Slab City is a real town which has character and residents who care about
their town. Many of the people who live here have civic pride and bring to Slab City
a unique culture.
At first glance, Slab City appears to be a shapeless town of random RVs, derelict junk, perhaps
desperate people. There may be some of this making up this desert town. But there is more.
Social Clubs
The Oasis Club has a sign at its entrance which reads, "Morning Coffee, Meals, Mail, Happy
Hour, Library and Movies. A whole lot goes on here. The members meet to discuss plans for
future events and how to solve issues of the community. On this Sunday morning, a meeting
was going with perhaps 20 members discussing issues of concern.
Oasis Social Club
Loners On Wheels [LOW] is another Slab City social club. LOW meets on a covered slab.
The cover is a tarp, which protects members from the weather and sun. Tables and chairs
are enclosed on two sides by RVs which serve as a kitchen and meeting place.
Loners On Wheels.
A look at LOW's activity board gives some insight to what goes on and to the layed back nature
of Slab City. Morning coffee at 6:30am! Daily 3pm Happy Hour. Shuffle board, dancing,
cribbage and card games.
Activity board hanging askew!
Lizard Tree Library
A miraculous and much loved woman named Rosalie, built a library in Slab City. Rosalie died
in 2003, but her life is memorialized by the library that she created. Open 24 hours a day
and seven days a week. On the honor system. If you come at night, bring a flashlight!
Lizard Tree Library.
There are three rooms with shelves filled with books and magazines. Likely all contributions
made over the years. Lizard Tree Library is covered with a tarpaulin roof.
Rooms filled with books.
When you are reading a book at Lizard Tree Library, you do not have to be concerned about
noise. The library is a tranquil place. An outdoor reading area shaded by a large tree
has a bed, tables and chairs, even a swing!
A swinging library .
Church
On the Sunday morning when the pic below was taken, the congregation of the Slab City Christian
Church was singing. The sign on the portable building read, "Everyone Welcome."
A place to pray.
Night Club!
The Range is a night club in Slab City. Every Saturday night, entertainers who live in Slab
City come to play music. It is said that some very accomplished musicians live here.
The Range Night Club.
Plush seating at The Range.
Junk Yard
Slab City has its own junk yard. A resident lives at this junk yard, and he sells reusable
materials and items of value. There are abandoned items left here and there inside Slab
City, but this is not a terrible problem.
Slab City junk yard.
High living in Slab City.
Many residents of this town, are people who own very nice RVs, and live in a kind of
comparative splendor.
A picket fence and lovely garden.
Slab City's Hot Shower
The Hot Shower is something that draws great interest. Slab City's hot shower is
actually a cistern, a cement hole in the ground. Water from the nearby hot tub, a
spring, flows into the top of the cistern. Slab City residents stand below this shower,
and bathe!
The hot shower.
Salvation Mountain
Leonard Knight is the most famous person in Slab City. Leonard came to Slab City around 1985.
With him, Leonard brought a huge balloon, a tribute to Jesus with large letters announcing
his love of God. However, when Leonard tried to inflate his balloon, he found it had many
leaks. Undaunted, Leonard began to build Salvation Mountain.
Salvation Mountain as you enter Slab City.
Everyday, hundreds of people come to see Leonard's tribute to Jesus.
Leonard tells the story of his Mountain.
Leonard has built many rooms in his mountain.
This room is like a cave, filled with pictures of his love.
Leonard builds his mountain with hay bales, trees and tires collected around the desert.
He accepts no donations of tires. We heard a couple trying to donate tires to Leonard,
and they were refused. "There are plenty of tires in the desert", says Leonard.
This room is supported by trees, tires and hay bales.
As we climbed up "The Yellow Brick Road" which led to the top of Salvation Mountain, it
was hard to imagine that this mountain that we were on was built on hay bales covered
with painted adobe mud.
Looking down from the top of Salvation Mountain.
At the top of Leonard's Salvation Mountain, is the word which drives this inspired man.
Top of the mountain.
Slab City is a place of tranquility.
The people of Slab City, appear to live in a quiet community.
Peace and freedom are the watchwords of the residents of Slab City. People are here
also to be free of paying rent. A very important value in these times.
Slab City location map:
Here is a Google Map showing the location of Slab City:
