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LancairDriver
Super Nomad
Posts: 1587
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: On the Road
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Slab City Questions?
A small group of friends are planning a trip to Baja late in October. One member of the group suggested a short detour to swing by “Slab City”
which most of us had never heard of. I did a little research on the place and it sounds like it has evolved from a fairly popular place to camp in the
winter to a perfect model for a Mad Max movie. Since there are a large number of adventurist Nomads who probably are familiar with the place , I was
wondering what the comments on the place would be. So far I have gotten a few comments such as “Don’t go there ever” to “If you go, Leave
before dark” Here is a Wikipedia link about the place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slab_City,_California
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thebajarunner
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3687
Registered: 9-8-2003
Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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25 years ago it was pretty interesting, lots of upbeat folks who did not want to pay for regular r.v. spots
Now, kind of creepy, actually.
We were there two years ago, late afternoon, by dark we were driving out and I am sure that I heard the banjos from "Deliverance" were cranking up
I highly recommend taking a quick look, have not heard of any bad stuff there, just an uneasy feeling pervades the place these days. "Mad Max" would
be much at home there.
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Don Pisto
Super Nomad
Posts: 1230
Registered: 8-1-2018
Location: El Pescador
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Mood: weary like everyone else
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Quote: Originally posted by thebajarunner  | 25 years ago it was pretty interesting, lots of upbeat folks who did not want to pay for regular r.v. spots
Now, kind of creepy, actually.
We were there two years ago, late afternoon, by dark we were driving out and I am sure that I heard the banjos from "Deliverance" were cranking up
I highly recommend taking a quick look, have not heard of any bad stuff there, just an uneasy feeling pervades the place these days. "Mad Max" would
be much at home there. |
as would alexander supertramp.....stop take a picture of salvation mountain and move on
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advrider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1847
Registered: 10-2-2015
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Don Pisto , not sure how many will know who the supertramp is but you had me laughing.. I watched a documentary last year about people living out
there and it seems that meth has moved in and all of the hippie's have moved on... Might be worth dropping in during the day and size it up your self?
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torch
Nomad
Posts: 295
Registered: 1-27-2010
Location: O.C. Calif. and BCN
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I would go for sure , because once it is gone ,it is gone. I've spent multiple days there and twice for new years eve.
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2103
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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Visit for sure. Spend the night there? I wouldn`t.
If you want to boondock, go to the Niland marina, or Bombay Beach. For somewhere great, go to one of the hot springs resorts about 15 miles north. The
Fountain of Youth is one. But a disclaimer here. Those folks out there don`t seem to be getting any younger!!!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17289
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: Originally posted by LancairDriver | A small group of friends are planning a trip to Baja late in October. One member of the group suggested a short detour to swing by “Slab City”
which most of us had never heard of. I did a little research on the place and it sounds like it has evolved from a fairly popular place to camp in the
winter to a perfect model for a Mad Max movie. Since there are a large number of adventurist Nomads who probably are familiar with the place , I was
wondering what the comments on the place would be. So far I have gotten a few comments such as “Don’t go there ever” to “If you go, Leave
before dark” Here is a Wikipedia link about the place.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slab_City,_California |
10 minute windshield tour is about all you need to tour this little community of misfit toys.
My view of slab city is that it is populated by misfits who want to go to Burning man but can’t afford to, or did go to burning man but were exiled
for antisocial behaviour
If you like gawking at misfit self-exiles, the polygamist communities are more interesting, imho.
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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LancairDriver
Super Nomad
Posts: 1587
Registered: 2-22-2008
Location: On the Road
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Thanks for the helpful comments which are much appreciated. We have decided to have a quick look while the sun is still up. As one comment stated, an
interesting bit of history will soon be gone. Also it sounds like there are other nearby places worth exploring.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64478
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The bubbling mud pots, perhaps? I like geology!
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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Supertramp. Into the wild! Check it out and move along.
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weebray
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 7-19-2010
Location: La Paz
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Mood: lleno
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All kinds of alligators in this swamp. Cheesus freaks, hippies, meth heads, nudists, beardo's and on and on and on. Camps set up all over the land
by oddballs of various persuasions. Fairly harmless, low murder rate folks. Policed by themselves. A must visit cacophony of mostly white folks
that don't plug into the society as presented.
Every beautiful beach in the world needs a few condo towers - NOT.
