Saturday, February 28, 2015

Slab City, California

Saturday, February 28, 2015

This morning I was surprised by the calmness around our camp.  The wind had died down around dawn and that makes it a perfect opportunity for me and Yuma to skip town before the storm hits later today.

They are calling for high winds in the desert and snow in the mountains.

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I am out of water and low on food, so that is another reason for heading to a Walmart. 

We pulled up stakes and were on S22 heading east at 8:30 am and pulled into the Arco gas station at 9:00 am.  There we emptied our black and grey tanks and filled our fresh water tank.  While filling the fresh water tanks, the wind picked up to a gale from the west.  We didn’t leave any too soon. 

At 10 am, we were on our way south on hwy 86 on the west side of the Salton Sea, heading for the town of Brawley, California about 30 miles down the highway.  Although there was wind hitting our west side, it did not bother the motorhome at all and we had a pleasant drive to the Walmart.

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I needed everything and so did Yuma.  Spent $87 on me and $55 for Yuma.  Boy, does he have expensive tastes.  I am still trying to figure out what dog food he likes best so bought several different brands.

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Kelly from Travel with the Bayfield Bunch alerted me to possible problems with Purina’s Beneful which I am currently using.  After reading the information on the Internet, I have decided to try another brand just to be safe.  Plus, Yuma doesn’t seem to care for it too much anyway.

I bought a bag of IAMS Proactive Health Minichunks and a bag of Kibbles ‘nBits Bistro Meals, both for 1-6 year olds.  We will see which one of those he prefers.  Plus I bought treats and leather chewable bones which aren’t cheap either.  That dog has it too good.

After spending a few hours at Walmart shopping, having lunch and doing my Internet duties that I usually do first thing in the morning, we headed for Slab City, our destination for the day.  They are calling for rain for the next two days, so Yuma and I want to be ready for it.

It is only 16 miles north of Brawley on hwy 111 to the very small town of Niland.  You can see by the the palm tree fronds that the wind is blowing fairly hard. 

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At Main Street, I made a right turn and drove about six miles to Slab City.  We slowly entered the outskirts.  They like to draw graffiti on everything and anything in here.

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Then I spied the Salvation Mountain and knew we had arrived.

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Knowing it is going to rain, I try to find a camp near the road, but far enough off as not to be bothered by traffic.  After passing Solar Mike’s, I saw an old row boat laying on its side near a concrete slab.  It was far enough off the road to be comfortable and far enough away from my nearest neighbor as to not disturb them. 

My neighbors.image

And here is my home.imageimage

Beautiful sunset over Slab City.

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See you later.

11 comments:

  1. That sunset is definitely going to be my next desktop background picture. I hope everything is going well. All of your pictures are great and it looks like you are having plenty of adventures!

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    1. Thank you Jim. Yes, there are lots of things to see and do out here. Hard to get a day of rest in. All is going well and I'm glad you like my pictures.

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  2. Doug, I don't give ANY Purina product to our dog, cats, or even horses! I've had too many people tell me it is really cheap stuff. Stupid dog likes either the COSTCO brands or Taste of the Wild (expensive). You would have to buy Taste of the Wild at a pet store. Grocery stores don't carry it. At COSTCO you buy the BIG bags of dog food, but I'm not sure you would have the room for one...Cats also get Taste of the Wild, but I'm lucky to have two stores here in Palm Desert where I can buy it. You, however, are on the road. IAMS should be okay. Just DO stay away from Purina. Also, avoid the WalMart brands. Just my two cents...
    Cheryl Ann

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    1. Thanks Cheryl Ann. I had always heard Purina's advertisements and just assumed they were good. So far, I haven't found the one he likes, but will keep trying different ones but will stay away from Purina and Walmart brands.

      Looks like we are in for a couple days of clouds and a little rain.

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  3. Beautiful sunset! I even took my camera outside last night. I hope I got some decent photos.

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  4. Have fun at the Slabs! Hope you were able to wander over to the Range last night for some music? We really enjoyed our visit there... and Solar Mike is great, as well as Builder Bob. We have friends who frequent the Oasis club and camp in a nice area. Chili Bob is especially great for a tour of the area.

    Looking forward to your pics!

    KarenInTheWoods and Steveio
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    (Blog) RVing: The USA Is Our Big Backyard
    http://kareninthewoods-kareninthewoods.blogspot.com/
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    1. Thanks Karen. Didn't make it to the Range last night but since I am staying right next door, I didn't miss the music. Just couldn't get enough pep in me to go over there. Sounded like they were having fun though.

      Today is a rainy day. Not sure I will get out today or not. My slab is wet with rain water. I'm glad I'm parked on sand and not mud or we would make a mess of this place today.

      I may do what you did yesterday and clean house and do inside duties today. Maybe get out later in the day, if the rain stops.

      Beautiful sunset where you are too. I thought I had the only beautiful sunset in the southwest.

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  5. Beautiful first picture and wow the winds. Great shot of those poor palms. Really shows the power of wind. Hope they don't lose their tops. The slabs is a place I've never been. I'll be interested in your take on it. I'm not much for all the proselytizing on salvation mountain. Gorgeous sunset photo.

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    1. Thanks Sherry. My take on this place is that it is dirty, but unique. I believe as a blogger "the slabs" is a must because it does have boondocking roots and history. The history of this place is worth the photos and Internet search and read.

      My whole intention to being here is to make my family and friends aware this place exists. Not a place I would care to stay very long.

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  6. There is a web site about dog food content and quality. I have found it to be very helpful in making decisions, and they also will send you email alerts if any dog food has a recall or other alert. It is called Dog food Advisor.

    I enjoyed the photos of Slab city!

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  7. Thank you Hazel. I will check out that site. Always in the past, my wife worried about these things. I just knew the animals were well fed and all I had to do was love them. Now I am responsible for what my pet eats. This is a new responsibility for me. I am glad to grab any advice I can get.

    If the sun will come back I will get more pretty photos. But right now with the rain and clouds, all I see from my motorhome window is a muddy and grey Slab City.

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