Oh, Palm Springs…you’re so cute! I love this adorable retro, yet chic, desert getaway. But just a little beyond the city of Palm trees are some super awesome spots including the colorful man-made structure called Salvation Mountain.

About an hour and a half from Palm Springs [past the Salton Sea] in the town of Niland, California you will find a 50 foot high and 150 foot wide mountain made of straw, old tires, adobe clay and donated paint…it is absolutely a must see!

It is definitely in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by vast empty desert. Yup, this means it gets really really hot so be prepared. Bring water, sunnies and an awesome camera to capture the gorgeous rainbow colors!

My dear Friend and I were a bit concerned that my Prius, Priscilla, wasn’t quite going to get us there. Strange noises were coming from her and come to find out it was her undercarriage intermittently dragging on the road below. [I’m in denial about how old she is getting since we had our grand 48 state road trip adventure many miles ago] #ilovemycar

There are lots of little nooks are crannies connected with pathways marked as the yellow brick road. The entire mountain was created by Leonard Knight about 3 decades ago as a tribute to God.

Unfortunately, Leonard passed away in 2014, so now the site is maintained by many volunteers. All non-toxic paint is donated and re-painting everything is a never-ending job. The paint actually holds everything together – he called it the splotch method where he would put blobs nd blobs of paint to ensure lots of layers. So clever!

I have been reading Gabby Bernstein’s “The Universe Has Your Back” and one of her main messages is to choose love over fear always. Being at this beautifully colored place, with my spiritual running buddy, and reading endless messages of love was truly a moving experience.

Salvation Mountain really does capture the hearts of all who take the trip here and I can’t recommend more that you take a day trip out there. Leonard’s loving rainbow-colored messages truly brighten your day!

See the stacks of straw prior to being painted?

Also, just down the road from Salvation Mountain is Slab City. This manmade off-the-grid city has some very interesting people and sights. If heading all the way out, you should check it out and make a pit stop at the Salton Sea too.

Thanks for reading! Have you been to Salvation Mountain? Did you love it as much as I did? I’d love to hear from you in the comments below. 🙂