FUN IN THE SUN
Desert Shores, Imperial Co., CA
By
Gary B. Speck
DESERT SHORES
is located on
the west shore of the SALTON
SEA, in the northwest corner of Imperial County
at an elevation of -215’. It is shown on
most roadmaps of the area.
Population figures:
·
1970
- 300, 1980 - 360, 1990 - 430, 2000 – 792
LOCATION:
·
E½
Sec 9, T9S, R9E, SBM
·
Latitude: 33.4041996 / 33° 24' 15" N
·
Longitude: -116.0397240 / 116° 02' 23" W
According to the 2000 census, there
were 406 housing units occupied by 279 households, which indicates a 32%
vacancy rate.
With a 2000 population of 792, this Class E
“Census Designated Place” community is definitely over the threshold of being
considered a ghost
towns
,
or even a semi-ghost town but its
physical self and history preclude that.
Therefore I am including the story of this fascinating, still-living,
but badly faded community in my website.
Desert Shores is one of three remaining unincorporated communities on
the northwest shore of the Salton Sea that were each part of the late 1950s-mid
1970s resort boom along the western shore of the Salton Sea. It is located on the east side of SH 86 (old
US 99), just two miles south of the county line. It was listed in a 1961
article in Desert Magazine as one of the Aplanned
communities in the making,@
and is located on the site of what was once called Fish Springs.
Development
of the resort community began in 1958.
In addition to the shoreline development, the developer also built 10 Afingers@
out into the sea for development. The
northern four or five were used for mobile homes, the rest used for regular
homes, with each lot having its own dock.
The Desert Shores Yacht Club and the Marina Mobile Estates
with its fingers pointing into the sea were the crowning features for this
community, while a fishing barge was located just offshore.
The
community drew thousands of recreational vehicle users and boats, and on
weekends the community was a bustling resort.
Fishing, boating and just plain old relaxing were the order of the
day. Then in late 1976 and 1977 a pair
of Mexican tropical storms ravaged the Imperial and Eastern San Diego County
desert region with massive amounts of rain, and the Salton Sea level rose,
flooding out many of these shoreline resorts and communities. As the sea has no outlet, the only way the
water level could go down is via evaporation, a slow process on a body of water
the size of the Sea. As the water level
slowly fell, salinity levels rose. The
damage had been done. Twenty years after
the boom began, it busted. Businesses
relying on the tourist trade failed, the marinas went belly up, or were bought
out by optimistic new owners hoping against hope for the resurgence in interest
that never came. Many folks that bought
homes here left, while others stayed behind in a rapidly quieting
community. Here where the restless buzz
of a bustling seaside resort prevailed, now all is quiet.
When
I last visited the community in December 2006, it still consisted of a lot of
mobile homes, both newer and older, some abandoned. There are also a few regular Astick-built@
homes, a small number of existing businesses, as well as several abandoned
ones. On Scott Road, which runs parallel to SH 86, a cluster of three businesses remain north
of Monterey Ave. Two appear to had
closed recently and one was still open.
One
of the closed ones, the Los Dos Amigos/Salty Sea had a fairly new
AGrand Opening Soon@ banner on the front, so this
restaurant/tavern MAY have been ready to reopen. Next door is a white, concrete block “launderette” building with two,
painted, mural-type signs on the front.
On the left side of the door a faded sign says “Pony Express Mail Service – Watch
for our opening.” The other side
says “Ye Old Wash Tub – Clothesline Laundry.” Both signs cover what
once were windows. On
the north end of the building is a large painted advertisement: “DUKES
- If it’s for fish’n or huntin’ we have it.” It appears “Duke’s” may have predated
the laundry, which now also appears closed. Or it was elsewhere? See Nancy Frazee’s comments (below).
