North Shore Motel - Salton Sea

Abandoned North Shore Motel before demolition in 2008.

When the idea first came up in mid-2009 to drive to California and check out the Salton Sea, we were already too late to see the North Shore Motel standing. 

I've written and shared my photos and video from the two visits that my friend Dave and I made on our California road trips in 2009 and 2010.  Many of these have centered around the North Shore Yacht Club as we were able to see it abandoned on our 2009 trip, but then saw the result of a complete renovation and renewal as a community center and museum on our 2010 trip.  More on that here. 

What remains of the motel now is a barren slab of concrete just across the road from the Yacht Club.  The area is still hauntingly quiet and full of clues regarding a more promising time.  The swimming pool has been filled in with concrete now and the desert brush is reclaiming the parking lot.  Still, you can't help but let your mind wander and think about what it all must have been like when the destination was on the up and up.

My fascination with the Salton Sea and locations like the Yacht Club or the former North Shore Motel continues to grow the more I learn.  The history is hidden, a novelty of sorts, waiting for some future improvement to give it the proper context.  

What will become of the Salton Sea isn't exactly clear as there are still major environmental and economic hurtles to overcome if the area is to ever thrive again.  However, one thing is for certain.  The area remains an incredible place to discover and explore in your own unique way.

Site of the North Shore Motel - September 2010.

View from the motel to the Salton Sea.

Tiles from one of the bathrooms baking in the sun.

An old grocery sign discarded in the parking lot.

The tennis court having seen better days.