Welcome to Salton City, also known as West Shores.
As you can see from this Google satellite image, someone had big plans for this area.
There are acres and acres of land and roads nicely laid out on a grid but very few actual houses.
It really has a post-apocalyptic feeling.
There are acres and acres of land and roads nicely laid out on a grid but very few actual houses.
It really has a post-apocalyptic feeling.
At one time, this canal connected these houses with the sea.
Now, the docks are nowhere near the canal and the canal is nowhere near the sea.
I felt too bad for these people to take any photos.
Now, the docks are nowhere near the canal and the canal is nowhere near the sea.
I felt too bad for these people to take any photos.
Let's take a trip down Yacht Club Drive to visit the marina, shall we?
Corner of Yacht Club Drive and Flamingo Avenue
Looking east toward the marina
Yacht Club Drive used to be a stately street lined with palm trees.
Strictly speaking, I guess it still is.
Strictly speaking, I guess it still is.
The circular drive of the yacht club, lined with more palm trees
Well, what's left of them, anyway
Remnants of the yacht club, with the sea in the far distance
How far is the shore? This far.
Might as well make yourself comfortable while waiting for the sea to return
Pilings next to that canal that's now a pond
Dried, salt-encrusted sea bed leading up to the pilings
Salt-encrusted pole that I'd guess was once a navigation marker of some kind
Did I mention that it's salt-encrusted?
Anyone got a bagel and a schmear of cream cheese?
Here's where the beach turns really soggy, almost like quicksand.
The sea must've receded from this area somewhat recenty and it hasn't completely dried out yet.
The sea must've receded from this area somewhat recenty and it hasn't completely dried out yet.
Looking back at the yacht club from the current edge of the sea
Zoomed in as far as my 70mm lens would go
Zoomed out again
Zoomed in once more
More ex-denizens of the sea
Maybe they're just pinin' for the fjords?
Nah, I'm pretty sure they've shuffled off the mortal coil, run down the curtain and joined the bleedin' choir invisible
Another salt-encrusted navigation marker next to what are clearly not yacht tracks
Might not have been a yacht but whatever it was,
it made a beeline for the water
it made a beeline for the water
A final look at Yacht Club Drive
An abandoned RV park at the end of Crystal Lake Avenue
The lots are all marked with posts but nobody's home
The sign on top of the white billboard says DIRECTORY.
The directory, like the RV park itself, is now empty.
The directory, like the RV park itself, is now empty.
The town of Salton Sea Beach
This cheery, colorful welcome sign belies the condition of the actual town.
The houses and buildings "near" the water have all been severely vandalized – torn apart and covered in spray paint.
I didn't feel comfortable stopping to take photos so I just took a photo of the welcome sign and moved on down the road.
The houses and buildings "near" the water have all been severely vandalized – torn apart and covered in spray paint.
I didn't feel comfortable stopping to take photos so I just took a photo of the welcome sign and moved on down the road.