Photographing Ghost Towns of the Salton Sea

The Salton Sea is one of those decaying places photographers love to visit.  Nature is reclaiming neighborhoods that have long been abandoned, though some holdouts continue to call the Salton Sea home.  The Salton Sea stinks like sulfur and rotting flesh.  The barnacle shoreline is covered in petrified fish that died gasping for breath.  Streets that appear on the map suddenly end in dirt and sand.  Neighborhoods are ghost towns, full of gutted homes with graffitied walls and decomposing furniture.

We both used to visit the Salton Sea as kids.  Rome used to go fishing for tilapia.  I’d tag along with my mom and her friend who loved bird watching at the Salton Sea.  You can check off hundreds of bird species from your bird watching checklist at the Salton Sea. 

What we didn’t visit as kids were the Salton Sea ghost towns.  Our trip to the Salton Sea was prompted by my desire to practice some night photography and capture the Milky Way over the Salton Sea at night, but as I researched Salton Sea night photography locations, I found so many odd and unusual places to visit around the Salton Sea during the day. 

The Salton Sea, California’s largest lake, was an accident.  In 1905, the Colorado River broke and filled up the basin of an ancient lakebed.  The newly born Salton Sea seemed like a great resort possibility.  Gus Eilers built a resort, Date Palm Beach, in 1927.  The resort was purchased by Roy Hunter in 1947 and it became a yacht club.  Resort towns popped up along the shore in the 1950s and people thought the Salton Sea was going to be the new place to see and be seen.  This dream was short-lived as the Salton Sea increased in salinity and pollution from agricultural runoff and started to stink.  Now the places that were going to be booming resort towns have turned into desolated ghost towns.

The first Salton Sea ghost town we visited while we circumnavigated the Salton Sea was Salton Sea Beach.  Salton Sea Beach is a small neighborhood just north of Salton City and south of Desert Shores.  There were no signs of life in this ghost town, except for the birds.  Salton Sea Beach has dirt streets, collapsed buildings, a lot of colorful graffiti, and a surprising amount of decaying furniture sitting out in the middle of nowhere.

Just a little north of Salton Sea Beach is Desert Shores.  This area is more inhabited.  We found this neighborhood had some good places for night photography, especially on the beach along Capri Road.

At the North Shore is the North Shore Beach & Yacht Club.  The yacht club was abandoned for a long time, but has recently been restored and is used as a community center.

Probably one of the most interesting towns along the Salton Sea is Bombay Beach.  Bombay Beach will be of special interest to gamers, especially fans of the Grand Theft Auto series.  We had barely pulled into Bombay Beach when Romeo started exclaiming, “This is Trevor’s place!”  One of the Salton Sea’s not so great claims to fame is being a meth capital, giving it the dubious honor of being used as a model for Grand Theft Auto V’s Sandy Shores, the residence of one if its main characters, Trevor, a meth addict.  What was really weird was driving through this Grand Theft Auto town while driving our friend’s Call of Duty Jeep….

There are some interesting things to see in Bombay Beach.  One of our unusual finds was a shell of a house with milk cartons nailed to one of the outside walls.  Each milk carton has a photo of a person, a narration, and the word missing. 

Another interesting spot is the Ski Inn, self-proclaimed world famous and the lowest elevation bar in the western hemisphere.  Of course, Anthony Bourdain did visit Ski Inn during season four of No Reservations, so that is quite a claim to fame. 

Slab City is the opposite of a ghost town, though it is off-the-grid and somewhat less populated in the heat of summer.  Slab City is famous for being the last free place in America.  It used to be frequented by snowbirds looking to save money but now has a more permanent population.  Slab City has no water, no electricity, and no sewer.  However, Slab City does have a sculpture garden called East Jesus.

A short drive away is Salvation Mountain, a man-made tribute to God.  Whether or not you’re religious, this is an interesting stop and piece of art.  Salvation Mountain is a work in progress that started with one man who lived in his truck.  

The hill is made of clay and straw and paint.  Lots of paint.  Over 100,000 gallons of paint have been used.  There is also a “museum,” a domed area built with straw, tires, scavenged wood, glass, and, of course, more paint.

Slab City and Salvation Mountain are a short drive from the Salton Sea town of Niland, which has some ghost town qualities with its quiet streets and abandoned general store.

