Dec 23-24th, 2014

Lanny, Katie, and Jim. Check Lanny's wires.  He plugged in for an early morning ride over here from Sun City West.

After a breakfast burrito at El Zarape's, he'll be heading off on his bike for Christmas with is sister in Santa Ana, California

Pat and I jumped into the Minnie RV and drove up here to Borrego Springs.  This is the Roadrunner Golf resort.

Our "square dancing" friend, Angela.  She recently bought this little bit of Paradise in the Roadrunner.

View from Angela's Arizona room (except it's in California)

Her new "digs". She's already done several upgrades with more coming soon.  A very nice home.

A hobbit house.  Or, some moss that followed Angela from Coos Bay.  And a couple of baby palm trees coming up.   Pat discovered this.

Inspecting the moss

Christmas flowers in the desert

A pond in the Anza-Borrego park

This visitor center isn't visible from the top.  It's built into the earth.  If you don't it's here, you might miss it.  Some very nice displays inside.

This is the roof of the visitor center

Nice T-shirts

A door pull at the visitor center

This is what an untrimmed Palm Tree looks like

Our 2 modes of transportation for this trip

Our good friend Kelly. She lives in this very nice Condo in a beautiful gated community.  We had a good visit, and I forgot to take any pictures.  We didn't see a live Roadrunner this time, but we did see a big fat Coyote.

One of the very few open businesses in Bombay City.  We spend the night before in Salton Sea City. Very dark and very Quiet. A nice evening.  Up on Christmas Eve monring,  We drove around the North End of the Sea, then down the East side to visit and look at different areas

Back in the 40's, 50's and 60's this was a very busy place.  MANY little Cafe's, Bars, and water related businesses. And tourist traps.  The Sea relies only on rainfall now, and since the level is going down, the salt content is heavier.  The tourists stopped coming.  The housing developements closed up.  It's practically a ghost town

Dreaming and speculating on what some of the building were.  When the owners moved out, the squatters moved in.  Now most of them are gone too.

Seems like very few yards there were docks and piers.  We've seen pictures of the way it was.  What a difference.

There are low mountains surrounding the Sea

Tare some very clever and weird creations from the old buildings

These used to be beach shops

Going back to the dirt

A nice day, was in the mid 70's in temperature

All by themselves in the parking lot.  I peeked inside the sack. Some wet, sandy, underwear.  Weird.  No one around that we could see.

I guess those that move out could say they came from a Broken Home.

Nice Grafitti.  GONE.

There are dozens of home in this condition

I did find a 1989 Morris the Cat Calendar in here.  In pretty good condition.  I snatched it for a souvenir of Bombay City 

All the empty places look about the same. Some heavy partying and hard living took place back in the Day.

Nice 

There are a  few home that are still inhabited.  This one has a nice Roadrunner for a pet.

The helmet has seen better days.  

Dozens of abandoned homes.  Mostly mobiles and modulars.  A few stick built too. 

When farmers from Saskatchewan and Alberta retire, some move to Bombay Beach 

Not sure whether they are referring to the elevation, or the clientele. 

The Ski Inn Cocktail bar.   It's still in business, I think.

Niland, CA.  Home of the annual Tomato Festival. This used to be the center of town.  The front was a bank. The back park was a large grocery store.  Now abandoned. 

Salvation mountain just isn't the same since Leonard Wood passed away.  There are some volunteers that are trying to keep it up.

Leonard's old tractor

Been here several times on various motorcycles.  First time driving.

Was happy to see most of Leonards things were still here

Good memories of friends I've been here with.  A worthwhile place to visit

Entering Slab City.  A US Army depot during WW2.  After the war, it was taken over by sun seekers, free spirits, and outlaws.  Much mellower these days

Always has been a drawing place for artisans and wanna be engineers

Lots of residue from the Hippie Days...still going on out here. :-)

Entry to The Range.  A social center

They often have entertainment here.  We expected music tonight, but it didn't happen.  There was  a candle light service of some kind advertised in a different spot, but we decided to head on back to Yuma

I think Papa Jimi must have borrowed something and didn't take it back :-)

Relaxing

If it gets too warm out here, he can go cruise in the Salton Sea

Home sweet home.  Someone does live in there.

We heard a "buzz in the bushes" and this guy came out.

He ran it out to the road

He went a ways, then got back on the pavement and got 'er off the ground.  We watched until he was out of sight heading South West.

A shoe trip. They must be getting ripe, some are falling off the tree

Wonder what this will look like next year.  We'll see.

You have to check your baggage when you enter Slab City.  On the way out, you need to be ready to get back to the real world.  We had an enjoyable 2 days.  Spent Christmas eve evening attending a nicely done production of the Christmas Story, outside on Hay bales at the Champion Church in Yuma.