Our first stop out of LA was Niland, CA, to see Salvation Mountain, Leonard Knight’s 50-foot high, 150-foot wide mound of religious folk art. Located in the Salton Sea area, it was really, really hot (like blistering), but Leonard still showed us around the place, saying he was absolutely “tickled” we had come for a visit. Leonard is funny and quirky and one of a kind. He also loves visitors, and traffic has spiked considerably there since it was featured in the movie Into the Wild.
Now in his 70s, Leonard created the site almost entirely himself out of red clay, except for the occasional help of some teenagers, driven by his unparalleled passion for God. He said he wasn’t much of a believer until he hit 35, when he was compelled to say, “Jesus, I’m a sinner, please come upon my body and into my heart” … and Salvation Mountain is the result.
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