As we continued our clockwise drive around the Salton Sea, we didn’t encounter any more ghost towns.  But we did find a few other spots perfect for photography.  A natural and other-worldly phenomenon along the Salton Sea is the Salton Sea Mud Pots.  During the cooler months, the mud pots are hot pools of water.  During the heat of summer, the pools dry up, but mounds of mud still gurgle and splutter from within, making the sounds of a coffee percolator, and spewing the occasional spout of geothermal water.

Our final stop, at 3:00 in the afternoon when it had reached 116 degrees, was on the shore at the corner of Young Road and the Vail Seven Drain.  The surrounding land is all farmland, a juxtaposition to the cracked dried mud and lifeless fallen tree trunks along the shore.

There aren’t many hotels close to the Salton Sea.  We chose to stay in Borrego Springs, a 40-minute drive from the Salton Sea, at The Springs at Borrego RV Resort & Golf Course.  The Springs has great little cottages, kind of like tiny houses, for travelers who don’t have an RV.  Our cottage had two bedrooms, two bathrooms, a kitchen, a dining area, and a loft.  The cottages are dog-friendly and have air conditioning, so we left Henry and Charlie in the comfort of the cabin while we braved the 100+ degree heat.

The Springs has a pool, mineral baths, recreation center, workout room, laundry facilities, dog park, and nine-hole golf course, of which Rome took advantage in the morning before we left. 

While the original plans for the Salton Sea of becoming a resort area and the next Las Vegas did not come to fruition, the Salton Sea’s ghost towns and nature make it a sought-after destination for photographers and travelers who are looking for a more unusual place to visit.

This article contains affiliate links.  If you book through them, it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission that goes towards running this website and funding our travels so we can bring you more travel stories.

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10 Tips for Jet Lag Prevention for International Travelers

Jet lag.  Jet lag is the enemy of all travelers, especially those who, like us, work full-time and only have a week or two to get the most out of their vacation.  We’ve been traveling for almost 15 years together and fighting jet lag for the same amount of time.  I’ve always been a little better at preventing jet lag than Romeo, mostly because he really enjoys a good nap on vacation.  Over the years, we have learned the hard way how to prevent jet lag so we can hit the ground running.

Get a Good Night’s Rest before Boarding the Plane

Procrastination is not your friend if you want to prevent jet lag.  This is one of the hardest things for me.  No matter how much I plan to start getting ready for a trip in advance, I am invariably up until 2:00 in the morning packing the night before we leave.  This is a terrible habit if you want to avoid jet lag.  Don’t go into the trip already lacking sleep.  Try to go to bed early or at least at a decent time the night before a trip.

Drink Lots of Water, Then Drink More Water

Hydration is important for staving off jet lag.

Dehydration gives the feeling of a horrible hangover, which is why jet lag feels so bad.  The best thing to do to prevent jet lag is to stay hydrated by drinking lots of water.  Airlines usually don’t serve passengers nearly enough water to stay properly hydrated, so buy some bottled water or fill up a reusable water bottle at the airport before boarding the plane and accept water every time the flight attendants come by.

Avoid Caffeine and Alcohol

Caffeine and alcohol are dehydrators plus they tamper with your sleeping patterns, so it is best to avoid caffeine and alcohol both before and during your flight. 

Use Jet Lag Supplements

1Above helps prevent jet lag and keeps you hydrated.

In addition to staying hydrated, you can use supplements to help prevent jet lag.  I recently started using 1Above, which contains six essential electrolytes along with B vitamins and Pycnogenol.  These ingredients hydrate, increase energy, and reduce the length and severity of jet lag.  1Above comes in a concentrated liquid or as effervescent tablets that can be added to water.  They also can both pass through security.  I much prefer the taste (and smell) of the tablets.  I have never used it, but I have also heard great things about using melatonin for jet lag prevention from fellow travelers.  I avoid sleeping pills as they usually just make me feel groggy and I never seem to get the full amount of sleep needed.

Sleep on the Plane

I love my memory foam neck pillow!

This has always been one of the downfalls to Romeo’s jet lag prevention.  Now that planes have personal in-flight entertainment options, he is always worried that there’s some great movie he’s going to miss, so he ends up watching movies for the entire flight rather than getting any sleep he possibly can.  Especially if you are arriving at your destination early in the day, try to get as much sleep as possible and turn off the entertainment.  An eye mask and ear plugs can help block out sound and light during the flight and a good memory foam neck pillow will ward off a neck cramp.

