The first time I visited Slab City was during the summer.
A combination of the desert heat and the humidity from the
nearby Salton Sea made it a less than pleasant place to camp.
Only a handful of the hardiest boondockers had parked their
rigs on this former WW2 Marine Base which measures 1 sq. mile.
Some of the residents live there year round in anything from
the latest expensive motor homes to shanties to makeshift shacks.
When you decide to spend some time here, you must know that
you are completely on your own.There is no water, electricity
or even a telephone.
Linda, who is a permanent resident, operates a CB-radio station and
acts as a newscaster/messenger. Tune in every evening at 6:00 p.m. and set your dial at channel 23.
And then there's Frank, a full-timer, who lives in a motor home, he told me that he goes into Niland every morning for a cup of coffee, doughnuts and to check if there is any mail in his P.O.Box.
While in town he fills up on water and gas but for larger purchases he drives to Brawley or even El Centro some 40 miles down the road.
After spending most of his working years in the construction trade
and living in the Los Angeles area, he sold his house, bought his
motor home and hit the road. Only after the fact did he find out
that a nomadic lifestyle was not for him. Here in Slab City he has
found his niche and seems perfectly happy in his new neighborhood.
FOR AN UPDATE ON FRANK'S STORY PLEASE CLICK "HERE"
Although the time that thousands of snowbirds would come to this
place to spend the winter months is long gone, every one I talked to told me to come back around the new year and see what the real Slab City is all about.
January And all those people were right!
I found hundreds of motorhomes, campers, trailers and even tents
that were not there last summer. It is a sight that you have to see with
your own eyes. A feeling of a never ending vacation was in the air.
It seemed that everybody was doing their best to be helpful and kind to
each other.
Library
Some 5 or 6 years ago, nobody seems to know exactly when,
a Lady (capital L please) who went by the name of Rosalie started
a book exchange with the books that the snowbirds had left behind
before they made their trek back home in the spring.
As the collection grew so did her library, adding some buildings.
Rosalie passed away in January 2003. Born Peggy Sadlik on October
19, 1949 in Germany, she loved Slab City so much that she made it
her permanent home even during the hot summer months.
Everybody is always welcome and the library is never closed.
As a matter of fact, there are no doors to the buildings.
Books are checked out on an honor system which seems to work well.
Many more books are returned than that there are taken out.
Visitors to the library are encouraged to add a stone to a place
of remembering Rosalie in the court yard which was started with
one of Rosalie's dresses. From talking to people who knew her well
I gathered that Rosalie crammed more "living" in her short 54-
year life span than most people do who live to ripe old age.
May she rest in peace and let us hope that her library will go on
for ever and ever.
Golf Course
Yes my dear readers, Slab City has an 18-hole golf
course. Designed and started 9 years ago by Bob and Nancy Unden.
It is still a work in progress and will always be.They named it
Gopher Flats Country Club and it is a part of the Gopher Flats
Estates which is located just north of the Coachella Canal, a
favorite spot for the local fishermen who claim that there are
some mighty big bass to be caught.
At the beginning of the first and tenth hole you'll find some
nicely printed score cards that say: NO RESERVATIONS NEEDED!!
Also at the first tee is a guest book, (please sign it) and a
few golf clubs for those golfers who did not bring their own.
Players MUST replace the divots and smooth the greens before
playing through according to the rules written on the score-
card. Here is a picture of someone who didn't smooth the green.
You must remember that you are in the Wild West and that law-
breakers are dealt with without consulting a judge and jury.
There are no green fees but it would be very nice if you stop
by Nancy and Bob's camp to let them know how much you enjoyed
playing their golf course.A lot of work went into this project
which was mostly done by hand.Only in the last 2 years did Bob
bring his tractor up from Lakeside, CA where they live during
the summer. Every golfer must have played this course at least
once, it's every bit as unique as old St. Andrews in Scotland.
Pet Cemetery
At the very end of Tank Road you'll find the Pet Cemetery.
