Visiting Zzyzx
For years on my drive to Las Vegas I would see a strange exit sign for something called Zzyzx. Finally on one trip I stopped and discovered the secret of this strange place. Tucked within the Mojave National Preserve, lays the remains of the controversial Zzyzx Mineral Springs and Health Spa.
In 1944 self proclaimed "medical doctor/radio evangelist", Curtis Howe Springer filed federal mining claims for the land and then illegally opened his "health spa" with imitation hot springs. At one point, Zzyzx boasted a 60 room hotel, church, radio broadcast station and its own airstrip.
By the 1970s, the American Medical Association had labeled Springer the "king of quacks" for his outrageous claims and concoctions to cure everything from baldness to cancer...and he was evicted from the space.
The government reclaimed the land and since 1976, the Bureau of Land Management has allowed California State University to manage the land around Zzyzx, which is now used as their desert study center.
Visitors are welcome to explore the area during daylight hours. Between Soda Dry Lake, Blvd of Dreams, Lake Tuendae and the wildlife, the remains of Zzyzx can be a fun pitstop on the way to Vegas. Just make sure to check the weather...I would recommend a visit in the Spring or Fall to avoid the blistering Summer heat.
Do you make any fun stops on the way to Las Vegas?
