Border towns are all different. Whether you're entering Canada or Mexico. There are a number of…read moreentry points. No two alike. I'm originally from Chula Vista so when we would cross into Mexico usually it was one of couple ways or entries (San Ysidro, Otay, etc). You would enter Tijuana and enter the hustle , bustle and yet modern everyday of TJ living, for food, to get to other locations like Rosarito, or venture into the exciting yet mysterious TJ nightlife to see what was good w/out getting into too much trouble. That's it. That's all. For most anyway. My boyfriend's family is originally from El Centro. Last time I was in El Centro there was nothing here. So after a handful of times visiting the city of El Centro, he decided to show me a city where his other relatives were from. Ah, the city of Mexicali, opposite of Calexico. Crossing I would say is still easier than crossing from the main border in San Ysidro. You can still find a lot of places to shop and eat here. Mexicali is definitely rural. The streets and sidewalks with are all uneven and filled with holes. Vendors & night workers. For some the view might be sad. For others humbling. For them, this is life and this is there day to day. It's said Mexicali was built by the many Chinese immigrants that were brought over for labor or fled the anti-Chinese policy from the US. This is historically home to the largest Chinese community in Mexico. Also known as Chinesca. "I don't see a lot of Chinese walking about" I tell my boyfriend. "The only Chinese I see are in the Chinese restaurants." Side note: the Chinese food definitely has a different yet still delicious flavor here. Mind you Chinese food differs everywhere you go. My advice when eating in this city is have no expectations. Just immerse yourself. Apparently, the Chinese built underground for themselves. To escape many things including the heat. There is said to have been opium dens and even illegal gambling. I'm not saying there still down there, just don't see a lot of Asians. There is a lot of mystery, history and a long established way of living here. However with the recent efforts of the younger generation with both Chinese and Mexican bloodlines to re-establish the Chinese culture here I'm sure we'll see an increase in tourism one day. So why the 4/5 stars? Not comparing this city to anywhere else I've been in Mexico. I grew up by Tijuana, raised off of Mexican culture. Been as far as Yucatán, Jalisco, The city of Tequila so on and so forth. I wasn't raised to disrespect anyone in their own home. If you're treated hospitably, you be respectful. Mexicali is beautiful in its own way and right.

The Kinetoscope is a circular mural inside an abandoned water tank by Christina Angelina and Ease…read moreOne in Slab City, California.  The larger than life canvas was originally covered in grafitti and filled with trash. In order to properly prep the space, discarded, half broken shovels were employed and a makeshift pulley system of Home Depot buckets was instated to lift out the sand. The truck was repurposed as lodging for a week, the closest toilet was a 5-minute drive away, and all involved went without showers. This was well worth it for the final result.   Visitors must climb a staircase to the top of the tank (roughly 15 ft), where there is a ladder to take them back down, into the structure. Once inside, amplified sound reverberation accompanies two series of artistically rendered female faces.  Faces are captured in a variety of freeze frames and combined to create motion, inspired by the work of photographer Eadweard Muybridge.    Each individual face embodies a specific emotion tied to a meaningful moment when Angelina trusted her intuition, an inherent sense often ignored by society. The subtle interconnectedness of these moments creates a sense of "magic" in its movement as each form contributes to the natural flow of the piece. Her use of totem animals continues through the incorporation of raven and rattlesnake skulls.   Faces sit atop a ghostwritten blend of Eastern/Western writing styles by Ease One. These hidden words form the lyrics to Society by Jerry Hannan and Eddie Vedder.   It's a mystery to me We have a greed with which we have agreed You think you have to want more than you need Until you have it all you won't be free   Society, you're a crazy breed I hope you're not lonely without me   This piece uses a limited palette to subtly unify elements of figuration, lettering and graf futurism in a sophisticated, stylized manner. The background is of latex paint, the rest is of spray paint.

I spent a lot of time in El Centro so I've definitely been to Calixco several times. Its about a 15…read moreminute drive from EC so it takes no time. I come to Calexico to visit family and then cross over to Mexicali to have some real fun. May not be the nicest or cleanest but it is what it is.

Just got back and guess what? It really hasn't improved any since 6 months ago. The people are…read morevery friendly-especially if you habla espanol. Fine dining=Applebee's. It's still quite windy and dusty. I go there for a reason and the city serves its purpose. I'm always happy to come home to San Diego

Our wait to get to the big parking lot was 1 hour. Multiple cars drove past us on the right side on…read morethe rocks to avoid the wait but it was some bumpy terrain. There was only one line and two lanes open. We walked across so it was faster. Once across, we explored Algodones aka Molar City for a few hours. After a few errands and lunch, we walked back towards the gate and across. There was a small wait to cross back but definitely much faster then with a car. The agents were friendly.

