Salton Sea - Abandoned North Shore Beach & Yacht Club

[sbowers2]

I remember floating in the Salton Sea when I was about 5-6. It was the first time I was able to float on my back in the water, I guess because of the high salinity. I went back recently and it was like a ghost town. A burger place (famous of course) was still open, not much else. The closer you get to the water, the worse the stench becomes. I think it's mostly from dead barnacles.

[southmtn2000]

Hey Mike, been back in recent time? Just for nostalgia....

[TeknikAlity34]

@inbredagogo. Fuck you man. I was born here in California and know for a fact, that California is the most perfect place in America. Perfect weather, beaches, hot chicks, forests, snow capped mountains, etc.

[inbredagogo]

@TeknikAlity34 The weather, the beaches, forests, and snow capped mountains are all acts of nature not the creation of the native Californian. Sorry dude, all the man-made shit is fucked up. There are too many people, massive overdevelopment, urban blight, and it now looks like northern Mexico. Actually the white sand beaches in Biloxi, Mississippi looked better and were a hell of a lot cleaner than the ones I saw in California, prior to the '05 hurricane of course.

[666humanerror]

1:40 how adorable, someone thinks they're swampy.

[slworking2]

@1RealityBroadcasting Lame.

[imlegitbetch13]

Daamnn O.o

[slworking2]

@imlegitbetch13 A trip, isn't it? This building has since been restored.

[boomboom23]

@1RealityBroadcasting Real mature

[inbredagogo]

california is such a shithole.. it's a shame because it used to be the most beautiful part of the country

[slworking2]

@inbredagogo Oh, this is just one portion of California. There are plenty of other neighborhoods in California that are still quick nice. 

[koolbossjock]

@slworking2 Give the mexicans time and they will ruin them to just like they did the rest of mexifornia.I have watched them do it since the 60s that i can remember.

[ayard90]

@koolbossjock -_- moron

[koolbossjock]

@ayard90 SPIT.. You are a fcking LIBTARD.OPEN YOUR EYES.A.. HOLE

[ayard90]

@koolbossjock tell you what..."ill open my eyes" when you open a good vocab. book and learn to spell complete words ok? buddy oh and while your at it open up a book of the early days of "mexifornia" and realize who truly fucked that region up!!

[ericBAGoDONUTS]

@inbredagogo mainly do to all the mexicans

[Willsuitt1]

Hard to believe that Salton City was once the best place to be if you were rich. Then in the 70's it was ruined.

[slworking2]

@Willsuitt1 Indeed. During the Salton Sea's heyday, people waited in line for hours in order to enjoy the lake on the weekend.

[desertdispatch]

I actually hate it too. Seeems everything in sight is rusted and the place stinks like H. Haven't been there since the mid 70's but hated it as a kid

[TheChuck624]

Mother Nature's sub-prime way of wiping out a community. Good video.

[evelynswad1992]

I hated that shithole never going back-:(

[slworking2]

@evelynswad1992 I actually think it's an awesome place to explore. And nice sunsets here, too.

[evelynswad1992]

@slworking2 NO. not a place to be especially if your young waste of youth. NEVER again

[Spl2iggan]

1:41 - ROFLCOPTER

[slworking2]

@Spl2iggan That part cracked me up when I was shooting this, too.

[hippa2dahoppa2]

this place looks like a graffiti goldmine someone should go in there and cover all the horrible onse and do some nice work

[jcross21]

This is a beautiful beach-where did everybody go? Why is it vacant? Looks like prime real estate to me. Praise to the videotographer & crew for not further trashing the building.

[slworking2]

@jcross21 Thanks. The Salton Sea was once a popular place for boating, swimming, fishing, etc., but an increase in the salt level of the water caused large numbers of fish to die and the water became foul. This, in addition to a couple of hurricanes in the 1970's, caused the communities surrounding the sea to deteriorate.

As for not trashing the building, I am not the person to destroy the abandoned buildings I enjoy exploring and shooting. I respect the sites I visit. :-)

[funkervogt47]

@jcross21 Why is it vacant??? The place smells like salt and a million fish and bird carcasses! Trust me! I've been there!

[HunterMann]

@jcross21 Most of the people left to go to some big festival in the Black Rock Desert. They just never came back.

[kaitlynlewisbaby]

MY daddy lives there!!!on bay drive!!!