Just
to the south of the block building is the Alamo Market #4 /
V & S Variety Store - depending on which side of the business you
read the sign. It appears to be still
operating, although at the time of my visit in the early morning it had not
opened yet. On the south wall of the
building is a large Eagle & shield mural “In honor, gratitude and respect for all who served, fought and died for
the United States of America….We salute you!” Just to the south of that is the currently
open gas station/mini market of fairly recent construction.
At
the northern end of Scott Road, is the Fire House Cafe (with other faded names on the sign) and a
cell tower. Some of the other businesses noted across the townsite included: a
hair salon in an A-frame building, large VFW, storage yards, Sea &
Sun Motel (still active), ambulance service,
curiosity/antique/collectibles shop, Palace Saloon, Community
Church by the Sea (nice bldg), Rancho Marina (with a
less-than-prosperous looking RV park and boat launching ramp), Desert
Shores Trailer Park & Marina, a Spanish-language
Episcopal Church, a liquor store, fire station and
the abandoned & fenced-off Marina Mobile Estates Clubhouse,
with its swimming pool, marina and
fenced-off RV pads on “The Fingers”. There may be other businesses, but these are
all I noted.
Shortly
after returning from my last trip to Desert Shores in December 2006, I placed a
“HELP” for information about Desert
Shores on my website. I was rewarded
with information and photographs from a lady named Nancy Frazee, who with her
family spent many happy vacations at Desert Shores in the late 1960s and early
1970s. She sent along a number of photos
(some of which are linked to this page) as well as a first person account of
life here. Below is her account. Any notes for clarification by me are shown
in (italics).
Here’s
Nancy’s story:
“The
Marina Mobile Estates Clubhouse circa
1963, probably not more that a few years old at this point, it was on the left
side (north side of Desert Shores Drive)
just inside the entrance to the park.
The front entrance to the club is pictured here. There was also a side entrance with a laundry
on one side and an in-ground Jacuzzi right out side. At the northwest end of
the club house was the pool area with a row of buildings behind it that had
been shops at one time (mostly closed by the early 70's). Across the street, (on the east side of the club house, is)
the Desert Shores fire station.
“(In 2003) the club house (was) all boarded up and abandoned, the
park was long gone, the pool filled with dirt and graded over, the buildings
behind it tom down. The only things still the same were the fire station and
the small trailer park that was just west of the Mobile Estates, very sad to
see.
(In Dec 2006, I photographed part of the
Jacuzzi and a pool. In aerial photos
shown on the GNIS Database Interactive with Google Map, it
appears the pool I shot is NOT the same as indicated in Nancy’s narrative. A large upside down “L” shape is shown on the
upper left portion of the clubhouse grounds, just southwest of the tip of the
upper channel, just east of the junction of Palm and Panorama drives. The pool I shot is just inside the
fence on the northeast corner of the clubhouse building.)
“The
pool at Marina Mobile Estates
had a large deck around it where people baked in the sun covered in Coppertone
and the teenagers made out. The buildings behind it were shops at one time; a
beauty shop, dress shop etc. At one end
was a bar. Of course that was the only
thing that stayed through the 70's. I was told that at one time the pool had a
diving board at the deep end. Supposedly
it was removed after a man left the bar drunk one night and dove off it, not
knowing the pool had been drained for repairs. The pool always seemed huge when
I was a kid, when I went back as an adult I was shocked at how small it was!
“The
docks at MM Estates, the Estates consisted of 5 or 6 "fingers" which
were long narrow "peninsulas" that went out into the sea and were
connected at one end by the main road, and entrance to the estates. Each finger
had a paved road down the middle with trailer and mobile homes on either side. Each side had two rows of trailers that were
parked back to back. There was also a paved road that looped around the outside
edge of each finger. Between the fingers were deep channels where the sea came
in, allowing boats to be taken in and out. Everyone had their own dock (and) there was a small slope that went
down from the trailers to a sidewalk that ran the length of the finger. The docks were off this sidewalk. The boat in
the picture belonged to my grandfather.
