THE MOJAVE LAVA TUBELocation: Mojave National Preserve, CA
Accessibility: Difficult Drive Created: |
|
Located in the desolate area of Niland, CA is Salvation Mountain’s rebellious, dubious, and anomalous neighbor, East Jesus. The inhabitants of East Jesus are masters of their resources and have managed to build a community without waste. Founded in 2007, East Jesus is the brainchild of Charlie Russell - an engineer who quit his tech job and headed to Slab City to work on Salvation Mountain with Leonard Knight. Toting a shipping container full of his belongings, Russell found a barren strip of land a mile from Salvation Mountain and began to surround his two art cars with sculptures.
Numerous artists, musicians, scientists, and construction workers followed suit, and a radical idea became a radical place. Working entirely off of solar power, East Jesus is a homestead to those who aspire to live in one of the “last free places on Earth.” Inhabitants attempt to use and recycle every bit of consumable trash. Because of this way of life, the sculptures that have been built are like no others on Earth. Riddled with mind-boggling contraptions, such as an elephant made of tires, a wall constructed from glass bottles, a playground formulated from garden tools, a maze leading through refrigerators, a pirate ship on land, and much much more, East Jesus is one of the most unique places to explore. Russell passed away in 2011, but his memory and spirit continue to thrive on the land he helped make unique.
One of the most appealing aspects of East Jesus is the enthusiastic welcome that visitors receive. Open from sunup to sundown, East Jesus has no shortage of hearty greetings - including a mandatory welcome and optional tour from the infamous and friendly Mopar the Wizard. Visiting East Jesus is always free, but they do accept donations. Join us as we explore this charming place that will certainly spark ingenuity, creativity, and maybe even a little craziness. It's East Jesus - right here on Oddity Odysseys.
Numerous artists, musicians, scientists, and construction workers followed suit, and a radical idea became a radical place. Working entirely off of solar power, East Jesus is a homestead to those who aspire to live in one of the “last free places on Earth.” Inhabitants attempt to use and recycle every bit of consumable trash. Because of this way of life, the sculptures that have been built are like no others on Earth. Riddled with mind-boggling contraptions, such as an elephant made of tires, a wall constructed from glass bottles, a playground formulated from garden tools, a maze leading through refrigerators, a pirate ship on land, and much much more, East Jesus is one of the most unique places to explore. Russell passed away in 2011, but his memory and spirit continue to thrive on the land he helped make unique.
One of the most appealing aspects of East Jesus is the enthusiastic welcome that visitors receive. Open from sunup to sundown, East Jesus has no shortage of hearty greetings - including a mandatory welcome and optional tour from the infamous and friendly Mopar the Wizard. Visiting East Jesus is always free, but they do accept donations. Join us as we explore this charming place that will certainly spark ingenuity, creativity, and maybe even a little craziness. It's East Jesus - right here on Oddity Odysseys.