I think a wonderful vacation would be traveling around the country, visiting the many ghost towns and studying their history.What fun that could be!
Bodie, California
Credit: Robert Alexander/Archive Photos/Getty Images
Bodie, California was officially founded in 1876, after miners stumbled upon rich deposits of gold and silver in its hillsides. Gold-crazed prospectors flocked to the settlement at a rate of more than two-dozen per day in the late-1870s, and its population eventually soared to some 10,000 people. Thanks to larger-than-life accounts of whiskey-fueled shootouts, the outpost soon earned a reputation as a “sea of sin” filled with rough men, prostitutes and opium dens.
Like most boomtowns, Bodie eventually went bust. By the 1880s, it had outgrown its meager infrastructure, and a succession of harsh and deadly winters convinced many of its prospectors to move to more profitable locales. The population dwindled until the 1940s, when the last residents finally shipped out. Since then, Bodie has become known as one of the nation’s most well preserved ghost towns. Its 200 ramshackle buildings are kept in state of “arrested decay” by park rangers, and tourists flock to the site to explore its 1880s Methodist church, saloons and post office as well as the ruins of a burned-out bank vault.
Ya know, I've never been to a real ghost town. One more thing I need to put on my bucket list!
Coffee out on the patio this morning, alright?
6 comments:
We used to go there in the late '50s to look and imagine what it was like in its heyday. Pretty interesting stuff. I am glad they are preserving that piece of history.
Ghost towns are such cool places to visit. I have been to a couple and have enjoyed every moment I was there. Very happy to hear that they are preserving Bodie. Raining here today -we need the rain.
I think my hometown is slowly becoming one. It has less than half the population it had when I was a kid.
I've never been to one either...would be interesting to see :)) Patio is good , I'll bring the donuts :))
I have been to ghost towns and even camped at one in Arizona a couple of times. Did some prospecting and had a great time. That ghost town was owned by GPAA.
Hey Tewshooz...
To learn about the history of a place is half the fun, I think.
Thanks for coming over today!
Hey Linda M...
Guess i need to get out and visit one or two.
Thanks for stopping by today!
Hey Sixbears...
Sadly that is the case of many places across the country. Kinda sad, really.
Thanks for dropping by today!
Hey Mamahen...
Reckon we'll both have to go do some sightseeing soon!
Donuts are always good!
Thanks for the visit today!
Hey Dizzy...
Sounds like a lot of fun to me. Are you ready to go again?
Thanks for coming over today!
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