He also had a larger one that had a small cabin inside. In the background
you can see the finger across the way with the trailers side by side. (In this 1971 photo) I am
indulging in one of my favorite activities back then, catching guppies and
putting them in an old wine bottle (I always let them go). In the channel at the very north end of the
park, there was an old abandoned dredging machine at one end that we used to
like to play on.”
(Today,
the docks and water area of “The Fingers”
are fenced off, and extremely
quiet. The old Recreational Vehicle pads now house only thousands of birds, the days
of busy weekends and warm winter days filled with RV’ers all but forgotten.)
“This
is outside the trailer of a relative or friend at the estates. Every trailer parking spot had a slab next to
it, and most people would park the trailer next to the slab and then have an
awning stretching from the top of the trailer across the slab for shade. Some people who left their trailers there for
extended periods of time would build an adjoining shelter of aluminum or
fiberglass that was affixed to one side of the trailer. These shelters had windows and doors at
either end and were popular with people who had a bunch of kids. They would just throw in some cots and sleeping
bags and the kids, and they'd be all set! My grandmother was really into the
"Tiki" or Luau thing that was popular back then, so she had plastic
tiki lights strung up along her awning, tiki torches planted in the dirt,
plastic leis and one of those coconut shell monkeys. What were the people in the picture doing?
Taking a break from drinking beer (the most popular past time at Salton Sea), smoking,
eating Chicken-In-A-Biskit crackers and yelling at the teenagers to SLOW DOWN!
“The
”China Lady”
(April 1966.) This (Chinese junk) was anchored at a finger
on the south end of the (Marina Mobile
Estates) park, during the mid 60's, I remember seeing it once or twice as a
small child, looks like someone may have been living on it. The picture doesn’t
do it justice. I remember it being a very brilliant deep red.”
(In
a 1966 advertisement, Mike=s Tackle
Box ran advertisements that he sold bait, tackle and ice, and also
had a deli. The owner, Mike Leonte also
offered charter services to the best fishing areas.)
“(Mike’s) Bait and Tackle shop was right outside the entrance to Marina
Mobile Estates, Mike's also sold candy, snacks, and beer (of course). We
kids would go to Mike’s when we could scrounge up some change from our parents
and buy Charm Blow Pops and take a few minutes to peer into the humming tank of
live bait that was by the front counter. Mike’s also had a small bar to one
side where locals would sit all day to escape the heat and sun, drinking the
day away. If we left the door open too long when we came in, the people in the
bar would yell "close the door, yer lettin' the light in!"
“Also
known as the Desert Shores Mercantile, “The Market” was the only general
store that was anywhere close to Desert Shores. From what I can remember, (it was) a few blocks west of the trailer
park. The store carried a little bit of everything; food, sunglasses, flip
flops, hardware and the staples of Salton Sea life; beer, ice and foam coolers.
Next door was a laundry mat and a bar (what else!)
“(In nearby Salton Sea Beach) was “The Salton Tiki,” a small mom-and-pop
restaurant. My grandparents would take
us there for a special treat sometimes. According to (a 1966 era) ad they served prime rib and lobster, but I only
remember the great cheeseburgers that they served in those plastic baskets with
chips on the side. The Tiki was decorated in the tropical theme that was
popular then. It was funny how many
things at Salton Sea had a tropical theme, when the desert was about as un-tropical
as you could get! The Tiki had a sign by the front desk that said ‘THIS IS A
FAMILY RESTAURANT, PLEASE REFRAIN FROM USING PROFANITY.’
“Off
the end of the Marina Mobile Estates fingers was the barge. During the day it was used for fishing and at
night it became a party barge. We could hear people talking and laughing late
into the night. I'm surprised no one ever got drunk and fell off and drowned in
the sea.
“Large
boulders were placed at the end of all the fingers to keep the water from
washing over and eroding the soil. People liked to take their aluminum lawn
chairs down among the rocks and fish, accompanied by coolers filled with beer,
bait and sandwiches. The kids liked to see how far we could climb down before
the adults to us to "get back up here before you fall in and drown!"
