May 12, 2005
Evening
Salton Sea, California

Amazing place this Salton Sea, can’t quite figure it out. Drove around the entire lake today all xxx miles of shoreline. Amazingly the road leaves the Sea for most of the drive and other than a few small towns and dirt tracks down to the shoreline you really are driving miles away from it. As far as we could tell, the only real access on the East Side is the sate recreational areas and the town of Bombay Beach. Bombay Beach is a trip and should not be missed Made a few images at the Bombay Beach Marina and RV Park. Not to be missed on your trip here.
Big disappointment was the three RV Mineral Spring “Resorts” almost at the southern tip/ Extremely unfriendly “white people”. Although they seemed almost empty and rundown the folks didn’t seem to want our money and we were happy not to give ‘em any. All the “springs” were incased in cement and the RV’s and planted mobile homes were almost as run down as the baths.
At the southern most tip is The Red Hill Marina. It’s down a small access road about 11 miles from the main road- again remember the roads do not go along the shore line. You turn north in the Town of Westmorland. Speaking of Westmorland you gotta stop for Mexican at Tacos El Jaliscience at the north end of town on HWY 86. Don’t worry about the time their open 24 hours and make about the best Mexican food either of us have ever eaten. Their little tacos are out of this world as are their bean and cheese burritos. If your brave try the Lengua (tongue meat) or the cabeza (head meat) be sure to let me know how it is…. For drinks their Horchata and their Jamaica, is the best bar none!
Anyway just past the huge hydro electric plants and past the mud bogs, which smell so bad Henry hid his head under his pillow, you come to The Red Hill Marina. Quite a place, the road disappears into the sea and there are four or five old wooden docks suspended in the salt water. Made a few interesting photographs and was about to leave when up drove Mr. Tommie Chambers of Los Angeles and Bombay Beach. As I watched Tommie set to cat fishing in the river (?) that we had driven over just before the end of the road. Now this river is moving water but there is a huge culvert that dumps into the river just above where Tommie was fishen. About every 15 minutes a huge amount of yellow green water would gush out at an alarming rate for about 10 minutes then stop until the next onslaught of water came from God knows where. My guess, the hydro eclectic plant. Anyhow Tommie and his wife, Alice swear by both the size and the taste of the catfish they haul outa that water. After making a photograph of Tommie and saying our goodbye we were on the road again.
Made it up the West shore to Salton City just before dark and got to see some of the massive unfinished housing developments that seem to litter this side of the lake.. Roads in total disrepair, but with lot lines and fire hydrants in place, that seem to go off into nowhere. All laid out in a neat little package that time forgot and no one ever opened.
Headed back to our camp with the intention of returning to the West Side in the morning to do a bit more exploring.

Salton Sea Camp

Alice and Tommie

Sage swimming pool