Arrive In the Late Afternoon or Evening

Arrival time isn’t always a factor you can control, but when you can, opt for arriving later in the day so you don’t have to stay awake for too long before it is bedtime.  No matter how much sleep you’re able to get on the plane, it’s never really enough to feel completely refreshed and rejuvenated for an entire day.

Stay Awake Until Bedtime

If you do have to arrive early in the day, don’t fall asleep!  The exception to this rule is if you arrive at the ungodly hour of 4:00 in the morning, as we did when we traveled to Georgia (the country).  Then you can get a few hours of sleep before you start your day, but start your day you must.  At any other time of arrival, avoid the nap and get out there and start your vacation.  It will feel brutal, but doing so is sure to cut your jet lag time down from multiple days to just one or two.

Adjust to Your New Time Zone as Quickly as Possible

Adjust your watch to your destination's local time. (Jord Swiss Luxury Wood Watch Frankie)

Sometimes jet lag prevention is about mind over matter.  As soon as you get on the plane, adjust your watch to the local time of your destination.  Once you’ve arrived, don’t think about what time it is back home, as that will make you feel exhausted immediately.  If your spouse starts telling you what time it is back home because he just can’t help himself, give him a dirty look.

Drink in the Sunlight

Being in the sunlight is one of the best things to help your body adjust to your new time zone.  On your first couple days, try to spend as much time walking around outside as possible so the natural light will reset your body’s time clock.  Plus walking around a new city is a great way to gain your bearings and get acquainted with your destination.

Eat Breakfast While Traveling

We don’t usually eat breakfast at home, especially during the workweek.  However, we have found that eating breakfast while traveling does us wonders.  For one thing, it gives us something we do every day for a little bit of schedule and structure.  It also provides us with lots of energy for the day, which is especially useful when fighting the effects of jet lag.

This article contains affiliate links.  If you purchase through them, it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards bringing you more travel stories.  Thank you to 1Above for providing us with samples of their jet lag prevention product so we could test it out ourselves.  Also thank you to Jord for providing us with one of their unique wood watches. As always, all opinions are our own.

Unique Watches

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An Awesome Long Layover at the Munich Airport

Long airport layover and an awesome time are not usually two concepts that go together.  However, you can have a pretty awesome time at the Munich International Airport, even with a layover that’s over five hours long.  On our way to the country of Georgia, we were able to get out of the airport and see Munich during a long layover.   On our way back home our layover in Munich was shorter and earlier in the day, which didn’t allow us to leave and explore more of the city.  However, the Munich International Airport, the seventh biggest airport in Europe, offered us plenty of things to do during our long layover.

Our flight from Tbilisi left shortly after 5:00 in the morning and arrived just before 7:00.  So what did we do when we arrived in Munich so early in the morning?  Hit the spa of course!  Between terminals one and two of the Munich International Airport is the Hilton Munich Airport.  Their Fit & Fly Spa caters to travelers and is perfect for relaxing during a long layover. 

Knowing we were going to hit the spa in Munich, I didn’t bother showering before heading to the Tbilisi airport and boarding our flight.  (I promise I did brush my teeth.)  Now, if we were those kinds of people, we could have worked out in the fitness center, but we’re not, so we went to the spa.  For 20 Euro (at the time of publication) we could get a two-hour pass to the Fit & Fly Spa.  For an additional 10 Euro, that can turn into a day pass. 

A pass to the Hilton Munich Airport Fit & Fly Spa includes access to the heated indoor pool, whirlpool, sauna, gym, and changing rooms.  We could have also added a spa service like a massage, but there was plenty to keep us occupied for two hours.  We also enjoyed coffees at the spa bar and could have ordered food.  Once we were done soaking and swimming and saunaing, we were able to shower and freshen up for our long flight home.

Our next stop after the spa was the Munich Airport’s very own brewery, Airbräu.  Sure, it was early in the morning, but it was five o’clock somewhere, right?  Especially when you’re traveling between time zones. 

Bavaria is home to half of Germany's breweries, so it only makes sense to have a brewery in the airport too.  Airbräu opened in 1999 and serves the cheapest beer in Munich (cheap in price, not cheap in flavor).  Airbräu brews a lager, a pilsner, a Bavarian wheat beer, and a seasonal beer.  Airbräu brews one million glasses of pilsner per year.  Beer is brewed in copper tanks with local hops.

