Sunday, July 17, 2011

Friday the 15th - Ghost town and Borax





























Hi there everyone,


We enjoyed our last full day from home checking out a couple of attractions in the Barstow area. First we went to the Ghost Town of Calico which was just a couple miles from the KOA that we were staying at in Yermo. After which, we went to the Borax plant in Boron to check out their visitor center.


First, we went to the Ghost town that Walter Knott of Knott's Berry farm fame to check out this ghost town that was originally built in 1881 and was burned nearly completely to the ground after a fire. The town was re-built by Walter Knott in 1951. The town feels like you are walking through a Knott's Berry farm attraction. Most of the buildings look like ghost town buildings from the outside, but once you walk inside, you feel like you are in a strip mall store front. There were a lot of things that they were selling that had nothing to do with the history of the town like Mini tonka trucks and such. If you want to see a ghost town, skip Calico and take in Bodie which is off of 395, south of Reno Nevada.


Calico has a camp ground that is part of the park. Though it is 'Dirt camping', it is a nicely set up camp ground with many sites that have full hookups.


After we had lunch at the Calico Campground, we headed west to the city of Boron to check out the visitor center at the Rio Tinto facility which is better known as the home of the Borax twenty Mule Team. Carol and I had been past this Borax plant a number times during our lives, but always wondered what was there. Well, on this trip, we found out. We drove in to the plant and found a wonderful visitors center that is in the rim of the massive dig where Boron and other minerals are mined. If you are ever passing by and have the time, make a point to check out this visitors center. It is well worth the $3.00 admission fee.


We topped off the day with wonderful dinner at a place called Lola's. A hole in the wall Mexican food place in a little strip mall. We found this place with Yelp on Carol's cell phone.


We head home on Saturday after a wonderful week off work and seeing new places in our country. As always, we had a wonderful time!


Happy camping! Eric and Carol

1 comment:

what'supwithsusanandcompany said...

Looks like you had a great vacation. I like your blog.