Travelog: Georgina and Suresh in the California Desert

Stargazing in Joshua Park

Georgina and Suresh usually go globe-trotting on their holidays, but last Christmas, they ventured closer to home when they left the bucolic Bay Area for the stark desert landscape of Southern California. They visited Joshua Tree, where the Mojave and Colorado deserts meet, and the elements carve the topography. The otherworldly place with ethereal sunrises and sunsets, gnarled yucca trees, and incredible flora and fauna is also perfect for stargazing because the dark sky lacks artificial light and atmospheric pollutants. Joshua Tree's natural beauty has long attracted artists and dreamers, and the area's eclectic architecture reflects that.

Georgina collects hearts and she found this heart shaped rock at  Salton Sea

Juxtaposing Joshua Tree's natural beauty, Georgina and Suresh traveled to the post-apocalyptic Salton Sea and Bombay Beach. The Salton Sea, an artificial lake with no outlet to the ocean, was a popular vacation spot in the 50s and 60s where Frank Sinatra, Bing Crosby, Desi Arnaz, and the Beach Boys frolicked. Once a paradise for fish and fowl, the shrinking, dying saline lake became an environmental disaster by the 1970's. On its east shore, Bombay Beach was a thriving resort town now in ruins. But an artist's community has risen from the skeletal remains of homes, boats, vehicles, and fish. 

Decaying beauty at Bombay Beach

Since 2015, the Bombay Beach Biennale has been an annual event where artists, musicians, and philosophers gather to transform vacant lots and abandoned buildings into art installations and performance art. The public art festival with dedicated themes like "The Art of Decay" was founded by filmmaker Tao Ruspoli, hotelier Stefan Ashkenazy, and art collector Lily Johnson-White. At one time, the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach attracted recreational vacationers; it is now enjoying a revival as a place for creative expression. The BBB, as it is known, leaves behind whimsical and compelling art installations that punctuate the landscape.

Color inspiration at Salton Sea