The Salton Sea

Edit: We will probably not go back to the Salton Sea this trip so I thought I should show you at least one view.


After completing a few chores we took a short drive south of La Quinta to the Salton Sea.

There is nothing much out there. No palm trees, no buildings, no people. There were a few gulls and pelicans, but only at quite a distance.

A couple of things were interesting. There was an eery quietness (nothing out there). The light breeze smelt of dirty brine. The shoreline was made completely of tiny barnacle shells and fish bones, and mounds of them! There was a grey salt encrusting most everything.

The Salton Sea was formed when an old dry inland sea/lake bed was flooded from the Colorado River in the early 1900s. Because of the old dried up sea bed and because of constant evaporation, the Salton Sea is saltier that the Pacific Ocean. The jagged lines there are broken salt terraces, salt deposits from the evaporation. Before the re-hydration of the dry sea bed, sea salt was mined from the old sea bed.

The drive back and our day was completed at a new Mexican restaurant. The margaritas and chicken mole enchiladas were great!

OK, tomorrow's blip is bright sun!