Bodie, Bodie, Bodie

Ghost towns are not really my thing, so I previously passed right by Bodie State Historic Park. This time I was lured in.  It was pretty interesting, but at $7 per person (not per car), it's rather pricey.  Then to add insult to injury, they charge for the information booklet and the guided tours.  We just walked around and used our imaginations.

Gold was discovered here in 1859.  A mill was established in 1861 and by 1880 there were an estimated 10,000 residents in the town of Bodie .  In 1962 it was made a state park and is maintained in a state of 'arrested decay.'

Everywhere you look, you see curious visitors like these two gentlemen peering in the dirty windows to get a glimpse of the past.

And sure enough, there it is.  One is transported back to Bodie's heyday.

It appears that the inhabitants just departed, leaving behind everything they couldn't carry.

Amid the peeling wallpaper and broken furniture, are the whispers of long ago dreams.

The children attended school . . .

And the adults tried to live a normal life among the saloons, brothels, and gambling halls that spring up in any mining town.

But on to cheerier things.  This house looks move-in ready with some nice yard art.

Ron checked out the used car lot.

The bank walls seem to have disappeared, but the vault is still standing with this cool safe inside.

I liked this really big flywheel.

Oh, and here's the mill that was closed to visitors due to safety issues unless you pay for the guided tour.  Hmmm

I couldn't find a rusty hook to take for my father (family joke), so I settled for a dusty jar.