Slab City - the one and only

Written: Saturday, April 5th, 2008 - Niland, CA (a.k.a Gateway to Slab City)

We rolled into Niland last night just as it was getting dark. The town had such an erie feeling that we decided to put off trying to find slab city until the morning. Today, we have awoke to find that the daylight has done little for this town's eerie feel except to highlight the cluster of stores that line the highway. The 99 cent store for rent, little grocery store, with the toothless woman in peachy pink lipstick and the taco shop, open at 8am.

"Take a right past the 2nd store, cross two sets of tracks, pass the 3 old fuel tanks and salvation mountain on your right, then you're there" says the old hippy in a 71' hard top we met last night in town. He's been living in a van since 79'. He's surprisingly helpful and definitely chill. He came to the slabs 2mts ago for a visit and never got around to leaving. I secretly think he was a deserter from the Vietnam War.

"The Slabs" or Slab City is an old WW II Military base that has long since been demolished only the slabs remain. It's this huge gathering of RV's in the middle of the desert and you can find all sorts here from snowbirds, to druggies, to year-round residents and casual tourists like us, If you're interested you can read more about it here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Slab_City

We found it just as he said. However, what I didn't expect to find was a slab city community message board, homemade street signs, 2 stages for live music and late night parties, a library, a christian centre, a solar panel store and many other small 'clubs' like the oasis club. There are even districts there is 'The Lows" - popular to diesel pushers and snow birds or the "Main Drag" frequented by the lifers. There are old school buses transformed into permanent homes, quaint little cactus gardens, picket fences and and trellised entryways.


There is even a local 'hot spot' where a you'll find a natural hot spring courtesy of mother earth which as we found out later that night makes to the perfect hot bath just after the hot sun goes down. If a bath isn't your thing, you can go to 'The shower" a little further downstream.


Tonight we're going to get a feel for the city of the slabs, because it's Saturday night, and Saturday night is music night at the Range - the preferred stage of the two according to the locals. People come from as far as L.A. to party in the Slabs. The range is on one of the larger slabs, with a big old white bus as it's backdrop it has the feeling of an outdoor festival stage meets backyard mechanic. There are car parts, old hubcaps and car seats set neatly around the slab.