Giant Rock (December 22nd, 2006)

Giant Rock is a pebble of it's former self. In 2001 this monstrous rock broke into two pieces, thus leaving its title as "The Worlds Biggest Boulder" on rocky ground. Some claim that it was due to too many fires being lit underneath the massive boulder, others think that it was due to an earthquake in the area; will probably never know. However, the Rock still stands over seven stories, and is 5,800 square feet.

This once proud rock with a simpleton's name use to be a place where local Indians used for sacred religious ceremonies. During the 1950's through the 1970's it was also a place for UFO enthusiast use to gather. During that time over 17 UFO conventions took place at Giant Rock; not to mention a lot of supposed UFO activity in the area. Slowly however, the New Age-UFO seekers were driven out by the ilk of Bikers and there like who started to make Giant Rock their hang-out. It is now mainly used by the off-roading crowd.

At one time, George Van Tassel moved his family into a small room he built under the massive rock. Later, the room became a bar, but was closed down after some time. It was a good thing too, because when the massive rock cracked in two guess where it broke?

When we went out there, it was getting closed to the sunset, and the only directions we were given by a local were "make a left at the next dirt road and follow it all the way out...you can't miss it." The rock was a couple miles out and the only signs were made out of paper plates telling you how to get to Devore. There were alot of bumps, hills, and soft sand. Suffice it to say it probably was not the best time of day to go out to Giant Rock.

On our way back we almost got lost, kellee was freaking out, and some local dirt people was following us. I am now rethinking going to the dessert without a gun.

Aliens, Smashing Pumpkins, and Sound Baths (December 22nd, 2006)

What do extra-terrestrials, smashing pumpkins, and sound baths have in common? The Integratron! In 1947 George Van Tassel an aircraft engineer moved out to Landers to get away from the hustle and bustle of city life. While there he began to channel "space brothers" from the planet Venus. Not satisfied with merely talking via the space channel, one of these space brothers by the name of "Solganda" finally showed up in his UFO and told Van that, "he would be pleased to show him his spacecraft". While checking out the craft Solganda relayed to Van that he was chosen to distribute the message of "peace and interplanetary brotherhood to his fellow earthlings".

Van Tassell took his mission seriously; he began a magazine called The Proceedings of the College of Universal Wisdom. As well he held 17 UFO conventions at Giant rock (All post about this place later), to which all the top UFO writers, witnesses and abduction survivors of the time were invited to take part. Beyond that Solganda gave George Van Tassel the blue prints to build a human regeneration tool that would help humans live much longer than their normal life expectancy. Van Tassel was told that if he built this machine he would live 25 years longer than expected. So for 18 years he labored on the Integratron building a massive machine that looks more like an observatory than a machine. The building was made of wood and fiberglass, there was no metal used for its construction; apparently aliens are not fond of the material. After 18 years of work and an almost complete project, Van Tassell died unexpectedly, thus leaving the mysteries of the machine locked away!

The new owners of the Integratron rent the building…err, machine, out to Yoga and other New Age groups. Individuals and groups can also take tours of the place for a small price of $30.

However, if you're really in need, you can also take a sound bath! Get a "sonic healing" session by lying on cozy mats and listening to the sounds of nine quarts-crystal bowls being played in what has been called a room with perfect acoustics. This has also been described as getting a "brain floss" and the results are "waves of peace".

Billy Corgan of the band smashing pumpkins states on the official Integraton website, "You made a believer out of me. I can FEEL the energy here!"

You know if Billy, the front man of one of the greatest rock bands of our generation, needs a sound bath every now and then, you might want to consider getting yourself a "Brain Floss" to get all that mental plaque out!

If you don't know by now, I am a miser! I just can't seem to throw down $60 (for me and Kellee) to check out a wooden room, or too clean off the mental plaque by getting myself a sound bath. However, I like the story; it's weird and is typical of 1950s sci-fi scene, so I did want to at least see the place that was once a breeding ground for UFO enthusiast.

Here are some pics.