Salton City Travel Plaza

I’m always on the lookout for good people-sketching spots, and this one’s got potential. It’s called the Salton City Travel Plaza, even though it’s technically in Thermal, California—across the Salton Sea from Bombay Beach. It’s pretty quiet out here most of the time, but it usually has enough people to make it worthwhile. And so far, I’ve only been here on Sundays. Still figuring out when it gets busier—maybe during lunch on weekdays. Worth keeping on the radar. 

It’s called a “travel plaza,” which I kind of love. These places always give me that road trip buzz, even when I’m just twenty five or thirty miles from home. I’m not sure where people are traveling to around here—the Mexican border isn’t far, but this stretch doesn’t feel like a destination. Still, it has that familiar vibe. And of course, there’s the mini store filled with random stuff. A lot of stuff I assume is for truckers and those weird redneck shirts with flags and eagles on them.

But you get a good dose of the locals here. Interesting areas tend to have interesting people to sketch. 

The interior feels like a miniature food court dropped in the middle of nowhere. Which, actually, is exactly what it is. I've been here twice, and it's been a steady trickle of people. A lot of the typical desert meth-head culture, people passing through, and just locals looking for something to do.

Thermal itself is pretty makeshift.

Even though the travel plaza is called "Salton City" and the actual town is Thermal, this area also seems to be called "West Shores".

Bring a paintbox if you visit. 2084 S Marina Dr, Thermal, CA 92274