A Mountain and a City

Salvation Mountain

Years ago I watched a documentary that featured a man named Leonard Knight who had constructed a huge art installation in the desert of California. This past weekend we got to see it in person. Constructed from adobe and straw and covered in thousands of gallons of paint, this place is truly an amazing sight.

Cars, trucks and boats, all covered in doodles and writings, are scattered around the mountain

The structure appears very unstable in places and parts of it have collapsed. You certainly couldn't compel me to go inside (and multiple signs and chicken wire covering the entrances forbid it).

Scripture and messages of love and repentance were painted on every possible surface.

Salvation Mountain is located outside of Slab City, a squatter community in the middle of nowhere, California. We drove through and saw the many little encampments scattered around the desert. Most are constructed from refuse and the desert around them is scattered with piles of garbage. Upon rolling the windows down I was confronted with the rather unpleasant smell of marijauna. Slab City is said to be "one of America's last free places."  It is, indeed, a unique place filled with unique people.