DianaT
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Quick and Easy Ghost Town Loop in B & W
From Big Pine, we headed out 168 to connect with Highway 266.
Right on the highway are the few remains of Palmetto that had been a prosperous silver town, but it is interesting to climb around.
And broken dreams
Then off of 266 before one reaches Highway 95 there is a dirt road that goes to Gold Point that used to be a ghost town. Part is still a ghost town,
but the mine has reopened, and private ownership has made Gold Point not what we think of as a Ghost Town. It also didn't have a very friendly feel.
An example of some of the rebuilding that has taken place.
But there was one nice Yin-Yang sign
We proceeded to Goldfield before we went to visit Silver Peak. We thought that after Silver Peak, we would stay in Tonopah, but there was not a room
to be had. There is a big solar project going on north of town and the rooms are filled with workers and this will continue for probably another
year. So if you plan on being near there, be sure you arrange for a room ahead.
So, at one hotel the lady called the only small motel in Goldfield and we got the last room at the Santa Fe Saloon and Motel.
Decent rooms --- big, clean, basic, and they say there is WiFi, but it didn't work. The lady running the Saloon and motel warned us that the room
doors automatically lock when one goes outs, and then warned us that she closes at 8:30 and she would not be back until 2:30 the next day, so hang on
to the key!
Goldfield is not a complete Ghost Town as there are a few hundred full time residents. It is a friendly place and some people do live in the old time
houses.
And like all these places, there is a lot of old equipment around --- I just liked this piece.
And the local diner was taken over a year ago by a really nice lady. Her daughter Carrie, is the waitress and source of all kinds of information. The
food was quite decent and the service and conversation great!
The last owner, I guess only had 1/2 a diner and a large farm up in the loft area growing a very profitable crop before the authorities discovered it.
BTW, there are gas pumps there, but no gas in town.
Carrie said the town was going to be a boom town soon. According to her, in 2014 they are going to re-route highway 95 a couple of miles north of
town as there is a HUGE amount of gold in that area and they are going to do an open pit mine. I checked some of this out and read that yes, they
have known about gold under that highway since at least 2001, but back then gold was under $300.00 an once.
In looking forward, the old grand hotel in town is being restored; but I guess the upper floor will be reserved for people involved in the paranormal.
And like all changes, there are people in town who are NOT happy about the idea of an open pit mine right there! It will be interesting to follow.
Oh, in the past I have posted pictures of the GREAT junk art cars that used to be along the highway, but the owner died and his daughter has them
rather crammed on her property in town. They just don't show off as well.
We drove west into the mountains to visit Silver Peak as we have a friend who works there. Like most workers, he is there for 12 days and then 12
days back home. Since that mine has re-opened, the town is quite a mess. There are lots of old campers, trailers, around that house the workers.
But we are not sure if this boat is being used as housing as it sure is out of place in town!
Since some of workers live in some of the old houses, this little charmer is on the market.
While this old post office is not being used as they have a temporary building next door, they still have the sign.
Everywhere you can see all the electric lines etc. --- not picturesque in any way, but there are some roads out of there that we want to explore
another time.
At Silver Peak they are mining lithium which is important, but it sure lays waste to the surrounding area. They pump it up and then it settles out in
large ugly ponds.
Our last ghost town was Candelaria, seven miles off of Hightway 95. In its day, I guess there were 11 saloons, a school, and no church. The closest
water was about 9 miles away and brought to town by mules.
Behind the old bank, one can see the mined mountain.
Just another old building.
There was one person there, a bottle hunter and he said there used to be more there to see but a lot was ruined when they re-opened the mine in the
1980s. BTW-- in our area, they have really cracked down on bottle hunters big time which is not a very popular policy around these parts.
And to end this, at Candelaria, someone had lined up these bottle necks that I just found colorful.
Thanks for looking. Nevada is such an interesting place.
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bajadock
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Excellent trip report and photos. Good choice on B+W for the venue. Only the "dead soldiers" show life.
I remember the controversy over a non-Baja trip report forum. Glad we have these for those of us who are allowed back into the USA on occasion.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajadock
Excellent trip report and photos. Good choice on B+W for the venue. Only the "dead soldiers" show life.
I remember the controversy over a non-Baja trip report forum. Glad we have these for those of us who are allowed back into the USA on occasion.
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THANKS --- 
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bajaguy
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Tonopah
Next time you are in Tonopah, stop in at the Museum. I really like their display on the old Tonopah AAF (Army Air Field). They also have a really nice
dispay of artifacts outside the museum.
Then take highway 6 east of town a few miles to the actual site of the AAF. you can drive around on the old base roads and they have signs up that
explain what/where buildings were located.
Of interest are the three remaining old wooden (giant) hangars that were built for the B-24 bombers.
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Next time you are in Tonopah, stop in at the Museum. I really like their display on the old Tonopah AAF (Army Air Field). They also have a really nice
dispay of artifacts outside the museum.
Then take highway 6 east of town a few miles to the actual site of the AAF. you can drive around on the old base roads and they have signs up that
explain what/where buildings were located.
Of interest are the three remaining old wooden (giant) hangars that were built for the B-24 bombers. |
Thanks. WE have been to the mine museum there, but not the other museum, but we will The old giant hangers off of 6 would be really interesting to
see.
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monoloco
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Well done! My favorite is the second one.
"The future ain't what it used to be"
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by monoloco
Well done! My favorite is the second one. |
THANKS --- that is also one of my favorites for a lot of reasons and I am always happy when someone likes one of my favorites!
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wessongroup
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Thanks again ... 
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cabonotcho
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Very nice thank you for sharing this.
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DianaT
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Thanks to both of you.
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TMW
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Another great trip thru time. Beautiful pictures, thanks.
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Skipjack Joe
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This one's sort of comical:
| Quote: | Originally posted by DianaT
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<beep> "Take me to your leader" <beep>
-------------------------------------------------
The image of colored bottles is pretty nice. That may be my favorite.
Thanks for sharing, Diane.
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DianaT
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Thanks TW. 
Igor, I agree and I am happy you saw it. I took this picture because to me it looked a little robotic, a bit capable of being alive, and like
something that maybe traveled there with ET. 
Thanks
[Edited on 11-7-2013 by DianaT]
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Whale-ista
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Interesting report, contrasting the "traditional" boom towns of the 20th century based on gold/silver with the "new" boom of 21st century renewable
energy, and gold still in a close second.
In early March I visited Death Valley, then crossed into NV to visit ghost towns near Baker. It has a charming museum full of mine deeds,
advertisements soliciting investors, etc. recalling boomtown economies that crashed and burned.
Hmmm...they reminded me of a recent bubble that blew up and left a lot of people in debt. Funny how the "winners" who walk away with the money are
still pretty much the same, decades later.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Whale-ista
.....
Hmmm...they reminded me of a recent bubble that blew up and left a lot of people in debt. Funny how the "winners" who walk away with the money are
still pretty much the same, decades later. |
It seems there are constants in the world.
Thanks
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Bubba
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Great pics as always, Thanks!
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DianaT
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Bubba
Great pics as always, Thanks! |
Thanks Bubba!
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