If you thought the strange town of David Lynch's "Twin Peaks" was unpredictable wait until you visit the eighteen million dollar Scientology owned escape near Twin Peaks, San Bernardino, southern CA.  This charmingly designed mountain hamlet features a beautiful view, elegant architecture and a Gyro Gym gyroscopic torture device. Plus, its fences are topped by UltraBarrier�, "the durable, maintenance-free stainless steel deterrent that conveys the 'message' without the prison appearance of razor wire." It is rumored that this is the place Shelly Miscavige, the wife of the great leader David Miscavige, has been incarcerated in since 2007.

Built over 100 years ago as the area's first vacation spot for aristocrats, this outpost has many functions for Scientology. It's main purpose is to hold the sacred scriptures of leader L. Ron Hubbard in an underground vault along with other valuables. Hubbard's books are printed on metal plates which don't decay or fade like in paper does.  The plates are stored in airtight containers full of inert gas to prevent the metal from oxidizing or breaking down.  The vault is protected from nuclear attack and helps guarantee that Ron's words will live on in the event all Scientologists on earth die. In that case the vault is meant to be found by Scientologists who reincarnate on other planets and make their way back to the Scientology home world.

The Church of Spiritual Technology has several such vaults in California and New Mexico. And those vaults often have markings on the ground visible from high in the air from which to attract the space aliens. I am absolutely serious about this and so are the cultists. Otherwise why would they have spent so much money on it? If a nuclear or biological calamity occurs then top Scientologists and their families will be whisked to places like Twin Peaks where there are food stocks, large emergency fuel tanks, communications transmitters and a vault to hide behind. Twin Peaks is also a celebrity retreat with beautiful amenities and a luxury residence featuring triangular rooms.  No doubt leader David Miscavige and celebrities like Tom Cruise, John Travolta and his wife Kelly Preston have vacationed there under the pines while receiving Scientology counseling and health therapies.  It boasts a production office, dining hall, garage, nine room lodge and much more all built in a charming hodgepodge of rustic architectural styles.  This 'Hotel California' has so many amenities you'll never need to leave. Which is a good thing since ... you can't! Judging by all the Ultra Barrier and high fences the compound is also a detention center and slave camp. 

As in Stalin's government, the higher you go in Scientology the more likely you will be abused and scapegoated by leader David Miscavige, possibly ending up in a gulag like this.  Perhaps Miscavige's wife Shelly and former spokesman Heber Jentzsch are, or were, held here against their will.  The large number of visible light floodlights, infrared beams, motion sensors, cameras and motorbike mounted guards make escape nearly impossible even without the seven foot tall fence studded with razor spikes. Local police say they are on very good terms with residents at the compound although officers believe there are very few people there. It is difficult to say. When protesters raid such places they go on lockdown. The day I was there we arrived too quickly for a lockdown to happen and heard no alarms, yet we saw only 4-5 people. All the buildings had shades drawn down already. What is going on inside? Are they empty? Are they jammed with prisoners? There is no way to tell.

Twin Peaks is just west of the resort town of Lake Arrowhead and East of Crestline. The current town population is estimated at around 1,500. Twin Peaks sits at an elevation of 5,800 feet and is accessible by California State Route 189. The city of San Francisco also has a nearby small mountain called "Twin Peaks." This is not that mountain. That mountain would be a nice place to vacation, unlike here.  In fact, I would even feel safer in David Lynch's version.