Living in Los Angeles, I find it proves more difficult to venture inland to the desert but Salvation Mountain is a place that my wandering heart has been fixated on for a while. Located near the ever-mysterious and sinister (but not really) Salton Sea, I knew it was time to head out. My sister, a fellow adventure-seeker and I, using the Roadtrippers app built an entire day worth of sightseeing with Salvation Mountain being the main destination. The app saved our entire itinerary as well as offers suggestions of sights, landmarks, restaurants, etc to see or go to that are close by. It is my new FAVORITE app!

PIT STOP - CABAZAN DINOSAURS

Contrary to popular belief, the dinosaurs were not elaborate set design pieces for Pee Wee's Big Adventure. They were built in the 1980's by Claude K. Bell to bring more tourists to his Wheel Inn Restaurant. He named the Tyrannosaurus Rex "Mr. Rex" and the Brontosaurus "Dinny." Although the Cabazon dinosaurs looks like only 2 structures, there is a small little park (if you can call it that) that you can visit. It consists of a dinosaur safari, fossil panning, and gift shop/doubling as a robotic dinosaur shack. You can even walk into both Mr. Rex and Dinny!

Pit Stop at Kings Highway Diner

The Kings Highway Diner is the Roadside Diner thats a part of the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs. Formally it was a Denny's but has since been reimagined in the desert bohemian stylings with a focus on locally sourced, organic menu. (You won't find any Date Shakes on a Denny's menu!) From its mid-century modern architecture to the felt mounted Elephant head on the wall, I was loving the boho vibes but the real beauty is in the food. Everything is fresh and inventive with a Mediterranean twist! I had the moroccan scramble which was something else! Going to Kings Highway Diner was also an excuse to see the Ace Hotel in Palm Springs.

Crazy Eccentric Pit Stop - International Banana Museum

This place is eccentric and weird, but in that middle-America "just because" kind of way, where it doesn't need to make sense, it just needs to exist. The International Banana Museum is "world-famous" because it has the largest "single-fruit" collection in the world and of course that collection is bananas. Everything from pictures, to salt-n pepper shakers, to a pin-ball machine is banana-related. You walk into a dimly lit neon-yellow fruited mecca. It is located alongside the Salton Sea, and is a great stop in between the long drive between Palm Springs and Salvation Mountain.

The drive- Salton Sea

Driving alongside the Salton sea is both relaxing and unnerving. As remote as it is, you are surrounded by the desert as well as the infamous sea.

Salvation Mountain - One Man's Dream

Salvation Mountain

It is the brain child/holy vision of Leonard Knight. Later in his life, Leonard found Christ and knew that he had to spread the message that "God is Love." His first grand scheme was to spread the message through a hot air balloon but when that idea did not come into fruition he began sculpting what is now Salvation Mountain. It is one of the largest free standing art installations and hippie mecca. Everyday hundreds of free spirits, vagabonds, travel bloggers, and even high fashion photographers complete their pilgrimage to this small desert wonder to bask in the 30 year life's mission work of Leonard Knight.