Worst hotel I ever stayed at, no bed no pillows no blankets , complimentary breakfast was awful too…read more. 0 stars

I like to call this place the "Imperial County Jail" but the Herbert Hughes Correctional Center is…read moreits official name. Right next door they have the Regional Adult Detention Facility which is mostly used to house federal inmates awaiting transfer to San Diego. They call the Correctional Center "the jail" and the Detention Facility "the camp" when you visit. They also have a custody court attached to the jail (criminal proceedings for incarcerated arrestees) and the sheriff's office, all at the above address. Coming to this jail is alot like I imagine going to a jail in the rural south would be like. It's super hot, everyone moves real slow and there is nothing you can do about it. Imperial County is the closest thing we have to the rural south in Southern California and even though the area has seen rapid growth and even suburbanization, the jail is the same as it always was.

I did a long weekend trip to Palm Desert with the goal of visiting the Salton Sea. Originally, I…read moreplanned to loop the entire shoreline, but after talking with a ranger at the visitor center, I stuck to the east side and doubled back, which was definitely the right call. Our turnaround point was Salvation Mountain, right next to Slab City. Before going, I had read about Leonard Knight and the story behind the mountain, which honestly made the visit more meaningful. The dedication and message behind it are almost as interesting as the site itself. It is kind of amazing that the structure still stands today and is in such solid condition. The drive out was mostly fine, though hot and dusty, especially on a Saturday afternoon. I would recommend going earlier in the day if possible. The mountain itself looked better maintained than I expected. The colors were bright, and it was clear that ongoing work is being done to preserve it. I left a small donation since it felt like a meaningful effort to support. That said, it did not fully resonate with me. While I can appreciate the effort and story, the style of art and the surrounding environment did not quite click. If you are into outsider art or off grid communities, you will probably get more out of it than I did. The biggest downside is the immediate setting. Being next to Slab City definitely impacts the experience. The vibe felt a bit uncomfortable at times, and we did not stay long or continue on to East Jesus. Overall, I am glad I visited. It is unique, and the story behind it adds depth, but it is more of a one time stop for me than a place I would go out of my way to revisit. 3 stars.

Quirky fun is all I can say. About 90 minutes from Palm Desert. Just a strange experience but fun…read more I didn't reel it was inspired. Just the work of an obsessed man. Glad us was free. Then up the road is Slab City. Nothing worth mentioning there. Just ramshackle campers, burned out campers and various types of encampments. It was interesting once.

I have a very good friend/slash customer that I drive her and her family back and forth from here…read more When I first came to this city, I was like... wow, this is super far in the middle of nowhere. Now that I have been here so many times, I am comfortable with finding a place to sit and wait if I don't drive back home right away. It does get super ridiculously hot out here in the summers, but can get super cold in the winter. Thanks to my friend who has shown me around and opened up my eyes to what I call the Gateway to El Centro. It's still a small enough city to say that my favorite hang out here is the McDonald's. Lol. I will be back through here again soon!

Once, when I was 20, I was in love ... well ok, I've been in love a time or two since then but this…read morewas that first head over heels, go anywhere, do anything, take on the world, adult-sort of love that I'd ever truly experienced. Sometimes, you do dumb things for your partner and going to Brawley to see her relatives was one of them. Brawley is located at the bottom of the Imperial Valley. Bottom is instructive in more ways than one as it is over 100 feet BELOW sea level. In a sense, this place is an accident. It was not meant to be exposed but through quirks in topgraphy there it is. It really should just be seafloor. In any case, it isn't yet (global warming should ultimately solve this little imbalance) and people live there for reasons not clearly articulated. We went in June with, as one of her redneck uncles said, a car with a "260" air conditioner. That is, "two windows down, 60 miles an hour." Heh, more like a 2100 model actually but I digress... Brawley in June is a smoking 120F at times, and that day was no exception. No one really moved much during daylight hours as the sun would vaporize you like a small atomic blast were one foolish enough to venture outside. The local industry seems to be poverty mixed with nightly doses of pentacostal, tongue-speakin', snake dancin' religion (interesting how those seem to go hand in glove with each other). The local recreation seems to consist of taking your dune buggy out to the sand hills and tearing it up (ignoring the endangered species living there) and there are also several military bombing ranges nearby to provide added fun. It seems to me it's usually a sign that if the government wants to destroy the area, you should probably leave. So far though, those people are staying there, guess they're waiting for the return of the sea.

The Blue Angels Air Show is March 10 this year (2018). This is the only day in ages that we have…read morerain and, seriously, overcast. So much that we doubt you will see the places for the clouds. The good news is it won't be hot. It is closer to the town of Seeley, California, if you make the drive. The base has this event planned very well. The line is long so they divide it into two where you enter. You follow the cars to the parking area, passing numerous sentries to keep you going in the right direction or if you have questions. They pack you in close-we couldn't open our doors completely. Locals don't park on the base but instead park at the end of the runway and watch the planes take-off from there. You miss seeing the planes up close and the ground events, though. Next year, we will definitely do that! We actually ended up leaving early because of the rain. We see the Blue Angels practicing every day, except Sunday, starting just after the first of the year. They practice early with only 4 planes and, only at the end, bring all together. Seeing all 6 planes flying so close is amazing. I recommend stopping out in February to see the planes practice. You see all sorts of planes and helicopters doing maneuvers. One of my other favs is the V-22 Osprey. It is so unusual. Bring lawn chairs, water and a picnic basket to have a nice day.

As good as it gets. Great place to see the Blues practice and the last 2 yrs the Thunderbirds have…read morebeen coming for a week to practice along side the Blues at El Centro. Great place to take the kids to see activity. Beware, sometimes its non stop busy and other times not so much. Be courteous of other photographers and fans, stay at least 40ft back from fence line and be mindful of the farmers land and crops out there.

love the place, $5 entrance. we brought the dogs but they cant go in the water because of some…read morealgae . not so much people on the weekend. but i love to go back around fall to camp.

State of California needs to pay some attention to the handful of state parks in Southern…read moreCalifornia including the Salton Sea Recreation Area. "New Camp" remains closed, presumably due to the copper wire thefts from the RV sites, but us tent campers should be allowed to camp there. When the state chose not to find a replacement campground host, we knew the state was trying to crater the park so they could close it. Sad. This unique geological & historical site deserves better treatment from Sacramento.

Great spot to catch some geothermal live action. Steam…read morevents hissing and mud pots sputtering. Cool mini volcanos in the middle of nowhere. There are a couple geothermal power plants taking advantage of the massive pent up energy in this area.

5 stars for seeing something new, but 2 stars for the fact that the roads are covered with mud, and…read moreonce you get there you'll see signs saying No Trespassing, and that people will be charged if they are caught! Yep, there were a few people walking round the mud volcanoes, but we didn't want to ruin our shoes or get arrested! Definitely worth the drive if it hasn't rained for a couple of weeks, but if there's been recent rain, forget it!