Email Vaccinating the 'last free place': For many in Slab City, the COVID-19 shot is a hard sell In Slab City, an isolated community in the Sonoran Desert, many either don't want the COVID-19 vaccine or remain hesitant to get it. Story by Amanda Ulrich | Photos by VIckie Connor Published 5:41 pm UTC Apr. 16, 2021 Outside Rodney Spyder Wild’s desert camp, there’s a new addition to fit the times: a small sign that reminds visitors to wear a mask. Above the sign, a plastic skeleton rides a dirt bike on a raised platform. Inside the encampment, it’s business as usual. A few maskless people were gathered around a table one 100-degree April morning, smoking and talking. Dogs big and small played and fought in the dirt. A furry tarantula watched from inside an elaborate glass case.