and you have tales worth telling.

The Salton Sea is really an inland lake formed by accident in 1905 when the canal built to divert the Colorado River to irrigate farm fields burst during a flood. The river flowed into the dry basin created by an ancient lake for 18 months before the breach was fixed. Fed by springs and rainfall, the lake hangs on. However, it loses more than it gains. The dry desert winds suck off the moisture and increase salinity, leading to periodic fish and bird kills. This degradation also led to the death of a resort industry that blossomed on its shores in the 1940s and 50s, leaving behind skeletons of its former glory.

However, for those who love weirdness, the Salton Sea is a magnet. The Salton Sea State Recreation Area on the east shore has some very nice beaches and campsites, and is a destination for birders, along with the Sonny Bono Salton Sea National Wildlife Refuge. It is the latter where burrowing owls can be seen standing outside their burrows along ditches or in fields.

Near the refuge is a curious little area that is officially off-limits: The Davis-Schrimpf Seep Field. An underground heat source causes ever-changing gray cones to be formed by hot mudpots that bloop and blurp like in a miniature Yellowstone.

The North Shore portion of the recreation area is first encountered south on State Route 111 from Mecca. Farther down the road is the International Banana Museum, which is easy to miss. It bills itself as "the most aPEELing destination on the planet," with more than 20,000 banana-related trinkets and gewgaws. You can get banana milkshakes there, and the oddities in the museum are definitely worth a look-see, such as the rotten banana mounted on a frame and the Reese's Peanut Butter and Banana Creme candy with Elvis on the wrapper.

Backtrack on Highway 111 just north of Mecca to get date shakes and sample many varieties of delicious dates at the Oasis Date Gardens. Date palm orchards, as well as irrigated farmlands growing artichokes and sugar beets, among other crops, offer an intriguing look into how supermarket food looks while it is still on the stalk.
Bombay Beach is sometimes called a ghost town, even though it is definitely inhabited. This little lakefront community has been flooded so often it now has a levee blocking its view of the shore, with Hurricane Katrina-style devastation still standing across from it. For those who love ruins and street art of any sort, it's a photographer's paradise.

The small town of Niland is where the best funkiness happens. Taking Main Street east of downtown to Beal Road brings you first to Salvation Mountain. Built by the late folk artist and visionary Leonard Knight to bring glory to God, this giant walkable sculpture has been a work-in-progress for at least three decades. Even non-believers can appreciate the spiritual passion and buckets of paint that went into the flowers, birds, and Bible verses that decorate nearly every square inch of the mountain, as well as the rusted trucks and station wagons on the property.

Continue down the road a little ways to Slab City, known as "the Slabs." Formerly Camp Dunlap Marine Training Facility, the land attracted squatters when the base was deactivated in 1946. Even though the land officially belongs to the state of California, the Slabs continue to draw folks who live off the grid, some for the winter, some year-round. There are various communities within the Slabs, such as East Jesus and West Satan. Some even have Facebook pages.

East Jesus is an art colony that welcomes visitors and even gives guided tours among the art cars and sculptures, all cleverly made of items that would be politely termed "junk." There is a giant fork in the road (as in a giant wooden fork) at the intersection to West Satan.

A more sedate community at Bashford Hot Mineral Spa is a mobile home and RV park. The hot springs come out at 150 degrees, but are cooled enough for bathers to soak comfortably in the six outdoor cement tubs. There is a fee for non-residents to use them. When done, just pull the plug, hose out the tub, and put the plug back in for the next person.

A museum in Mecca has exhibits about the Salton Sea, and if one pokes around this strange land there is likely to be more weirdness to be found. After all, it straddles the San Andreas Fault, and rivals Death Valley for being more than 200 feet below sea level. Don't forget the clothespin for your nose. Just in case of dead fish.

For more information: http://saltonseamuseum.org

• Date Taken: 05.29.2015
• Date Posted: 05.29.2015 14:03
• Story ID: 164921
• Location: BARSTOW, CA, US