[DesertGeist]

You know I enjoy abandoned structures both military and civilian. And it really piss me off that student ass gang bang'ers have to tag the shit out of everything. Stuff like this still has it's own beauty and then your dumb ass has to tag shit. NO one wants to see your graffiti! It like the bang'ers that tag toilets?! What they want to own shit?!

[slworking2]

@DesertGeist I (obviously) love exploring abandoned buildings, too. And I NEVER vandalize or take anything from the sites I visit. As I do when camping, I take only pictures and leave only footprints. Even worse than the taggers and scrappers are the arsonists. It seems that nearly EVERYTHING abandoned around the Salton Sea ultimately gets torched? Fortunately nobody torched the Yacht Club here.

[HunterMann]

@DesertGeist Most of those "gang bangers" are not students. Perhaps you are thinking of the Sixties. It's now 2011.

[RevSvc17]

So this is a museum now? :( what about the motel?

[slworking2]

@RevSvc17 The Yacht Club is now a museum and visitor center. The motel was torn down about two years ago, unfortunately. :-(

[TheLintee]

Think this is bad then none of you have been to the Great Salt Lake.

[slworking2]

@TheLintee I'm definitely going to have to visit the Great Salk Lake one of these days.

[plutoplatters]

It would appear that HUMANS have been here !!!

[slworking2]

@plutoplatters True. LOL. This building has since been renovated and reopened as a museum.

[votejello]

The Salton Sea is one of a kind.

[slworking2]

@votejello You can say that again.  I've never seen anything like it.

[DutchSD]

Just spent the weekend at the salton Sea and it was very nice and peaceful. I did stop by the Yacht Club on the way out and WOW! Its really nice now. Complete restored

[slworking2]

@DutchSD Indeed. The renovation job was very well done. I'm going to be attending the grand opening on May 1st.

[slworking2]

@icthruu4evr This place has been fully restored now, so they'll have to move them to Bombay Beach or Salton Sea Beach instead.

[slworking2]

@icthruu4evr LOL.

[jenkmesser]

I like the palm trees

[slworking2]

@jenkmesser Thanks. Surreal, aren't they?

[kraftymomma1979]

I haven't been by the Salton Sea since about 1985, shortly after the place had a big flood, I think. It has such a mysterious aura about it. I've heard stories about how there's a volcano underneath the Salton Sink, and that's why the area has had such bizarre occurrences. Many, many interesting stories about the area. I simply must visit in the spring to see the restored yacht club. It's a little too hot in the summer for my taste. :)

[slworking2]

kraftymomma1979: I just started exploring the Salton Sea a couple of years ago. I saw a photo exhibit of the Salton Sea at the San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts several years ago - and just had to go see the place someday. There is a lot of seismic activity at the Salton Sea, indeed. Small earthquakes very frequently. Have you checked out the mud pots (see my other videos)? I'll be visiting the Sea again at the end of March and will shoot some videos of the renovated yacht club and more.

[slworking2]

And... as for it being too hot in the summer... maybe the lake will get cleaned up and made inviting to swim in again someday....

[kraftymomma1979]

I heard they closed the beaches. How does one close a beach? Yes, I saw the mud pots! Fascinating phenomenon...

[slworking2]

Most of the marinas have been closed, but one can still freely wander around on the beach. The beaches aren't your typical sandy beaches - most of the "sand" these days is actually barnacle shells and crushed fish bones. One definitely doesn't want to walk around barefoot here.

[kraftymomma1979]

If there were more people walking around, it would help with the shells and bones. Is it still okay to swim? I remember being there in June. The sky was beautiful, and the beach was radiant. When I stepped onto the sand, I could feel a surge of heat through my flipflops. I'll never forget how warm the water was. My ex swam all over the place. I basically waded that time, and the water felt really soothing. I hope to visit again soon.

[slworking2]

kraftymomma1979: True. I've heard that it is technically still safe to swim in the water - despite the sulfur odor. I plan on visiting and camping here again during the full moon at the end of March.

[ConanEdogawaX]

The showed this city on the TV show Life After People.

[slworking2]

Very cool. Someone else told me about that show the other day. I'm going to have to check it out now.

[ckokotos]

I recently installed the juice bar and window sills at the newly remodeled Yacht Club. Kinda cool to see your "before" video... the place was a lot more interesting then I anticipated. It actually had an amazing view. I live in San Diego and what really struck me was the all white pelicans...beautiful!

[slworking2]

ckokotos: Very cool that you got to work on a piece of history. I hope to take another trip out to the Salton Sea (I live in Santee) to check this place out when it's complete sometime in March. Did you check out my Flickr pics of this place, too?

