Then we went across the street to the big Bead Shop! While I was in shopping he stayed out in the car and read the paper, by the time I came out the car battery was dead! So we called AAA for a jump. While waiting for them I went shopping some more! FUN.Back at the park to finish the laundry, and take a nap then out to dinner at a Mexican Restaurant. Doesn’t get much better than that!
The next day we just bummed around Quartzsite and checked out the tent city. Most of it is gone! Then off to an RV Park we have never been to.
As we head to our next stop we thought we would never get out of the dunes! Both sides of the road was nothing but big piles of sand.
While at the Western Area FMCA rally in Indio in Jan., I had picked up a coupon for 4 free nights at the “Fountain of Youth RV Park and Spa” on the North side of the Salton Sea. So we drove there going through the sand dunes down to Brawley, CA and back up the north side of the sea on Hwy 111.
The park was built here because of the Hot Springs, and it just grew and grew until it had about 1000 spaces. There are less spaces now as many have been combined to be able to put double wide mobile homes on them. During season, many of the owners use this as their winter homes. As you can see from above there really is a hot mineral springs. Double click on the picture and it will enlarge, then hit esc button to return.
This is a beautiful park and very well kept. There are two pools, four hot tubs, a large rec hall, two laundries, a nice exercise room, a computer room, library, small grocery store, craft rooms, shuffleboard, horseshoes, a raised garden bed area, and a small café. Below is a picture of the outside eating area off the side of the café and Jane the lady who runs the café.
Above is Jane, who runs the café with her husband and some workkampers. Her sister makes her themed aprons for all the holidays and special occasions. This day she is getting ready for Pizza and Karoke night. Of course, we signed up for Pizza and went to the Karoke that evening. There were a lot of good singers there, even though most of the winter visitors had left for the season. I really was having a good time singing along with the audience, so Frank took the car and went back to the RV as he was getting sore from sitting on the benches. The RV was walking distance and the night was beautiful so I had a great time.
This park is in the middle of nowhere! It is 20 miles to the nearest town, which is Niland, and that is a very small place. But it boasts of having the historic folk art Salvation Mountain nearby, as well as “Slab City,” which is an old abandoned military camp. It is now used by squatters and RVer’s that park free. So, off we went to check these oddities out!
We started out in the morning and drove to Slab City first.
There are no amenities here. Water has to be hauled in, Generators or Solar is used for power. But it’s Free!
Can you believe this is the Library?
This is the shoe tree!
Aha, I found the slabs. 
Above is the meeting place, “slab”. I guess they have music and happy hour here. Check out the decorated vehicles. Lots of “junk” artwork all around the area.
On the back side of this trailer I could see someone sitting out under the umbrella. I tried to ask if he was saving all the jugs to make his own wine. He came around to the front where we had stopped and to my surprise he was wearing his birthday suit! When he saw me he went back inside his “home” and wrapped himself in a towel. “No,” he said he doesn’t make wine, but keeps the bottles as a reminder of how long he has stayed!
He was a very interesting guy. A British citizen with a trailer here in Slab City for the winter and another trailer in BC for the summer. We figured out his age as 88. He was telling us about his upcoming trip to England to visit his great grandchildren! Never know who you will meet while “on the road!”
Our next stop—between Slab City and Niland—is Salvation Mountain. Leonard Knight is the man who designed and built it. We were hoping to meet him as we were told he is always there to greet visitors, but we found out that he is in an assisted living home now. No one seems to know what will happen to his mountain and all the art work.
This is an amazing collection of folk art and one mans vision and work as you can see in the photo album below.
This is where Leonard Knight lived and worked. He never charged anyone to visit and asked for donations of paint for his work. There are still many cans of paint to be used! What a great imagination and testament to God.We ended up staying an extra day at the RV park because of winds. Then drove the 50+ miles into Indio on April 2.
We parked at the Elks Lodge, at least for the month of April. The RV parks are booked up for the three concerts that are happening at the Polo grounds in April. Coachella Fest for two weekends and Stagecoach, which is western music on the last weekend of April.
