Slab City, Salvation Mountain and East Jesus

Took a trip today to Slab City  for the first time. Man, what a trip. It's Mad Max-hillbilly-hippie-artist destitute community. Wow, I love it.

We went over to visit Salvation Mountain, a three-story tall man-made structure that's been kept up by a man, Leonard Knight for over three decades. One of the most bizarre places I've been to. 

Lastly, we made a stop at East Jesus, an evolving sculpture garden. I've never seen anything like this before.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- One of the many art cars found in East Jesus, Calif. This one's adorned in whippets if you look closely.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- Flip Cassidy, frontman of Flip Cassidy & the Junkyard Gospel, photographer and artist poses in front of the late mayor of East Jesus, Charlie Russel's memorial in Slab City, Calif.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- An installation at the esteemed art collective, East Jesus in Slab City, Calif.

Rosie Neuharth stands in the doorway of Slab City's welcome booth on January 5, 2012.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- Salvation Mountain, a man-made three-story structure that spans the length of a football field. Leonard Knight worked on creating and maintaining this piece of art for over three decades. You can walk through it and explore different rooms. Truly a sight to see.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- Salvation Mountain, a man-made three-story structure that spans the length of a football field. Leonard Knight worked on creating and maintaining this piece of art for over three decades. You can walk through it and explore different rooms. Truly a sight to see.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- A couple embraces on top of Salvation Mountain in Slab City, Calif.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- The local church found in Slab City, Calif.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- A couple running a "yard sale" in Salb City, Calif. live part-time in this off-the-grid haven to escape the MidWest.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- Randy, a resident of Slab City posed for the camera at a yard sale on the side of the road.

January 5, 2012 Slab City, Calif.- A tree on the side of the road in Slab City decorated with shoes.

The Salton Sea's Bombay Beach Community

So, I went on a morbid adventure with my girlfriend, Rosie today.

We took off to the Salton Sea and stopped in the Bombay Beach neighborhood.

If you don't know about the Salton Sea, it's disgusting. An accident with an aqueduct from the Colorado River busting into this valley resulted in one of the largest man-made lakes in the world.

What residents are left have a post-apocalyptic vibe to them that makes your skin crawl. The air is rancid with the stench of rotting flesh, nothing living can survive in its waters, as its salinity is uninhabitable and it's terribly polluted.

The "sand" isn't actually sand, but the bones of thousands of deceased waterfowl and fish.

Enjoy!

29 Palms photoshoot

I decided to go on an impromptu visit to the desert yesterday with Rosie. We ventured out to the Joshua Tree area, 29 Palms to be precise. I went with the intention of taking shots of the abandoned buildings but I ended up getting caught up with Rosie as a subject. She's great. Beautiful head, eyes, amazing bone structure and lips. Enjoy!