Its much faster to walk across the border then to drive over. There was a longggggg line to cross…read moreover and we waited an hour just to get to the parking lot. The parking lot is big. All the agents were friendly.

Republic of Slowjamastan: The Nation You Didn't Know You Needed!…read more Ever wanted to visit a country that's smaller than your average Costco but ten times more entertaining? Look no further than the Republic of Slowjamastan, a hidden gem off Highway 78 in the middle of literally nowhere. You'll know you've arrived when your GPS starts to laugh at you. The drive alone is an adventure, with nothing but open road and desert as far as the eye can see. Then BAM--out of the dust emerges a tiny "nation" with its own quirky flag, customs, and government (I'm pretty sure the sultan is just the most interesting man in the world). It's the kind of place that makes you question everything you know about borders and citizenship. Who knew sovereignty could be so much fun? This is the perfect spot to bring up at parties. You'll blow everyone's minds when you casually mention, "Oh yeah, I've been to Slowjamastan. No big deal. It's not on most maps yet." Instant conversation starter, and who doesn't love a little international travel brag? Is it ridiculous? Absolutely. But that's what makes it unforgettable. Pack a snack, bring a camera, and prepare to say, "Wait, what?" more times than you thought possible. 10/10 would recommend for anyone looking to spice up their road trip playlist and add "citizen of Slowjamastan" to their résumé.

would give it 0 stars if i could. wow where do i start. I grew up here as a little kid and my mom…read moregot me out of here at 8y/o(now i understand why). I moved back here after a divorce because i have a daughter and thought family here would help. Im educated, friendly, outgoing, and this place has been so disappointing. There are no jobs. Im met with such hostility as a mexinan-american girl who doesnt speak spanish. so many mexi-cali residents take the jobs here from california residents even the low skill jobs or retail jobs. its so sad. People are so unfriendly. very toxic here. very small-town mentality of people dont want to know you if they didnt know you as a child.people dont want you to do better than them and you can feel the envy radiate off people. High obesity rate. the residents here are getting ripped off by the rising cost of living but tbh they deserve it.

Yes this place is ok it could be better and the mall is getting a bit lonely but I wish their were…read moremore new better businesses like fun ones that we used to have because el centro really has nothing fun's they don't have trampoline park how they used too or a water slide or fun places.

I had to reception to check in but thought this place was pretty cool. The rocks along this area…read moreare circular which definitely makes it look like a pumpkin patch. They info posts about how they form which is really cool to read. The ride over is pretty fun too and you gotta make sure your vehicle is equipped to get through. Great photo ops too! This is a must see when visiting Ocotillo Wells!

What a unique natural formation of rocks that look like pumpkins in a pumpkin patch at Halloween!…read more Great place to capture the night skies over the unique landscape. A harrowing experiences for me to get there...the roads are really rough. But such a worthy endeavor.

It's a city but a very, very small one. It feels like a town. But so much happens in this area…read more This is why Seeley needs respect and it's own Yelp site. It occupies 1.242 sq mi (3.218 km2) and had 1,823 at the 2010 census. It's elevation is -52 feet, so it so vertically challenged. It is about 10 miles from the Mexico border so the area has a large multicultural influence. The Köppen Climate Classification system, Seeley has a mild desert climate. This week's temperatures were at a high of 120 ℉ (49 ℃) so I don't consider that 'mild'! Humidity is surprisingly high, maybe because of irrigation for the large number of farms locally. That gave us a heat index of 125 ℉ (51.6 ℃). SeeleyThe name honors Henry Seeley, an early developer of Imperial County. Wiki says 'Seeley is one of the oldest established communities in Imperial County, tracing its history back to the early years of the 20th century. Originally established as a stage stop on the shores of the now dead "Blue Lake", Seeley was known originally as Silsbee.' The Naval Air Facility El Centro, where the Blue Angels practice in the winter, is really closer to Seeley. There is a decent grocery/convenience store with fuel, propane and a pretty decent Mexican restaurant, a Taco shop across the street, an elementary store, a church and a bar where you can grab a beer, play pool and buy a pizza! Anyone wanting to shop at a large grocery store, mall or restaurants have to drive the 8-10 miles to the closest town of El Centro. The town of Seeley is a pretty average. It's a tough place to live in the summer but so nice lots of snowbirds flock here from all over the country.

It's a great place to live, it's also a great place to get your kids and yourself to socialize. If…read moreyou want to spend time with your family, stop at the park. If you need anything there's the Seeley Market, which also sells food.

A perfect place to do a first pit stop after a 3 hour drive. It was the best location cuz:…read more*we needed to move the pup up front cuz Frenchies need cool air * basic small rest stop with perhaps 6 individual stalls stocked up with enough TP * clean enough but couple flies hovering over the bowl & no running water; lucky we had wipes & hand sanitizer *we filled up gas here, still California but a few more feet into Arizona the gas was $2 cheaper