“(During its peak,) the (northernmost) Marina Mobile Estates
finger was where the nice double-wide mobile homes were parked. Many of the people who had the mobile homes
were permanent residents and the mobile homes were considered
"ritzier" than the rest of the trailers. The mobile home people liked
to landscape their yards with cactus and those plaster figures depicting a
sombrero clad Mexican taking a siesta along side his faithful plaster burro.
During our stays at the estates it was a tradition to take at least one walk
after dark to the mobile home finger. We
would discreetly peak into the windows, admiring what was surely the best of
early 7O's mobile home decorating. One of the residents had a Coors beer
advertising sign that lit up at night and had water that seemed to be flowing,
to a kid that was pretty mind blowing!
“My
family started going to Desert Shores and the "estates" in the early
sixties when I was very small. I know my grandparents on both sides started
going to the desert and Salton Sea area sometime in the 5O's (development began in 1958). One grandfather was an avid fisherman and
sportsman who was attracted by the great fishing that was available then. When the (Marina
Mobile) Estates were opened both sets of grandparents, and many other
relatives on my mothers side of the family, took trailers over and left them so
that they could return several times a year for vacations. During the late
sixties when the family was all at the sea for vacation, the ages ranged from my
great grandfather who was in his late 9O's to my cousin who was few months
old. The same people seemed to come back
every year, a mix of retired couples and families with kids. The teenagers would congregate together,
riding dirt bikes out in the desert, water skiing and hanging out by the
pool. For the most part the parents just
let them run wild, as they were too busy relaxing and having a good time to
care what the kids were doing.
“It's
hard to explain now just how busy that place was back then. There was a constant stream of vehicles in
and out of the park on weekends and holidays, and during the day the air droned
with the sound of boats out in the water and dirt bikes out in the desert. At night it was quiet and peaceful as only
the desert can be at night, the quiet interrupted once in a while by the sound
of laughter in other trailers as people partied into the night. I don't think
people were as concerned with their health back then as they are now. Almost all of the adults drank and smoked and
baked in the sun and didn't worry about the consequences. They just wanted to have a good time while
they were there and forget their lives at home for a while.
“The
younger kids kept busy swimming in the pool, catching minnows by the docks and
riding bikes around the fingers. The club house also had activities for the
kids. They would show old Disney movies
on Saturday nights and on Easter Sunday they held an egg hunt on the lawn out
by the pool. The club house had plenty of jigsaw puzzles, board games and old
paperbacks. When you wanted to go in and
escape the heat, it was kept deliciously air conditioned inside. Yearly events
were held - like luaus and something they called "Howdy Neighbor
Days" which was mostly attended by the senior citizens, and I believe was
some type of dinner dance.
“Beer
was a very important part of life at the Salton Sea - Hamms, Coors, Burgie -
whatever was available. The beer went everywhere; out on fishing boats, to
potlucks at a neighbor's trailer or up at the Yacht Club, around the pool and
at the Jacuzzi at night. I remember
someone saying that the official Salton Sea uniform was a t-shirt, a fly swatter
and a can of beer.”
I
want to thank Nancy for sharing her memories of Desert Shores. If any one else can add to this, please
contact me. With today’s economy, the
problems plaguing the Salton Sea - both physically and politically - it’s fun
to go back and see what life was like at Desert Shores and the other Salton Sea
resorts. Fifty years ago development
began, and for 20 years, that was the place to be. Thanks for joining Ghost Town USA on a journey
into the past!
This
was our Ghost Town of the
Month for Sep/Oct, 2007
***************
Visit
Ghost Town USA’s CALIFORNIA Ghost Town Page
Visit
Ghost Town USA’s SALTON SEA area Ghost Town Page
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FIRST
POSTED: August 11, 2007
LAST
UPDATED: September 26, 2009
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