Must See Unique Spots In Southern California

We love our Southern California home and always enjoy our trips close to home. Today, we want to share our favorite Must See Unique Spots In Southern California.

Salvation Mountain

Salvation Mountain is a really creative spot south east of Palm Springs. This stop can also be combined with East Jesus and Bombay Beach for a fun filled day of unique art installations in the middle of the desert. This is the second structure to be built here by Leonard Knight. He designed to be his home and it is madewith bricks, tires, paint and adobe mixed with straw. This is one of our favorite stops in the desert.

East Jesus

Continue past Salvation Mountain into Slab City and East Jesus. This is a art commune and nomad community. I highly recommend continuing out to East Jesus from Salvation Mountain to see all that they have built. It’s been a few years since we have visited so I am curious to see what is newly developed in the area.

Bombay Beach

Just a short drive north from East Jesus and Salvation Mountain is the Salton Sea and Bombay Beach. This stop used to be a popular beach getaway until the 1980’s. The increasing salinity and drainage caused people to vacate and now it is a ghost town. Home to unique art installations along the shore line and into the abandoned homes surrounding the shoreline. It has also been a few years since we visited, and we are planning to return to see the new art as I have seen that it changes.

Borrego Springs

Head out to another desert stop to check out all of the metal art installations in the desert. Drive throughout town and see everything they have scattered in the desert. Grab lunch at Carlee’s and its like stepping back in time. The whole spot is really cool.

Desert View Tower

Taking the long way out into the desert to circle around to Palm Springs from San Diego is the Desert View Tower with all of the rock art installations. The Desert View Tower is located off of the 8 freeway close to the California Mexico border.

Tio’s Tacos, Riverside

This is one of the top unique spots in Southern California. Tio’s Taco Shop has a whole set of art outside that you can walk through. The food is also delicious and well worth the stop. You can make a day out of this stop and visit the Mission Inn that is just down the street.

Looking for more Southern California content, Check out Carlsbad California or Big Bear.