Many of the full timers are single and travel with a pet.
They rely on their pets not only for security but also for
companionship. Life on the road can be very lonely at times
especially when you are boondocking away from other people.
One of those solo travelers goes by the name of Tugboat Willy
and he lost his poodle Charley after traveling together for
twelve years. When I first saw them together some years back
I couldn't help but think of John Steinbeck's book "Travels
with Charley" This Charley, however, was a full size poodle,
impeccably groomed and always brushed and combed. His posture
reminded me of royalty. When Tugboat Willy would sit down,
Charley always sat next to him, back straight, head high.
Still heartbroken one year after Charley's death, Tugboat
Willy visits the cemetery every chance he has.
That is where I ran into him on this windy January afternoon.
No, he is not considering adopting another dog yet. "The hurt
is still too painful," he told me. "Oh yes, in time I'll think
about it. But not right now."
Judging from the other inscriptions on the rest of the head-
stones, there is a very strong bond between men and beast and
grief is the same whether you have lost a pet or a person.
Just the thought of me traveling one day without my Desert Dog
Dutchess is almost too much to bear.
Talent Show
Try to be at Slab City on the last Saturday in January.
That is when the Slabbers display their talents.
Be it singing, dancing, making music together or alone,
it is a day of fun. Works of art and handicrafts are on
display and for sale.
ART CAR (not to be confused with Art's car!)
Solar ovens hard at work in Solar Mike's solar garden
the art of cooking a turkey with only the power of the sun.
But no matter how talented the artists are, nothing can top
the cooks. The potluck that starts off the festivities sets
the tone for the things to come. On table after table you'll
find the finest salads, casseroles and baked goods.
So much food was left over that the people were encouraged
to take some home for the next day.
The performers offered everything from Country Western,
to clowns
to Evergreen
to folk songs
to The Humdingers (a popular dance group)
to an all male quartet
to belly dancing and anything in between.
Here are some of the colorful people (and there were many.)
Bye bye for now, hope to see you all next year!
Travel'nPals
Travel'nPals was started in February 2001 by Martha, Yvonne
and Bev. Because of this recent starting date the members of
this club have the right to call themselves "the new kids on
the block." They have set up camp in an area where the LOA
used to be on LOW Road in area 9.
Every afternoon at 3:00 pm there is a happy hour.
Since this is a mobile community made up of people who are
constantly coming and going, it comes as no surprise that
the topic of conversation is most likely where one is coming
from or where one is going after leaving here.
How & where next summer will be spent is also very important
information among the full timers. Many a valuable tip is ex-
changed during these sessions. It was here during one of those
happy hours that I learned how easy it is to spot a Snowbird:
the women look like they can't get pregnant anymore and the
men look like they are pregnant!
Friday Dinner
Every Friday at 3.00 pm they have their weekly dinner instead
of happy hour. For $4.00 you'll get an excellent meal including
coffee and desert.
For information please write to: Travel'nPals, 250-D So. Lyon Ave.
Suite 127, HEMET, CA. 92543 Phone # (909) 766-8883
e-mail:Travelnpals
Temporary Web site:Travelnpals Website
For a couple of days I've been a guest of the Slab City Singles.
A friendly group of people who not only remember your name,
but also the name of your dog. When I introduced myself, one of the men
walked up to Dutchess and asked: "so what's your name, honey?"
After a while when I walked the dog, people would greed us with a:
"Hi-yah Dutchess, how are you today?".
Don't let the word SINGLES in the club's name fool you, married
people are welcome, as well as couples living together. One thing is sure
they make everybody feel welcome. For three days you are allowed a free
guest pass, after that it costs you $ 5.00 per day to belong or
$25.00 p/yr in membership dues. This fee only covers the club
privileges. Camping and staying wherever you please is free.
HAPPY HOUR: One of the highlights of the day is "happy hour".
Every day, at 3.00 pm. sharp, a group of the members gather together
at the clubhouse to chew the fat. Bring your own beverages because
this is the only happy hour I know of, that is not held in a bar.
