The Last Mayors of the Salton Sea | Local Legends | Atlas Obscura

[@atlasobscura]

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[@timohyland]

Bombay Beach is a great place to visit. Some art from the 3-day March 2019 Biennale is still there, and new art is constantly going up. However, this video is a bit out of date already. The Ski Inn changed ownership in mid-2019. The new owner is freshened up the place, the food has improved, and they now bring in bands weekly. The new owner of the bar is also now the town's only certified EMT and as I understand it, has taken charge of the volunteer fire department's single fire truck. Still, this is a great video of the previous owners, and a look at the history of the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach.

[@atlasobscura]

Good to know! Thanks for the additional info, Tim! We'll let our team know on this end.

[@johanna7254]

Always been fascinated by the Salton Sea. My dad remembers stopping there with his family during its popularity. Incredible place with a strange story.

[@cblurton56]

Hey Johanna, I use to go to the Salton Sea with a family of Millers in the 1960s. Rex Miller, one of the sons of Gladys and Clayton Miller, was a friend of mine. Any connection?

[@atlasobscura]

This really would be the smallest world if you two connected over this!

[@thejoeben]

@@cblurton56 We've gotta know if this happens!

[@Kakashigirl250]

Johanna needs to reply!

[@thejoeben]

@@atlasobscura Any news if they followed up?

[@cheose]

I've re-listened to the explanation of how fish assholes are procured and still can't figure it out.

[@alicehallam7949]

Debi Taylor Bombay Beach is not a ghost town at all! It is only less than a mile square, but has about 300 residents. It never was much bigger unless you count the mobile homes and trailers that they used to allow on the beachfront. There was a series of storms that flooded the beach area repeatedly, so the beach area is closed off to vehicles by a seawall now. The area is being reshaped for the future now that the Sea will lose about 40% of it's water inflow. The water is being redirected to San Diego to allow more coastal development. Still the residents love the area, feel privileged to live there, and growth is expected.

[@eugefederico1178]

Fascinating! Thanks AO ❤

[@atlasobscura]

You're welcome! :)

[@LadyMaven]

It was created by accident to begin with and never really belonged there. However, it is still sad to see what happened to it. What I remember most about it is the stench and the salt encrusted bodies of dead fish and water birds that were absolutely everywhere.

[@muteme3771]

this place has been the best dirt bike riding in the last 50 years and its great to see you uncle wendall and aunt jane looking good

[@superintelligentapefromthe121]

RIP Wendell. You were one hell of a nice guy.

[@asasial1977]

Sad, more money on the walls than the place is probably worth

[@reneb91964]

Money taped to the walls in the bar...Your insecurity is showing...

[@CharonsNightmare]

Did anyone else catch that story about fish assholes? 🤨

[@potatotrain7813]

I thought I misheard so I went back and listened again. 😵

[@bieuxyongson]

When my dad was stationed at George AFB near Victorville, this was one of his favorite places to fish. That was in the early 60s. So I’m guessing that some of these folks were there then.

[@atlasobscura]

Oooh! Maybe he would have recognized them in this video!

[@bieuxyongson]

Atlas Obscura You never know. He might have.

[@zozopanda2554]

I've been wanting to go there recently! 2+ hours away! But it's the summer time and each time I check the weather, it's like 110°F aaugh I guess I'll wait until it's winter time ahaha :-p

[@AlphaGeekgirl]

I’m curious to find out what happened to the place… Why is it now a ghost town? And also, what’s the story with the money on the walls and the ceiling?

[@gabrieljose5027]

Debi, check out Plagues & Pleasures on the Salton Sea, a documentary film by Chris Metzler and Jeff Springer, with narration by John Waters and music by Friends of Dean Martinez. - from Wikipedia

[@richardfranklinmorse]

It’s a ghost town in the sense that Virginia city is a ghost town. That is, a good part of it is abandoned but there are a whole lot of people still living there. Me, for example. As they say in the interview, what happened mostly is that the original inhabitants got old and died. There is a new generation moving in now. The money on the walls and the ceiling is just an odd local custom that has become a ritual when you visit the ski inn

[@jimmann4485]

I’ve always been curious about the Salton Sea, this was great to see ( no pun intended) the focus on real people. The big question I have is who eats fish a..holes, how and why, and how many go in a can and, who buys it and who sells it, and what kind of fish and again why? BTW do not google fish a..holes it’s a dark path. Great video, other great links I’m subscribing.

[@debbieomi]

Welcome to the wonderful world of dive bar jokes.

[@jonathanbanks2114]

Jim Mann -Cool I think I finally get it! Thanks

[@gamescentrel2951]

this is like gta in real life

[@richardfranklinmorse]

My home town!

[@sentientarugula2884]

Bombay Beach gang.... Hopefully someone will gentrify the community to revive it!

[@richardfranklinmorse]

It is gentrifying, and some of the original settlers are dead set against it

[@sentientarugula2884]

@@richardfranklinmorse I'd rather it gentrify than it be lost to time

[@alicehallam7949]

Visit Compass Media channel to see West Shores development near Salton City.

[@52bogie]

I am looking for a good retirement location, no crowds, cheap marinas and beaches too

[@lmlmd2714]

Definitely cheap. Definitely no crowds. As for the rest..... yeah, nah.

[@tabstabs1204]

You will get it, plus toxic air and water too, for free !! Police patrol doesn't want to come there , afraid of cancer !!

[@Catlife247]

I really don't get these short videos... why even bother if you're not gonna really tell much of the story? Where's wacko? Who lives there now?