"GOD IS LOVE." These three gigantic words span across an even more enormous chunk of land splashed with a myriad of colorful pastels and patterns. You have arrived at Salvation Mountain. Located quite literally in the middle of nowhere in an area known as Slab City, Salvation Mountain is a wild and magnificent statement of one man's passion project and love for Jesus. Can I get an Amen!
What started out as a small statement of a personal conviction, Salvation Mountain has now grown into a Southern California icon boasting thousands of visitors from all over the world every week. Leonard Knight, the visionary and creator, used a combination of straw, adobe, and tons and tons of paint to make what actually turned out to be his second mountain (his first attempt had unfortunately collapsed). Drawing inspiration from his spiritual background, Knight used this mound of earth as a canvas to write biblical verses and share personal items which are scattered all throughout the mound.
I got to visit this beautiful place towards the end of last year and I was completely blown away by how grand and detailed it was. While climbing up to the top, I actually ended up having to hold my friend's hand in fear of slipping and tumbling to the ground (pro-tip: wear shoes with grip ladies n gents).
Speaking of pro-tips, here's a few more:
-stick to the yellow brick road (don't get yelled at by the groundskeeper!)
-wear sunglasses
-wear sunblock
-only park in the designated lot (someone driving a 4x4 off-road behind the mountain ended up receiving A LOT of bad words and some reprimanding)
-sure, taking a nice pic for your insta is great, but really take some time to enjoy the splendor of it all!
I hope you've enjoyed this post and are eager to book your first trip out into the desert to see Salvation Mountain for yourself! Don't hesitate to leave a question or comment below.
Yours,