Everybody pulls up a chair, sits in a big circle and lets the good
times roll. At 4 o'clock, when happy hour is over, you may turn into your grouchy ol' self again.
The Slab City Singles Club has changed its name to the Oasis Club.
FREE SHOWER: Immediately after you cross a bridge over an irrigation
ditch, coming from town, on your right hand side, you'll see an old
guard house. Park your vehicle there and walk a few yards until you
get to some steps made out of old tires. Behind these you will find
the best shower you've ever taken in your entire life.
Fed by a natural hot spring, a perpetual flow of warm water comes
from a pipe with such a force that it makes a Shower Massage® feel
like a trickle. WARNING: If you see a car parked at the guard house
don't go near the shower. Whoever is in there may be standing in her or
his birthday suit and not everybody appreciates it when you walk
in on them dressed like that. Just wait until it is your turn
and be ready for the treat of your life and it's FREE! For those who
are not as adventurous, there are showers in town at J+H Trailer Park,
on the corner of Main St. and Niland Ave. for $3.00.
SWAPMEET:
There is is a fleamarket/swapmeet going on all the time
and I have been told that Slab City is an excellent place to buy
a used motorhome real cheap. "AS-IS" of course and bring cash.
Your American Express Card® will not get you very far in this place!
THUMB PRINTS
Many of the Snowbirds like to leave something behind at the Slabs
before making their trek up-north. In a way it is something like
the three coins in the fountain.Superstition has it that you will
come back to the places where you have left some kind of token.
Here are some of those mementos.
Like this truck tire painted white and made into a flower pot.
The colorful plastic flowers are a sharp contrast to the drab
surroundings of the desert.
Or this combination fireplace / dutch-oven. Made strictly from
found objects and hand mixed adobe.It even has a special cubby-
hole for baking bread. For lack of a stovepipe, this ingenious
builder used 5 lb. coffee cans from which top and bottom were
removed, taped together to form a tube and then wrapped in clay.
Some even go as far as wanting their ashes buried at their
favorite campsite. Ray Abbey, a Canadian, came to Slab City for
many years during his life. He now rests side by side with
Ruffles, a poodle who lived to the ripe old age of 21 years.
But then there are also those who leave behind some things of a
lesser beauty. Would you believe that I watched a $100,000 (+)
late model motorhome pull away from this spot minutes before I
took this picture.
THE QUILT:
>
Nadine a.k.a. Colorback, who has always been (and still is) a
strong supporter of the Niland Fire Department got half a dozen
ladies together to make a quilt. Each of the participants made
some squares at home before sewing them into one piece.
The actual quilting was done by a professional seamstress.
>
Raffle tickets to win the quilt were sold and the proceeds,
$1,095.00, were donated to the fire department. At a dollar a
ticket it must have been quite a job to sell that many tickets.
The names of the ladies taking part on this project were embroi-
dered on the back of this combined effort.
Since they needed the money more than they needed just another
"blanket", the girlfriend of the lucky winner suggested to him
that he should sell the quilt. Asking price? A cool $1,000.00!
--ONE THOUSAND AMERICAN DOLLARS that is!--
After all, she reasoned, it brought in almost eleven hundred
dollars so it must be worth that much.When there were no takers
to buy the quilt for this enormous amount of money, the proud
owners decided to put this work of art on display and to let
the good people of Slab City look at it. FOR A FEE OF COURSE!
When the turnout of the curious was less than overwhelming the
lucky winner accepted Colorback's offer to buy the quilt for
$300.00. So the quilt ended up by the person who started it
and who paid for all the material, yarn and quilting to begin
with and it was at her rig that I got to see and photograph
this masterpiece for FREE!
How to get there: The small town of Niland,CA (pop.1,274)
is located on Highway 111 between Indio and Brawley.
Take Main Street east, you only can turn one way, cross the
rail road tracks and follow the road for about 3 miles.
When you see SALVATION MOUNTAINyou know you're there!
"HERE"
