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Welcome to Slab City, located in the arid badlands of California. Some see the refuge as an escape from expenses, the law, and the real world. There are no signs leading to Slab City. From Los Angeles you drive deep into the desert then head south past the Salton Sea. Following the tire tracks of countless RVs, trailers, and campers, you pass a field of scattered vehicles that seem to have grown roots.
Slab city inherited its name from the concrete slabs across the desert left from a WWII military base. For the past decade the troubled economy has driven disenfranchised citizens to the place dubbed "The Last Free Place in America." Now this piece of land is home to permanent residents called "Slabbers" as well as summer escapists aka "Snowbirds".
Here the residents strive for privacy, freedom, and independence. They live off the beaten path, literally. They share the common interest of breaking the mold and retreating into a minimalistic lifestyle where their financial woes are replaced by a focus on community and building infrastructure to support themselves.
Imagine, no source of running water, power lines, sewage service, instead everyone works together to sustain in the desert. Eco-friendly and resourceful, the community uses solar panels, home-constructed shower systems, and recycling to their advantage. Items necessary for living are shared & traded among the inhabitants of this self-made town, regardless of their differing spiritual and personal beliefs or reasons for living there.
Slab City is not only an open and welcoming community, it's also a giant, living work of art. The entrance is easily recognized by the colorful Salvation Mountain, a small hill covered in acrylic paint, concrete, straw, and adobe clay. Adorned with Bible verses, the shrine is the ongoing project by religious devotee and permanent resident Leonard Knight. Colorfully painted trailers and trucks dot the horizon and brighten the landscape of sand and trash.
To learn more about The Slabs and their permanent residents please visit their new website: http://www.slabcity.org/. They welcome visitors, just don't come empty handed. Bring some Sailor Jerry, a six pack, or a case of water as your peaceful offering. We promise it won't go to waste.