Needing a break from climbing rocks, we thought we’d hang out on the beach at the Salton Sea. We were in for a surreal surprise, though, when we arrived at the abandoned luxury resort village of Bombay Beach on the eastern shore of the man-made sea. Bombay Beach was a popular destination for fishing, boating and water skiing, and was frequented by such big name celebrities as Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby and The Beach Boys throughout the 1950’s and 60’s. At its height, Bombay Beach’s tourist numbers rivaled those of Yosemite National Park! Unfortunately, the repeated draining and flooding of the Salton Sea led to an increased salinity content that eventually killed off 97 percent of the fish in its waters. As a result, the resort village was all but abandoned by the 1970’s.
In the past decade however, due to an influx of artists and hipsters, the failed vacation retreat has experienced something of a re-birth. The current residents have turned the town into an art gallery! They’ve created bizarre paintings, sculptures and installations on the marina and throughout the abandoned buildings that still make up the majority of the village.
Wow, so very interesting!!!
It’s a really weird & cool place! Definitely worth a visit if you’re in the area.
Yes very intriguing. The plane with observation platform at top seems especially bizarre and provocative.