[slworking2]

Thanks. More Salton Sea vids to come. Stay tuned.

[megaswenson]

Those are some beautiful palms. Hope the renovation doesn't result in their destruction.

[slworking2]

No destruction of the palms. In fact, a few new ones have already been added. Check out my more recent video of the renovation project nearing completion.

[megaswenson]

Thanks for responding! I just watched your video of the renovation. Looks great. Really nice exterior colors. You know, Albert Frey was big into health food/exercise, and was quite spry, even as an ancient man. He lived until just a few years ago.

[slworking2]

No problem. And thanks. I didn't know about Albert Frey being into health - thanks for the info. Too bad he isn't still around to see this building get fixed up.

[megaswenson]

Yeah, it's a pity. Frey would have gotten a big kick out of it. He almost lived long enough to see it, too.

One of the home magazines did a piece about a couple who bought one of his fifties houses in Palm Springs, and hired him, at ninety-something, to restore it. The magazine showed him standing on his head, which was part of his fitness routine.

[slworking2]

Indeed. I'll have to look up that house that you mentioned. It sounds like Mr. Frey would be very happy to know that the Yacht Club is being restored to its original appearance: bare cinder block walls, suspended staircase, etc. The East Valley Historical Society seems to be doing a good job of restoring the place.

[1Historygenius]

@slworking2 My grandpa went to the salton sea in the 1950's as a kid he explaned how the place used to be so great with the beaches he said the vacation home he was at was great nad he got to eat in one of the yacht clubs

[slworking2]

1Historygenius: Cool. There were grand plans for the Salton Sea back in that day and age. It was to become the next Palm Springs - then things suddenly starting going downhill.

You'll be happy to know that the North Shore Yacht Club has undergone a major renovation and will be reopening as a museum and community center sometime in March. More info and lots of photos at saltonseamuseum (dot) org

[Lanceisabeach]

great Video

[slworking2]

Thanks

[billdiana]

I dont know why I am so obsessed with obscure points of interest. Fascinating vid!

[slworking2]

Thanks.

[bonedrt]

cool used to go skate with friends their

[slworking2]

Thanks man. As you likely notices, the pool is all gone now. :-/

[rabbitsunite]

This is the BEST, period. video I have

seen on YouTube to date. And excellent,

informative comments too.

[slworking2]

Thanks.  This building is now undergoing a $3.5 million renovation thanks to federal stimulus money. It's going to be restored to it's original glory.

[trujillo760]

blaze it there haha

[slworking2]

LOL

[Pinwormx]

Wow, even Chaka was there.

[slworking2]

Yep.  :-)

[mudkow60]

Very intreasting. "Failed Enterprise"... there is lots of that in the delta region of the Sacramento River, and it is always fascinating.

[slworking2]

Yeah. If the lake can ever be fixed up, this will be a happenin' place again.

[BadCamera32]

I live in El Centro and have this place years ago and thought it sad the place was allowed to go into disrepair...When was it last open?

[gungnir2357]

Dang! They should just bulldoze the entire thing. The whole area is unfit for human habitation.  Let the desert reclaim it.

[happymike44]

Guess you were never there to know it like I do.

I know it before the flooding and the storms that destroyed the area.

This building was a happening place and specialy designed for the yacht club.

The sad part is if you destroy and tear everything down.

Your country has no history to look back at and understand itself as a nation.

To me the loss of this place is like a loss of my chidhood.

So many place I knew are now gone due to progress and modernization.

[slworking2]

Mike. Indeed. Fortunately the Yacht Club is currently undergoing renovation. It will reopen as a community center and a museum.

[turbo1964]

Thanks - we were just there a few weeks ago. Construction crews were doing some "work" on the building. Maybe they were removing metal pipes for salvage. Anyway, I'm glad you let me see the interior. Being from Philadelphia, the entire area is very alien and beautiful to me.

[happymike44]

You will be happy to know the North Shore Yacht Club will be undergoing a complete restoration.

It is one of the few remaining buildings designed by the architect to survive and will become a museum to be toured by all.

This place can be seen in the Swing Out Sister video titled Fooled By A smile where it is beautiful and wonderful looking.

I used to come here with my grandparents when I was a kid and it saddened me to see it all boarded up and the victim of a attempted arson.