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55steve
Senior Nomad
Posts: 857
Registered: 4-24-2006
Location: Warner Springs, CA
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| Quote: Originally posted by weebray | | All kinds of alligators in this swamp. Cheesus freaks, hippies, meth heads, nudists, beardo's and on and on and on. Camps set up all over the land
by oddballs of various persuasions. Fairly harmless, low murder rate folks. Policed by themselves. A must visit cacophony of mostly white folks
that don't plug into the society as presented. |
Spot on! I had family visiting from the UK and being some of the original Hippies they had to see the place...quick tour and a walk around Salvation
Mountain and we were done.
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StuckSucks
Super Nomad
Posts: 2305
Registered: 10-17-2013
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If you enjoy the vagrants of Venice Beach, CA, you will enjoy Slab City.
Yes to mudpots and yes to Salvation Mountain. As mentioned by others, this will not consume a lot of time.
For extra points, watch the documentary Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea.
"Narrated by John Waters and featuring the Salvation Mountain art installation, Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea explores the economic,
political and environmental issues that face the Salton Sea, a one-time vacation destination for the rich and famous that is now occupied by an
eccentric and individualistic populace."
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StuckSucks
Super Nomad
Posts: 2305
Registered: 10-17-2013
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The moment of decision -- will it be Slab City or East Jesus?
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daveB
Nomad
Posts: 244
Registered: 11-6-2003
Location: B.C. Canada
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Mood: wondering about Nomads!
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Slab City is a wonder unto itself. Haven't seen it for about five years, but I doubt it will change very much. Besides what's there, other things to
see are available. The Sonny Bono Wildbird Sancuary is one in the area, in winter you will see throngs of Sandhill Cranes, and others. The bubbling
mud pots which, in the old days, allowed for capture of CO2 which were then made into Dry Ice. Apparently, there are other similar pots, but none has
exibited the CO2 bubbling, instead give off something quite a bit stronger. There is the quite expansive volcanic Obsidian field containing black rock
that, when worked properly, can yield implements so sharp that surgeons in the past have used them as their main cutting tool. Nearby most of this is
at the south end of the Salton Sea, the largest lake in California, but one shallow and containing a very high amount of Salt. The Lake, which has
it's surface at about -250 feet below sea level, takes in water during the year mostly from farmland, that has been treated with fertilizers, but the
only way to keep water from staying and overflowing (without an natural exit) is by evaporation, which leads to ever increasing salt and chemical
content. Bombay Beach is ten mile from the hot springs resort of The Fountain of Youth RV Park, and was once a playground for Hollywood; nowadays you
will never see a powered boat ply its shallow waters, and only one type of fish still survives, the telapia. A stop at the Fountain for a couple of
days can bring all this to you, and back at the 900 or so campground, there are two swimming pools and five or six hot tubs, and a 600 seat
entertainment centre.
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ElCap
Nomad
Posts: 279
Registered: 1-22-2010
Location: Montara CA, or San Ignacio BCS
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We visited Slab City a couple of years ago on our way back from Baja. Definitely some interesting folks and art installations up there, but a
medium-level sketchy factor depending on what dirt road you took once you got there. I'd say it's worth a visit, but I also wouldn't recommend
staying the night. We drove on up to the Salton Sea and stayed at a campground there - an easy drive from there. Both places were worth the visit,
but not likely I would make the visit again.
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John Harper
Super Nomad
Posts: 2289
Registered: 3-9-2017
Location: SoCal
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| Quote: Originally posted by daveB | | There is the quite expansive volcanic Obsidian field containing black rock that, when worked properly, can yield implements so sharp that surgeons in
the past have used them as their main cutting tool. |
An obsidian blade can be one molecule (or atom) thick. Even the best surgical steel can't do that.
John
[Edited on 11-20-2019 by John Harper]
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Lee
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3455
Registered: 10-2-2006
Location: High in the Colorado Rockies
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A close friend frequents there. He rides a dirt bike too. If you like to be around freaks/weirdos, have at it. My friend is weird. I don't
discriminate.
US Marines: providing enemies of America an opportunity to die for their country since 1775.
What I say before any important decision.
F*ck it.
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Marc
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 2743
Registered: 5-15-2010
Location: San Francisco & Palm Springs
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Mood: Waiting
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Not on my Bucket List.
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Paco Facullo
Super Nomad
Posts: 1301
Registered: 1-21-2017
Location: Here now
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Mood: Abiding ..........
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Salvation Mountain is worth the visit, it is just before you get to Slab City...
I'fn ya go the Slab City be sure to bring plenty of cold beer, weed ,LSD, food and you'll have one Hell of'a good time !
Not sure if they are still doing the Saturday night concerts at the Range but if they are it's great Rock-n-roll .......
Since I've given up all hope, I feel much better
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