Slab City: The Last Free Place

Sitting on the grounds of former U.S. Marine training facility Camp Dunlap, 
"Slab City or The Slabs is a snowbird campsite in the Colorado Desert in southeastern California, used by recreational vehicle owners and squatters from across North America."  – Wikipedia

It's difficult to characterize a diverse community of people who arrive at the margins of society in a nearly infinite number of ways, but one thing you can be confident of: most of them have interesting stories to tell.  Some of their stories are told on http://slabcitystories.com/.  If you stop by at dusk on Saturday nights, you may get to meet some of the locals:
"The Range is an open-air nightclub complete with stage, lights, amplifiers, speakers and tattered couches and old chairs for seating. Every Saturday night at about dusk, the locals and visitors meet for a Talent Show that features permanent resident musicians and anyone else who wants to get up on stage and perform. The venue is run by an old time resident of 14 years named Builder Bill."  – Wikipedia

I've added 13 photos from Slab City to the front of this album.  If you're curious to learn more about the place and it's residents, look for the documentary film,
“Slab City: A Wild Life in the Desert”: 

'Slab City' documentary captures spirit of locals' lifestyle
http://www.ivpressonline.com/ivp-slab-city-documentary-captures-spirit-of-locals-lifestyle-20120505,0,7538650.story

Nineteen-year-old aspiring actress, dancer and singer Allie Neill said life in Slab City can be daunting, but she said there are plenty of reasons she still feels grateful. Having her family and friends close by at all times is a blessing she might not have had the opportunity to experience elsewhere, she said. 

“I don’t feel like I’m missing out on anything,” Neill said.  

The documentary presented an intimate portrait of the young woman as she adapted to her and her family’s living arrangements at Slab City. The documentary also featured winter visitors who prefer a sense of adventure and temporarily put down roots at the locale.

Financial hardships originally brought Neill’s family to the area in March of last year. Her father, Vince Neill, said that media organizations have in the past run roughshod over residents’ feelings by portraying the barren location just east of Niland in a careless way. He had much criticism to heap on those who choose to depict the community of free spirits as nothing more than “trash and alcoholics.”

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