Slab City and the Salton Sea: Our trip to a "very offbeat part of California" #Travel#California#road trip November 19 2015 | Offbeat Editors offbeatbride Traveling companion(s): Adrienne, Rob and Chloe Type: Slab City and the Salton Sea Budget: Budget ($500-$1000) Where did you go? We traveled from Washington state to Niland, California, which is about an hour and a half out of Palm Springs, located in the Cochella Valley. We stayed with my in-laws who have a house there and spend the winter down south. Their house is near the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach. What did you do? Our first order of business was visiting Salvation Mountain, a giant art monument created by Leonard Knight to profess his love of God. It is made of adobe clay and painted every color of the rainbow with donated paint and supplies. Related Post Get your kicks on this Americana-fueled road trip on Route 66 Technically, our trip was all of Route 66 (through: Illinois, Missouri, Kansas, Oklahoma, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, California), plus the driving it took to get... Read more Salvation Mountain is located at the entrance of Slab City, which is where a community of snowbirds and squatters live off the grid in the former WWII-era Camp Dunlap Naval Reservation. Within Slab City is an area called East Jesus which is an experimental art compound you can explore. We also went hiking at the Sonny Bono Wildlife Refuge, explored the Bombay Beach area of the Salton Sea, took off on some 4-wheeling adventures and made a day trip to Arizona and Mexico. What would you have done differently? We were only about an hour and half away from Palm Springs but we didn't have enough time to check out that area. Next time we head down we would like to check out some of the ritzy areas of Palm Springs. What's your best travel advice for other offbeat travelers? You can camp out for free at Slab City in your trailer but there is no running water or other amenities. There are several RV parks very close by with water hook up for those who are not ready to go totally off grid. If you want to check out a very offbeat part of California this area is for you! Reporter Name * Reporter Email * Original text Enter the original text here. Edited text* Enter your suggested copyedit here. Notes You can add a note for the editor here. * Required information. Fix Typo PREVIOUS Are there liberal doomsday prepping resources? NEXT How to make the easiest 3-ingredient cranberry sauce Show/Hide comments [ 2 ] Looks like a great trip! Have always wanted to visit these spots – thanks for the tips! Reply Def check it out if you get the chance! It's an awesome place to visit Reply Join the conversation Cancel Reply Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *Comment Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment. Notify me of follow-up comments by email. Subscribe me to your mailing list No-drama comment policy Part of what makes the Offbeat Empire different is our commitment to civil, constructive commenting. Make sure you're familiar with our no-drama comment policy.