Nevada Ghost Towns & Beyond

Have you noticed the Cottonwood trees lining Highway 395, just south of the Nevada border? They are stunning in their fall color, so I had to stop on the way home from Mono Lake. Henry Dickson's daughter had a handicap; her freedom was afternoon buggy rides. To protect her from the sun, Henry planted the Cottonwood trees around 1900 to shade her from the harsh summer sun. My son has ... VIEW POST

If you are interested in ghost towns, there is a good chance you have been to Bodie. But have you been to Little Bodie? Two miles south of the Bodie turnoff is an ECV historical marker on the east side of the highway. Two miles east of the marker (4-wheel drive) are the ruins of Little Bodie. While they aren't nearly as scenic as the state park, it is a mostly forgotten piece of Bodie's ... VIEW POST

Dayton Lime Works & the Great Fire of 1875 Like many men of the time, Hank Blanchard wore many hats, including those of a teamster and a prospector. While primarily known for his role around Bodie, Blanchard got his start in Nevada. He built Dayton Lime Works in 1875, outside Dayton, Nevada. Blanchard built a boarding house so his twelve to fifteen workers could live on-site and ... VIEW POST

I have wanted to visit the Hess Ranch since I first saw the beautiful brick ranch house. Jacob Hess started the ranch in the late 1800s. Following the death of his wife, the ranch was sold several times. The stately brick house was built in 1910, an upgrade from the original white house. The Hess Ranch may be the most intact historic ranch in Nevada I have visited. It included the ... VIEW POST

Heading to Bodie or Aurora? Why take the modern route when you can follow the old stage road from Genoa to Aurora or Bodie? Even if you are driving Highway 395, you can still follow a portion of the old route. Genoa and Carson City were the primary supply and service centers for the eastern Sierra. Toll roads connected travelers from the southern mines to Genoa and Carson City and, ... VIEW POST