Bombay Beach Ghost Town

Even though Bombay Beach is a desolate place sitting on the equally desolate and putrid Salton Sea, it's quite the attraction for novice filmmakers and writers. It's hard to believe this bleak town was once like Palm Springs - property sold at a premium and movie stars came here to relax at this inland California riviera. Taking a walk on this beach will require footwear; the whiteness you see is not sand - it's the disintegrated bones of long-dead fish. Still, Bombay Beach has a population of just under 300 and you can grab a hamburger at the local grease joint when you've tired of the rancid-smelling lake. (Photo by Alida Bigham)