Airbräu is very popular, and not just with travelers passing through the Munich airport. The brewery is also frequented by locals and the thirty-thousand people employed at the airport.  We took a brewery tour given the head brewer Rene Jacobsen.  Travelers with a long layover at the Munich airport can book a tour of the brewery in advance.  If there isn’t enough time to leave the terminal to visit the brewery, there is a smaller Airbräu restaurant within the terminal inside security.

The brewery is located outside of the terminals, but within the airport's central square.  The square is covered with a see-through roof and diamond shaped white shades so that when the blue sky shows through, the view is reminiscent of the blue and white Bavarian coat of arms.

Events are held in this central square, which can seat 2000 people.  In the summer there is a surfing pool, beach bar, and tennis courts.  Of course, all of this is outside the security area of the airport.  Travelers with carryon luggage don’t have to lug it around while exploring everything the Munich airport has to offer.  Luggage can be stored at one of the airport’s Service Centers.

Sheltered within terminal two, but yet sort of outdoors, is the visitors terrace.  This large space provides a view of the airport and the runways.  There are telescopes to get an even closer view of the airport goings on.  The visitors terrace is enclosed but has access to fresh air.  It is the only airport visitors terrace that has opened after 9/11. 

Travelers with kids can visit the Visitors Park, which is outside of the airport terminals just a short train ride away.  Highlights of the Visitors Park include historic aircraft open for touring, minigolf, a playground, and visitors hill which provides a panoramic view of terminal one and the runways.

Travelers who wish to remain inside the airport have a lot of choices.  After all, the Munich airport is regarded as one of the best airports in the world, currently rated number three on the World Airport Awards and the only 5-star rated European airport.

The Munich airport does its best to have local suppliers within their walls.  In addition to the in-terminal Airbräu, there is also a Dallmayr location within the terminal, a Munich coffeehouse and delicatessen that has been around since the year 1700. 

The airport is set up so that each component runs parallel, each divided by a one-kilometer hallway.  The first section is security, the next is shops, and the next is the gates.  Between every second gate is a station serving free coffee and tea.

The Munich airport is also set up for relaxing.  There are lounge stations throughout the airport and recliners at the gates.  Travelers who want to nap can take advantage of one of the sleeping lounges outside of the working well.  The napcabs can be booked per hour and paid for by credit card.  Inside is a bed, an alarm clock, and a place to plug in. 

We had a great time visiting the spa and exploring the Munich airport during our long layover.  It seemed like we were boarding our flight home in no time.  Forget sitting around for hours waiting to go home, use your Munich airport stopover time wisely and take advantage of everything this top-rated airport has to offer.

This article contains affiliate links.  If you book through them, it costs you nothing extra and we earn a small commission which goes towards running this website and bringing you more travel stories.

Thank you to the Munich Airport for providing us with a tour of the airport and brewery and making this post possible.  As always, all opinions are our own.

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Arizona Route 66 Road Trip Attractions

Arizona has the honor of having the longest stretch of Historic Route 66 in the nation.  While there is not much left of Route 66 in the eastern part of the state, western Arizona has approximately 140 miles of uninterrupted Mother Road stretching from Topock to Seligman.  To celebrate Route 66’s 90th anniversary, we took a road trip along Arizona’s Route 66 and visited Route 66 attractions and towns.

Arizona Route 66 Topock to Kingman

As soon we crossed the California / Arizona border we hopped onto Route 66.  At over 50 miles, this is a pretty long stretch of Route 66 road.  The biggest Route 66 attraction along this section is Oatman.  There is a lot to do in Oatman, including touring an authentic gold mine, walking through the historic town, and seeing an old-time gunfight in the street.  Be sure to visit the Oatman Hotel, where Clark Gable and Carol Lombard spent their wedding night, and its dollar bill plastered bar.  Probably the most surprising thing you’ll see in Oatman is the wild burros that freely roam the streets.  The burros are friendly and are protected by federal law as symbols of the American West.  This part of Route 66, especially past Oatman, is curvy, so drive carefully, especially at night.

Another point of interest along this section of Arizona Route 66 is the Shaffer Fish Bowl Spring, approximately five miles east of Oatman.  Stairs lead up the hill on the side of the road to a small rock “bowl” which collects water that seeps through the rock from a spring. 

Arizona Route 66 Kingman to Seligman

Route 66 continues through Kingman, which is also off Highway 40, and then veers away from the highway for another 80 plus miles.  