[turbo1964]

Wow Happymike, that's great news. I thought they were getting ready to bull doze the Yacht Club. We just stumbled across the Club. How lucky you were to see it when it was a swinging place - it sounds like you will be able to do that again. Thanks again for your insight.

[happymike44]

Well I hate to say it but I now live far away from there.

But with a little luck next year I will be able to return for a visit.

To me it is the place of so many memories with my grandparents.

I remember the place with the marina and boats bobbing on the crystal blue waters..

The way it was so beautiful and full of life.

If you really want to see it look up the video of Sing Out Sister's Fooled By A Smile.

This shows so much of what has been lost.

[slworking2]

Turbo1964 and happymike44: Indeed. Be sure to check out my latest vid showing the renovation work in progress.

[JennieAtTheSea]

I love that playground equipment! While I don't have proof, I believe that Albert Frey also designed it when the club was built. It certainly personifies his nautical motif.

I don't have control over when the fencing goes up, but I will let you know ASAP if that happens before your photo shoot. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for your group.

[slworking2]

Thanks so much again, Jennie. :-)

[sdphotos]

Hopefully there will be no problems as Jenny says with the people who respect the grounds and not vandalize them.

[slworking2]

Indeed.

[lostinthe619]

Was there weekend before last and the pool was being used by skaters and a guy on a dirtbike...

[JennieAtTheSea]

It was only open for community activities. I'm not sure what falling apart means. The building is structurally sound although vandals have torn off doors and of course the stairs. I'm torn between dealing with those that want to damage our building and the one's who respect it. I suppose the problem will solve itself since the property will be fenced soon in preparation for renovation.

[slworking2]

Jennie: Thanks for the update on the renovation progress. Myself and several other members of the San Diego Photo Forum are still planning a big photo shoot here on April 4th. Can you please hold off on restricting access until after the 4th? It's sad that people have chosen to vandalize it - us photographers only want to take pics. :-)

[JennieAtTheSea]

May I add my two cents? The North Shore Yacht Club will be reincarnated as a community center, visitor center and museum. While we will have a play area in the old loading dock area, it will not be a youth center or child care center. The last time I danced at the yacht club for a community xmas party was 1991. The renovation will begin by the end of April. With luck and some grant money, we'll get the harbor dredged and launch ramp open in the next couple of years.

[slworking2]

Jennie: I'm hoping that the half-buried playground equipment (swingset, slide, and submarine) will remain intact. :-)

[jcoverload]

I used to drive up there every week in the early 90's because my boyfriend and his mother moved there. It was already pretty run down by that time. I would love to see what the rest of the place looks like now. Do you know if there are still mobile homes out by the water?

[slworking2]

jcoverload: There are still several abandoned trailers at various locations around the Sea. Check out my Flickr photoset - I have several hundred photos that are mapped/geotagged. Google flickr slworking2 to find my page on Flickr (I'd post a URL, but YouTube doesn't allow URLs in comments).

[vicodinsNguns]

I was there today! I guess there turning the old yacht club into a youth center! lol from all the grafitti and beer cans and the fact it is obvious kids are skating the abondoned pool. i think it already is a youth center!

[slworking2]

LOL. It IS very popular with the skaters. The latest news (see more recent comments) is that it will become primarily a community center, visitor center, and museum.

[justblazemedia]

Another good vid.

[slworking2]

Thx.

[glamis400]

Did you have a hard time getting up the stairs?

Haha my brother and I saw that there was another level, but only the bolts sticking out of the walls leading up to it. (Where the stairs used to be)

[slworking2]

glamis400: I had to climb up onto the roof via the brick fence around the outside of the building.  Yeah, all the stairs inside were busted out a long time ago.

[cleverhonor]

i LOVE the salton sea! great for black and white pics.

it's awseome to go to places like that and explore.

[slworking2]

cleverhonor: Indeed. I love it too.

[slavewage]

Cool....trespasser!

[slworking2]

slavewage: Hahahahaha. You know it. I love exploring abandoned stuff like this. :-)

[jasonmit]

It'll be cool when they restore that old building back to its former glory.

[slworking2]

I'll miss having one less abandoned building to explore, but it will be interesting to see what they can do with it.

[davidsquall351]

looks like the Vandals got to that place.

[slworking2]

davidsquall351: Indeed. Just about everything that can be destroyed has been destroyed. This place has been abandoned since the 1980's.

[yoohdee]

Oh ma gaah. This is so intense.

[slworking2]

Thx. Yeah, it's an awesome place to explore.