How many placed like Slab City are there in America?

[Hillbilly]

Portland used to have dignity village but it was nothing like slab city. How many other self reliant homeless places like that are there?

[Carl]

I don't believe those qualify as "homeless communities", they're defunct travel park conversions.

There was a good one in the Fla Keys back in the 60's but the state came in and moved them out.

[Barbaro]

When I return to the US, I'd like to try some kind of lifestlyle like the "Slab City" in the McCandless Into the Wild movie.

I know that one has to plan, and be smart and learn how to live like that.

I would need a vehicle that I pay for in cash and one that I could safely and comfortably sleep in.

I currently have $0 debt.

I'd have to work a little bit, or would work a lot if needed, but I would want to ability to go and move around when I pleased.

[Hitch]

Leonard Knight, creator of Salvation Mountain, died this past February. Rest in peace.

Leonard Knight Dies at age 82

El Dorado Care Center confirmed that our beloved Leonard Knight, creator of Salvation Mountain, in Slab City, passed away peacefully at 1:40pm PST Monday, February 10, 2014.

This past December and January had challenged Leonard Knight health wise. Leonard realized that his eyesight, hearing and ability to walk with the prosthetic leg were not improving. He started to feel like he would not be returning to his beloved mountain. He told Dan Westfall that there just isn’t anything he could do here anymore to help the mountain or the message.

more...

http://www.slab-city.com/leonard-knight-salvation-mountain-creator-dies/

[Carl]

http://www.slab-city.com/leonard-knight-salvation-mountain-creator-dies/

Well, that was certainly different from what I assumed it to be...

[Hillbilly]

When I return to the US, I'd like to try some kind of lifestlyle like the "Slab City" in the McCandless Into the Wild movie.

I know that one has to plan, and be smart and learn how to live like that.

I would need a vehicle that I pay for in cash and one that I could safely and comfortably sleep in.

I currently have $0 debt.

I'd have to work a little bit, or would work a lot if needed, but I would want to ability to go and move around when I pleased.

That was a great book, much better than the movie. Slap City seems like a good working model for more comunities of free persons to strive for.

[Hitch]

That was a great book, much better than the movie. Slap City seems like a good working model for more comunities of free persons to strive for.

LOL Slap City. I agree though, the book was great, imo. Would love to drive my RV to slab city and hang out and meet some of the folks there. Winter would be a good time for that however, I checked the weather and they are already hitting 100 degrees. How they survive the summer must be quite a story. The city must be humming with the sound of generators and air conditioning going during the heat of the day.

[woodman]

Into the wild was an awesome read. I have always wondered about Slab City. I would like to go there for a winter. I wonder what the weather and temps are like during the winter. As a lad in the mid 70's I got stuck out in the California desert while hitch-hiking. It was very cold at night. During the day, pretty nice.

[Hillbilly]

From what I gather most stay for the winter then relocate somewhere else for the summer because it's just too hot. Must be another place like it where they go in the summer.

[Santa]

Hitch, thanks for showing me this. Leonard Knight. True Christian. Wonderful man. Folk artist. Little hobo bird. Great inspiration. Wish I'd a met him. He helped make the world a better place.


http://youtu.be/Zl-840MYCwQ

[Barbaro]

That was a great book, much better than the movie. Slap City seems like a good working model for more comunities of free persons to strive for.

Good post, Hillbilly. Cheers.

[chud]

Just wanted to chime in that I enjoyed reading "Into the Wild" also.
That book shows you just how little money you can actually survive on, if you want to.
I actually know a guy who is a bit like the main character in the book: he lives out of his truck and has travelled all over; he's a good guy, but different than your average joe.

[Hillbilly]

I also want to say this about into the wild. Hollywood of course made the kid look like an upidty littly brat that ran away from a loving family. The book however tells the story of his Dad's double life and the hurt that it inflicted on Chris. Anyone who has not read it should. I think it's my generations "on the road"

[Hitch]

Hitch, thanks for showing me this. Leonard Knight. True Christian. Wonderful man. Folk artist. Little hobo bird. Great inspiration. Wish I'd a met him. He helped make the world a better place.

Wish I had met him too and was sad to hear about his passing. The world would be a better place if there were more folks like him.

I've got an even bigger itch to make the drive to Slab City. Maybe a GSUS roundup there? We could park our rigs, roll out the fake green grass, put out some pink flamingos and relax. I'm going to order a dancing hula gal for my dashboard too.