If you spend time in this space of mine, you are probably aware of my affinity for hidden treasures. You know those little bits and trinkets you chance upon as you wander and roam in your favorite outdoor playground. Relics from another place in time hinting at a story you can only imagine in your mind. Whether you discover them unexpectedly or hunt them quite intentionally, these deserts hold a treasure-trove of trinkets. During a recent bout of winter wandering, we happened to hit the mother load in the ghost town of Bodie.
Once upon a time,
Bodie, CA was a rather large and bustling gold-mining town. Today it is an abandoned ghost town full of artifacts and relics, preserved and maintained as a California State Historic Park. On a recent mini-vacation spent rambling about the area near Mammoth, we finally visited this historic site and were quite taken aback. It was one of those things we had heard about and always thought we should do...
one day. Since our intended snowshoe adventure had been nixed by a total lack of snow, we spontaneously veered off the beaten path and followed the very bumpy road to Bodie.
This may seem a silly little adventure to be so enthralled with, but my husband and I were both so taken by the spirit of the place. I have a fondness for history, architecture, cemeteries, antiques and the stories behind it all. The town is in a state of "arrested decay", as they say. The remaining buildings are well preserved with tools, trinkets and treasures so carefully collected and displayed. We couldn't stop taking pictures and I couldn't resist posting some of my personal favorites.
Walking the streets of Bodie, felt like being in an old western movie with all the typical haunts. There was the hotel and saloon, the barber shop, the old time firehouse...
...the school house...
...and the church, still taking up collections.
And of course, there was the cemetery.
There was a discernible spirit about this place. It was another time, a different and harsher way of life yet lived by people just like us. People adventuring through life, experiencing the pleasures, the hardships, the joys and sorrows. We enjoyed the experience so much, it initiated a bucket list of sorts. Not exactly a gotta-do-it-before-we-die kind of list, but rather a we-really-should-do-that-one-day sort of list. Included on that list are all those seemingly insignificant things to which we say, we really should do that one day. I set a goal for myself, to get out there and do some of those things slightly outside our norm because you never know what you might be missing. There is so much to see, so much to do! And sometimes we find adventure in the most unlikely of places.
Open yourself to the possibilities. Where will your next adventure take you? :)
Labels: Desert, Hiking, Nature, Photography
