Bodie and Fall Colors

On my drive home, I stopped to visit Bodie. It's been nearly 4 decades since my last visit. Doesn't look like things have changed much. The town and landscape are still very stark, foreboding and beautiful.

All the buildings are preserved in a state of arrested decay.

Click on pic once/twice for enlarged view

View of Bodie from a high hill

Artifacts are strewn everywhere

Bodie sits at 8,375', one of the highest mining towns in the US. The Sierra crest is visible from the town.

During its hey days, the population numbered 10,000 people and consisted of 2,000 buildings. Two major fires destroyed most of the town. Only 5% of the buildings remain today.

View of the main district

The Methodist Church at the corner of Green and Fuller Streets

Church and surrounding buildings viewed from a small hill

Methodist Church (above and below)

Row of residential buildings

The J.S. Cain residence, one of the town's principal property owners

Photos of interiors through grimy windows

Some of the buildings have neat patterned tin siding to protect the wood

The first Humvee

Period vehicles - vintage mining wagon

1927 Dodge Graham truck

School House

Wheaton and Hollis Hotel and Bar

Pool Table with great legs

Corner room

Fan back wicker chair - I like it!

View of Standard Mine where over $15 million of gold was extracted

More views of Standard Mine

Tilting outhouse

Views of another outhouse

Watch where you step . . . !

Swazey Hotel

Front view of Swazey Hotel

More neat patterns

Heavy duty iron artifacts are scattered all over town

View from Cemetery Hill

Tombstone for white folks

The Chinese section stuck in the back corner

View of Cemetery Hill

It's mid-September and I was hoping to catch some fall colors. I drove up the mountain to Virginia Lakes where the aspens were turning color. These were the only fall colors I saw and was well worth the side trip.

Virginia Lake (9,770') at the end of a 6 mile road

End of another awesome trip.