Slab organization

So many negative comments from people that have never been.

Slabs..so named because of the concrete slabs that were the floors of Quonset huts at a short lived Marine base.

Thousands? Oh at least that. Scattered all over the place. Some in apparent loose groups..they will even have a kitchen, of sorts, to just parked in the desert.

There is a definite un-kempt look about the place. People are pigs...you have seen that around the campgrounds you all have been in. And dump stations. The Slabs is that and more.

Lots of homeless..and people with some pretty $$ RV's too. The attractions are...free, and no one bothers anyone. And then there are the petty thieves that are everywhere, anyway. And, just to add some interesting humans to the mix, there are artists, and 'papered' people. Engineers, designers, musicians...you name it..it's there, or has been there.

Some of the folks at the East of Jesus compound have a pretty interesting relationship with the Seal base, just a bit further into the desert.

If you go..and just drive around staring and pointing your critical finger, you will find everything you seek. If you go...get out of your rig and just talk to some folks? You might get your eyes opened.


Gary Haupt

Older topic and I've been to the slabs this year first time in about 3 years. That said I'm over at Hot Springs now. The slabs seems to be dying the Chamber of Commerce allowed dumping and water for $10 but they have closed, the rest area I believe call two rivers that had free dumping and water is closed. Still residents out there and still unorganized so it would appear not much came from this Slab City Community Group. I personally think that's hot springs is much cleaner but I do somewhat miss the freedom the Carefree attitude at the slabs. Hot Springs has the town of Holtville not far from here about seven miles and you can take on water and dump your tanks are for a fee of $12. And on that note Hot Springs is not free either the LTVA charges $180 cash for the season. I imagine the slabs will continue to continue but it appears to be going downhill. I wish those folks well.

David
Hotsprings

If we don't get rain in CA this winter there will be many more places like the Slabs. Spent a interesting New Years week there awhile back.

fly-boy wrote:
Been to the Slabs many times- You may even find us at the Range tonight. :) The place and the people there should simply be left as is-

Slab City should be way down the list of issues to be addressed in a country with as many problems as we currently have!

Range has music tomorrow night, Saturday. See you there.

Socal

Been to the Slabs many times- You may even find us at the Range tonight. :) The place and the people there should simply be left as is-

Slab City should be way down the list of issues to be addressed in a country with as many problems as we currently have!

fla-gypsy wrote:
I understand and support the sentiments of those who wish to live off the grid and be left alone to enjoy real liberty. Many of us who have assimilated into society yearn for true freedom which is not to be found in our current political malaise. I think the pioneer spirit is imbedded in many people in this country, it is after all part of our history as a people. The problem is it rarely works out in the good ole USA. Some tyrant type will try to take over or some busybody will either want to save you from yourself for your own good or the good of society(ha) or some pol will figure out how to tax you for it. Most of us just give up and assimilate. Resistance seems to be futile!

Nicely stated and very perceptive!

I'm wondering deep down inside if that isn't what's behind some of us loving to boondock-RV in certain special spots out in the middle of nowhere .... a yearning for a few moments of true freedom.

Unfortunately, capturing and sustaining those few moments is becoming more and more expensive so less and less of us will be able to experience it going forward.

I understand and support the sentiments of those who wish to live off the grid and be left alone to enjoy real liberty. Many of us who have assimilated into society yearn for true freedom which is not to be found in our current political malaise. I think the pioneer spirit is imbedded in many people in this country, it is after all part of our history as a people. The problem is it rarely works out in the good ole USA. Some tyrant type will try to take over or some busybody will either want to save you from yourself for your own good or the good of society(ha) or some pol will figure out how to tax you for it. Most of us just give up and assimilate. Resistance seems to be futile!

Well thank you Sir, I hope to see you there one day. Ill help you.

Desertboy wrote:

garyhaupt wrote:
Well, let me address some of the questions. There IS a plan to the Slabs.

here is a partial ariel views and as you can see..there is a lay-out.



This is Mike.



Mike is a vet, with cancer. He and his wife Lynne operate the Oasis Cafe. It's on Low Road and if you were going to go..find it, say hello and ask where to park. They'll keep you on the right path. Tell Lynne I said hi..I'll be down in March for a visit.

If you like people...this place has it's share of artists, engineers, teachers, runners, hiders, campers, loosers, winners, writers, journalists. It has some druggies and drunks, vegetarians and some really poor folk. A person can't drive in, stay in their Rv with the doors locked, stay the night and leave in the early am. Not if you want to see what's going on.

Now a caveat....I am the kind that just wants to go places and say hi. I like off-the wall. I also don't 'do' campgrounds. I like colouring outside the lines. If you are super straight, uptight and scared of stuff....stay away. If you can stand to see nude people in the mud bath, people walking around with a beer and joint in their hands at 7am, if you can play a guitar or harp..flute, drum? If body piercings and tats are okay with you, if you can actually walk about and not stare, but can say hi...you'll do.

But, please stop saying how bad something is that you have never tried.



Gary Haupt

That's kinda how I feel. Thanks Gary for clearing that up. I mean these people chose a place where nobody else wanted to be so they could have some freedom, and yet some people still wont leave them alone. All I meant by cleaning the place up was some of the trash that's blowing around everywhere. It would be easy enough to do with a small tractor and a landscape rake because plastic bottles and all that burn well. And then take all the metal and old burned out cars to the scrapper if nobody wants them. Use the money for some dumpsters. Then make a donation box to collect $ for the Niland trash service to drive the 3 miles and come dump it. Problem solved. As far as humans pooping on the ground, well that's been going on since the beginning of time. If it were from any other animal it would be called fertilizer. The sun and ultraviolet rays have a way of reducing these things to nothing rather quickly. I guess that's better than adding it to the aquifer like we have been doing for the last hundred years. Sounds like to me this organization trying to take over is just after some free land that they can later begin charging a fee for, Maybe. It just seems to me that there should be some place here on this continent where people can go and be left alone. And what better place than way out there in the middle of nowhere, a place that nobody else has ever been interested in ever in the history of our Country until some busy bodies became envious of these peoples freedom. That's my final take on this topic. Im just going to follow along and read from here on out.

Desertboy:

Well said and thank you for your words, I agree whole heartedly.

Keep it free with no bureaucracy involved.

I'm looking forward to spending some of my wintering in the south there doing volunteer work cleaning up once I retire.

:B