Can I be really honest with you here? My first impression of Salton Sea was that its smell lives up to its name. An hour south of Palm Springs, Salton Sea is a shallow, very salty lake sitting directly on part of the San Andreas Fault. I started smelling salt before the lake was even in view, and the scent only grows stronger the closer you get. Once you get past the smell, though, the lake itself is breathtaking, with white sand beaches, blue waters and hazy mountains in the background. It’s a nice place to stop by, if not visit for very long (the smell was a little overwhelming for me). If you do end up staying longer, there’s a $10 park entrance fee, which includes parking, but we only popped in for a minute to look at the beach and check out the visitor center before heading on our way. Nearby is Salvation Mountain, one of the coolest sites in SoCal and the main focus of my expedition. The work of one man over a period of 28 years, this work of art is a spiritual monument to divine love. While its religious overtones might not be for everyone, I would argue it’s worth a visit anyways just to experience the sheer magnitude of this project. Salvation Mountain is a riot of colors, featuring scripture, scenes of nature, and cave-like rooms held aloft with manmade trees. 50 feet tall and 150 feet wide, it’s a fantastically whimsical monument, one that’s been gathering recognition from all over the world. There’s usually a caretaker on site to answer any of your questions, and although the monument is always free to visit, they do accept donations for the upkeep. Wander past whimsically-painted trucks and a miniature diorama of the monument to the museum to the right of the mountain. Stay on the yellow-painted path as you duck in and out of shrines before winding around to start the climb to the top of the mountain, three stories above. The path is narrow and the steps oddly squishy (the mountain is made of adobe, straw, and layers upon layers of paint). From the top, you can see the little sea of Galilee at the foot of the mountain, as well as the surrounding town of Niland and the desert beyond. I ate the sandwich I had packed that morning, and started the drive to East Jesus. Past Salvation Mountain and on the outskirts Slab City, this is an artist’s community full of incredible sculptures. The caretaker who introduced us to the park explained that they have three rules: 1) You can touch everything (including the very kid-friendly climbing gym made from knives), 2) Everything is broken, and 3) If you break something, just say it was already broken when you got there. This is a very unique, welcoming place, and it’s free (although again, they do accept donations), so you really have no excuse not to visit. The art is pretty indescribable, so I’ll leave you with a few pics of some of my favorite installations. I visited the Salton Sea, Salvation Mountain, and East Jesus, and after all that I only spent $1 -- and that was for entrance to the International Banana Museum (It was okay; I have the feeling I would have liked it better if I had tried one of their famous banana smoothies. I’m still glad I went, though, just for the fun of it). Salton Sea is so unique--with the diversity of its land and the local art communities, there’s no shortage of unusual sights to see. Have you been to this area? Do you have any other suggestions for inexpensive experiences? Any other international fruit museums or giant, manmade monuments I should know about? I’d love to hear all about it in the comments section down below! Like this post? Why not share it?If you enjoyed this article, please leave me a comment telling me what you think! Or, if you found it useful, share it with your friends! You'll be helping me turn my passion for travel into a business, and more importantly, you'll be helping your friends out with any travel questions they might have, too. See more adventures!If you liked this post, you may also like:
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Hi, there! Call me Kris. I’m a world traveler, author and artist working to showcase the world's beauty and inspire you to find your confidence to see the world!
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