Day 68: Mono Mills to Benton Crossing via Bodie, CA

Today’s adventure was exploring one of California’s best preserved Gold Rush Ghost Towns. We dropped off the trailer at the Mono Lake Visitors Centre and drove the long winding gravel road to Bodie, CA. On the way, we saw shepherds working their flocks on the mountain sides. That is a job I could get into!

The now abandoned mining town had its heyday in the late 1800s when its population swelled to 10,000 citizens. At the height of the boom in 1881, Bodie boasted 65 saloons, 18 lodging houses and hotels, 3 breweries, restaurants, a post office, bank, fire station, school, Chinatown, red light district, jail and much more. It sounded like a crazy place. There were 100 men for every woman and, more often than not, the first gun fight of the day occurred before breakfast. After two fires that burned huge sections of the town, the remaining structures represent about 5% of what Bodie was at its peak.

Upon our arrival, we got a history lesson about Bodie from an engaging park ranger who then took us on a guided tour of the stamping mill. The mill was originally one of nine mills (and now the only one left) where the quartz that was mined from one of the 300 mine tunnels underground into dust and where the gold and silver dust were then separated out using mercury and then cyanide. We self-guided around the remaining town structures and were able to peek in all the windows. We saw bars, a mercantile, the morgue (with caskets), and more. So many things were left inside the buildings - beds, books, dry goods, cooking utensils - it looked like people just got up one day and left, leaving so many of their belongings behind. The historical movie answered any remaining questions we had, including showing how harsh the winters were and the crazy deep snow they got here due to the above 8,000 ft elevation of the town. Also we saw in the film how the Main Street turned into a stinky bog in the spring when all the horse and donkey poop mixed with snowmelt and mud. Yuck!

Fire hall.

Gas station.

General store.

Gaming hall.

Bar.

Mailboxes at the Post Office.

Restaurant.

Hotel room.

School house.

Stamping mill.

Superintendent Hoover’s house.

Mercury tables.

Safe.

Jail house.

General store.

General store.

Methodist church.

It was a cool place to see and we really enjoyed our visit. After reuniting with our trailer, we checked into Brown’s Owens River Campground in Benton Crossing. This is an incredibly beautiful place with enormous, beautiful mountains in the distance. Our site backs directly on to a winding river. As the boys searched for painted rocks throughout the campground to earn them a free root beer float for each one found courtesy of the camp store (this was instantly their favourite campground ever) and I made a dinner of spaghetti and meatballs, we watched a storm roll in.

Boys with their free treats.

Rain incoming!

After dinner it was time to explore our first hot spring. We selected Wild Willy’s Hot Spring as our first one to try and it was perfect. It was a series of natural pools at the end of a long boardwalk. We managed to score a deep pool at the top (which is where the hottest water is). Also, the sunset was on fire! We’re now warm and sleepy - off to bed.