Related: Things to Do in Kingman Arizona on Old Route 66

The first roadside stop along this stretch of Route 66 is Antares Point, home of Giganticus Headicus.  Why this 14-foot tall Tiki head was placed on Route 66, we don’t know, but it is definitely the type of kitschy Americana that makes a US road trip special.  Giganticus Headicus is painted pink in October for breast cancer awareness month.   The rest of the year it is green.

A few miles past Antares Point is Hackberry, home of the famous Route 66 Hackberry General Store.  Outside are gas pumps and old cars from the Route 66 era.  It is both a store and a museum of the Mother Road.

Beyond Hackberry is a town that used to be, Valentine.  The Valentine post office was famous for its heart-shaped postmark.  Today visitors can visit the Valentine Indian School site, the remains of one of the many Indian schools in existence between 1870 and 1930, boarding schools which the children of Native Americans were required to attend, leaving their homes and families behind.  Also in Valentine is Keepers of the Wild, a rescue sanctuary for exotic wild animals that are rescued from or surrendered by private owners.

Other stops along Route 66 from Kingman to Seligman include Truxton, Peach Springs, and the Grand Canyon Caverns.

Arizona Route 66 Seligman to Flagstaff

Seligman is where Route 66 returns to close proximity to Highway 40.  Seligman has shops and restaurants and is a great stop for Route 66 souvenir shopping.  Somehow Seligman gained the right to proclaim itself the birthplace of Historic Route 66 and is the first town along this longest remaining stretch of Route 66 from Seligman to Topock.

Heading east from Seligman, Route 66 is also Highway 40, so you’re back on the freeway.  You can get off the Highway and follow a small length of Historic Route 66 through Williams, the last town in Arizona to be bypassed.  Williams was finally bypassed by the freeway in 1985.  Williams is a great little Route 66 town to visit, filled with many blocks of restaurants and shops and Route 66 memorabilia.  During Route 66 days, Williams was also a popular gateway for travelers wanting to explore the Grand Canyon.

Arizona Route 66 Flagstaff to Lupton

East past Flagstaff there is very little opportunity to drive along the original Route 66.  However, there are quite a few fun detours between Flagstaff and the Arizona state line that Route 66 travelers would have enjoyed during their travels as well.

Related: History and Route 66: Things to Do in Flagstaff in One Day

One of these unusual detours is Meteor Crater, the world’s best-preserved meteorite impact site.  The meteor crater is what you would imagine, a really big hole in the ground.  The crater is one mile in diameter and over 550 feet deep.  The visitor center offers a movie, exhibits, and a piece of meteor rock.  After the visitor center, join a guided rim tour and learn more about this crazy phenomenon.  On the way to Meteor Crater make a stop at Twin Arrows for a Route 66 photo opp. 

The next piece of Old Highway 66 travels through Winslow, Arizona, made famous by the Eagles song Take It Easy.  Eagles fans will want to be sure to stop at Standin’ on the Corner Park, complete with flatbed Ford.  Another must-see in Winslow is La Posada Hotel & Gardens, an old Harvey House that has been lovingly restored into a gorgeous hotel with one of the most delicious restaurants, the Turquoise Room.

Travelers might think the Wigwam Motel of Holbrook looks familiar.  That’s because the Cozy Cone Motel in the Disney / Pixar movie Cars was modeled after the Wigwam Motels of Route 66.  The Wigwam Motel of Holbrook makes sure you see the resemblance.  Not only do they have old classic cars in front of reception and the teepee-shaped cabins, they also have a vehicle straight from Cars out front, Sir Tow Mater.  Holbrook’s Wigwam Motel has been on the National Register of Historic Places since 2002, listed as Wigwam Village #6.  A stay at Holbrook’s Wigwam Motel will allow you to respond to the question, “Have you slept in a wigwam lately?” with a resounding “Yes!”

Arizona has a National Park along Route 66, the Petrified Forest National Park.  The Petrified Forest gets its name from the petrified wood that can be found throughout the park.  Millions of years ago, logs were washed away and buried in mud and debris, quickly cutting off oxygen and allowing for an extremely slow decay process.  Minerals were absorbed into the wood, which then crystallized, causing the wood to be replaced with quartz.  The petrified wood looks just like logs and stumps and sections of tree trunk, except they are rainbows of color.  The Painted Desert Rim Drive also passes through a Painted Desert.

Arizona has so many Route 66 attractions, it’s hard to see them all in one road trip.  A road trip along Arizona's Route 66 is like strolling down memory lane, except it is the memory lane of families past who took this road trip so many decades ago. 

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