Sunday, June 22, 2008

salton seagoers

Strange things take place in small towns. My cousins and I took a trip to the Salton Sea and stopped off at some pretty amazing and strange places along the way.

THE SALTON SEA
What was once a happening seaside resort town is now a ghost town with a few strange residents still living amidst the stinky sea.



SALVATION MOUNTAIN
This was our strangest stop and my favorite. Salvation Mountain appeared in the Oscar-nominated film, Into the Wild, and so did its maker, Leonard Knight. He is a strange old man, yet also very sweet and especially determined. He's been working on this piece of art for 24 years and living in a very small trailer, without electricity, on the grounds. I don't know how he stands it out there in the summertime, with temperatures exceeding 100 degrees (it was about 120 degrees when we visited). He was really excited when we showed up and asked if he could show us around. This man just wants to share his mountain and his message of love with as many people as he can.

He builds his mountain from hay bales and adobe and adorns it with objects he finds in the desert like tires, tree branches, car parts, and other junk. His mountain includes a "museum" with pictures and news clippings of the mountain plastered to the colorful walls. People bring him paint and help him out as he's in his 70s. This man is awesome. If you're up for something wacky, I recommend checking Salvation Mountain out.