Alan’s TTIM Stories #49

Benefitted from a mistake, turned into a resort,
survived a disaster, continues to display
resilience with hope for the future. The
preceding sentence describes a successful
diner in a unique situation. Stop in for a tasty
cheeseburger, crisp fries, and a cold beer
with a view of an environmental oddity.
Through years of change, both positive
and challenging, stands the Ski Inn.

To satisfy a thirsty land, California constructed a canal to drain water from the overused Colorado River. The 1905 flood broke the banks of the canal allowing water to flow into a dry valley, once the location of the ancient Lake Cahuilla, creating the Salton Sea –  “shallow, landlocked, highly saline.”

The first visitors came from the air as waterfowl and shorebirds found a convenient stop on the Pacific Flyway. People followed. Small communities grew on the shores to take advantage of waterfront property. During the 1950’s and 60’s the area became a desert resort competing with Palm Springs with boating, fishing, water skiing, and bar/restaurants.

The town of Bombay Beach appeared on the eastern shore. With the influx of people came amenities. The Ski Inn emerged as a favorite. Owners boasted the “Lowest Bar in the Western Hemisphere” at 237 feet below sea level. Individual dollar bills cover the walls with messages – a favorite décor of a capitalist society. The Inn’s menu is filled with comfort food along with a well-stocked bar – a cold beer in a hot desert.  

The mistake lake came with instability. Without a regular source of fresh water inflow and drought conditions, the Sea shrank. In the 1980’s it became the site of an environmental disaster. The salinity of the Sea increased, along with farm runoff contamination, created massive fish kills filling the shoreline with a rotting stench. Dry areas around the lake created toxic dust affecting human health. Bombay Beach edged near ghost-town statis. The population dropped from 929 in 1990 to 231 in 2020.

The Ski Inn held on during lean times with inventive marketing campaigns attracting a blossoming artists’ community, loyal locals, curiosity seekers, while benefitting from the lack of competition. Huell Howser, the chronicler of California culture, created regional interest with his visit and report. The restaurant gained international exposure with a visit from Anthony Bourdain, who enjoyed a patty melt.* Other television productions, movie sets, and music video backgrounds took advantage of the Inn’s charm.

In the midst of troubled times, along came the discovery of Lithium along the shore. Lithium – tech gold. In a battery-obsessed world the local economy could experience another boom. “A vast reserve of lithium near the Salton Sea amounts to roughly one third of the global supply.” ₁  Called the “Saudi Arabia of lithium,” companies are scrambling to set up mining operations to produce a product and provide economic survival for the region.

Still standing – the Ski Inn will benefit from the escalation of activity while being a model of American resilience and a lesson on the importance of delivering a quality product. Is there a Ski Inn in your neighborhood – an establishment that has overcome the odds to survive and thrive?

Sources:
Ski Inn information provided by Wayne Southworth
Ski Inn – Facebook
₁ Wikipedia
* Anthony Bourdain – No Reservations – episode #56, fourth season, August 4, 2008
Desert Sun

_______________

Follow announcements of Alan’s TTIM Stories at Facebook.com/alan.vandervoort or Instagram & Treads vandervoort_author, with all available posts at www.alanvandervoort.com. Novels by the author include: Sandhills – A Novel and Key Largo Summer, found at Booklocker.com and other online booksellers.