Bizarre Bars (Part 1: the Ski Inn)

Join me on my quest to drink in some of the world's most random bars.


Road trippin' in Southern California? The next time you find yourself Palm Springs way and in need of a stiff one, consider heading to the incredible Ski Inn - dive bar extraordinaire, just miles from the Mexican border, in forgotten Niland, California.

Wendel, tending his bar

It's a good hour from Palm Springs, but well worth the trip. (There's absolutely no public transportation, so at this point, it would be a good move to make friends with a designated driver.) Continue east into the desert towards the Salton Sea, another forgotten California destination that is as eerie and unique as it is remote and surreal. You may not want to go in the water, although I'm assuming the countless dead fish will help you come to that conclusion on your own... The Salton Sea has an astounding history and is a must-see phenomenon.

Something fishy, Salton Sea

That said, we're here to drink, so get back on the road for another 15 minutes until you come to Bombay Beach, home to the mighty Ski Inn, and not much else.

Forgotten Bombay Beach

An authentic juke box, a (free) pool table and an old piano are just some of the treasures you'll find at the Ski Inn, as well as cheap drinks, a full menu (go for the grilled cheese) and a motley crew of locals and travelers. (Be sure to request the dancing boobs singing 'Titties and Beer'. You're welcome.)


The trifecta: cheap drinks, interesting locals, free pool

Don't forget to sign a dollar and find a unique resting place for it. The real world seems to slip away a little during your time in this unbelievable location. Put some Stones on the jukebox, order your stiffly-mixed poison of choice and let the surreal solitude and blissful forgetting of this place sink in.

Tweet me @LAWineGal when you go. Cheers!

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