Salton Sea
November 19, 2014
For months Walter, Jose, and I have wanted to go to Salton Sea. If you're unfamiliar with Salton Sea, it was once a booming town that many people lived in and vacationed at in the 50s and 60s. However, runoff from the agricultural land around it brought fertilizers, pesticides, and salt into the lake which killed all of the fish in it. This caused a smell so bad that the people left. I'm sure that the water wasn't good for their health either.
Doesn't this history make you want to visit the Salton Sea also? There is just something about the idea of visiting a place years after it has been deserted that piques my curiosity; maybe it's the organic textures from the decay that have been formed; or the opportunity to act like a detective to piece together what was and what is; or to get an opportunity capture some beauty that God still paints in a place that man deems unlivable.
This trip, that has been in the works for months, definitely satisfied my curiosity. There was a definite fish smell and I abhor the smell of fish. If you know me, I don't like eating crabs or shrimp. Not because I don't like the taste, but because I don't want my hands to smell fishy. Anyways, I got over the strong fish smell once I witnessed one of the greatest sunsets I've ever witnessed ever. I also got over the fact that the cracks that my steps were making as I was walking on the shore weren't from broken shells, but from dead fish bones. The dead fish factor didn't matter anymore. My sense of smell took a back seat once my eyes witnessed the otherworldly sunset; the colors, the birds that seamed to have been walking on the water, and not being able to see the horizon. Just a reflection of the sky onto the still water. My eyes were in visual overload. My only regret was that I wasn't able to hold Lizzy's hand during the color and light show.
Its great to know that God's beauty can still reign in desolate places.
Read MoreFor months Walter, Jose, and I have wanted to go to Salton Sea. If you're unfamiliar with Salton Sea, it was once a booming town that many people lived in and vacationed at in the 50s and 60s. However, runoff from the agricultural land around it brought fertilizers, pesticides, and salt into the lake which killed all of the fish in it. This caused a smell so bad that the people left. I'm sure that the water wasn't good for their health either.
Doesn't this history make you want to visit the Salton Sea also? There is just something about the idea of visiting a place years after it has been deserted that piques my curiosity; maybe it's the organic textures from the decay that have been formed; or the opportunity to act like a detective to piece together what was and what is; or to get an opportunity capture some beauty that God still paints in a place that man deems unlivable.
This trip, that has been in the works for months, definitely satisfied my curiosity. There was a definite fish smell and I abhor the smell of fish. If you know me, I don't like eating crabs or shrimp. Not because I don't like the taste, but because I don't want my hands to smell fishy. Anyways, I got over the strong fish smell once I witnessed one of the greatest sunsets I've ever witnessed ever. I also got over the fact that the cracks that my steps were making as I was walking on the shore weren't from broken shells, but from dead fish bones. The dead fish factor didn't matter anymore. My sense of smell took a back seat once my eyes witnessed the otherworldly sunset; the colors, the birds that seamed to have been walking on the water, and not being able to see the horizon. Just a reflection of the sky onto the still water. My eyes were in visual overload. My only regret was that I wasn't able to hold Lizzy's hand during the color and light show.
Its great to know that God's beauty can still reign in desolate places.