Driving
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Driving In Between Southern California and Arizona.

From my last post, I mentioned about going on a road trip over Thanksgiving weekend to Arizona. Driving from O.C. to Scottsdale was a 5-hour trip which, for us took longer than we expected. Between listening to songs, playing games, and eating snacks in the car, it became apparent that we were bored. We found ourselves in yet, another spare of the moment decision and decided to stop to see the Salton Sea State lake and the Salvation Mountain.We found the Salton Sea by accident as we made our way from the 111 highway in Indio. As we were heading towards the Salvation Mountain, we came to this open area with a large body of water. The pure calmness of the shore drew us in like a magnet. We had to stop and investigate the scene.

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The beach (or what looked like it) was completely deserted. There was no soul in sight and the water showed no hint of waves crashing. We were alone with the exception of the dead carcasses found all over the beach. It was quite strange, I thought. Although, I guessed that must’ve been residual from a high tide at one point.

Later on, I read that the Salton Sea is facing a decrease in water level, hence, the explanation of finding the dead carcasses. It apparently once catered to tourists who enjoyed water sports, fishing and/or swimming. People camped here (that explains the 2 trailers in the parking lot we saw) and there was a movie filmed here called “The Salton Sea”. Now the state’s largest lake is shrinking at a rapid pace causing serious air pollution. The place does feel abandoned yet, beautiful. I realized the quirkiness of it all is what made me like this place.

IMG_7191-minAfter 15 minutes, we left the Salton Sea and headed towards the Salvation Mountain as planned. From there, we came across absolutely nothing except the desert. There are small towns nearby but, they all looked desolate and run-down. I’m glad we had a full tank before driving out here because we didn’t see any working gas stations around at all.

We finally arrived at the Salvation Mountain. I noticed there were quite a few people already on site. Before coming here, I knew this place is popular for those who enjoy murals, arts and/or sculptures. Now, I see how the mountain appeals to people. It’s beautifully designed with paint colors laid out all throughout the mountain and the way it’s built from top to bottom is very intriguing.

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We spent a good full hour exploring and by the time we left the crowd was in full-blown. I’m glad we came earlier otherwise, it would’ve been difficult to take photos without people around. At last, we were on our way to Arizona.

19 responses to “Driving In Between Southern California and Arizona.”

  1. Again cool pics.. How’s the terrain leading up to the lake? It sorta looks like jagged rocks or anything else but sand. I don’t know if you climbed onto any volcanic rock in Hawaii, but those things are super sharp and painful. Unfortunately, I had to venture out onto the volcanic rock just to get to a local beach. To be honest, It was kind of worth all the trouble.
    I’m still plugging away at my blog in between two jobs. Sometimes I’m so tired, after 12-15 hours of work that I don’t even make it to my bed, let alone my computer. I will be going in a different direction with my blog, slowly but surely changes are being made. I’ve done a bit more reading too, about building a site that will sustain itself for the long run. Once I figure things out, I’ll get the ball rolling a bit faster. I also, stumbled onto this website and thought about you.. http://www.remoteyear.com You’ve probably heard of it.. but if you haven’t, check it out. Its along the lines of what you do now.

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    • Hello! Good talking to you again. The terrain leading up to the lake is mostly flat and lots of sand. The mountain, though, in the distance is beautiful during the sunset. Regarding the volcanic rock in Hawaii, no, I never got a chance to climb it because of time (I was on a tour). However, I heard about it being quite painful and like you, they say it is worth all the trouble. Next time I go to Hawaii I will definitely try it out. Which volcano did you climb?

      It looks like you took down your blog. What seems to be the issue? setting it up or finding the time? or both? Youtube is a great resource for everything. That’s how I learned how to create a video, the basics of HTML & CSS…practically anything. Anyway, a blog is always a work in progress. I am sure you will get to it in no time. I can’t wait to read what your site will be about.

      Yes, I’ve heard of remoteyear.com – thanks for sending. Don’t work too hard and never forget to enjoy the simple things in life. Stay in touch 🙂

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      • I actually didn’t climb any volcanoes, but you know how one side of big island is volcanic rock and the other side is lush greens and vegetation. A local beach had volcanic rock for it’s surrounding. That’s where I had my first encounter with razor sharp rocks. I guess all the years training in martial arts didn’t condition my feet well enough to maneuver on the volcanic rock.

        Im always drawn to sunsets or sunrises. That picture you took of the mountains in the distance, you can almost see a dusty orange glaze just above the mountains horizon.

        As far as the delay on my blog, it’s a bit of both time, energy, and also a lack of preparation. In the past, I’ve done things in the spur of the moment and survived with minimal info. I guess this “old dog” has to learn a “new trick” It could also be that I’m a perfectionist in the design aspect of the site and if it doesn’t look right, I’m not ready to put it out there. I’m thinking way too much right? They say New Yorkers are too up tight, maybe im just a product of this concrete jungle we call New York City…

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      • When I posted it there was a date there.. nevermind. I forgot it was Dec.1 already.. working overnight sometimes I lose track of the date..lol..

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      • I remember trying to guess your profession on the plane ride.. but no not a bartender. I’m a microbiologist.. I did consider a supervisor position available on Big Island…

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      • A microbiologist is quite interesting in comparison to my profession. You will likely guess mine….What made you not consider the position on the Big Island? I met this couple while I was on my trip there and they were thinking about retiring on the island. It seems to be a happening spot.

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  4. I know you are a web designer / IT specialist. To be honest, I think I would miss snowboarding. There used to be snow on top of Mauna kea, so there is a possibility snowboarding in Hawaii. Vancouver BC is more like my dream spot. Transferring my med license in British Columbia is somewhat trickier than the rest of Canada. If anything I could open a martial arts school there..

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    • Vancouver would be cool. I went once to the Capilano Suspension Bridge. I would definitely want to see other parts of Vancouver one day! If, it is your dream spot you will find a way to make it happen whether it’s opening a martial arts school or something else.

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      • If I had to guess with your one syllable answer, I’d say your not too impressed with NY? Lol…We’re not known for beaches, but besides Milan it’s a mecca for the fashion industry. No? Fashion, Art, business, theater and music are all big here. Plus, its a giant melting pot of cultures. Just wondering if you had a blog of NYC..

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      • I enjoyed NYC. It was a spare of the moment trip, I stayed for 2 days. I would go back again but, I just haven’t gotten around to it. No, I don’t have a post on NYC trip since it was a time prior to this blog 😦

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About the Author

A Stint Abroad

Hi! I’m a travel blogger based in Southern California. Thanks for stopping by. Several years ago, I lived in Milan, Italy for a year and started this blog. The blog chronicled my experiences traveling whenever I could while living in Europe. Since then, I’ve returned to the U.S., but my wandering feet have not ceased.

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