Window to the Past

This is a window into our past. This picture was taken in a gold mining ghost town in the Eastern Sierras. It's name is Bodie. At one point in time, Bodie had a population of 10,000 people. Now it is run by the State of California as a park. It is kept in a state of "arrested decay". There are still many buildings standing, but you are able to enter very few of them. This is the General Store. The picture was taken through a dirty window.
There is a museum there with a myriad of items the miners used in their daily life. There was a bank, but all that is left of it is a wall and the old safe. There is a firehouse, a gas station, a mortuary, a schoolhouse and a church. Up on the hill above the town is the remnants of the old gold mine. They say there is still gold there, but it is too expensive to mine it.
At the edge of town is the cemetery. It has many fancy marble and granite head stones. Most of the inhabitants died very young. Outside the fence of the cemetery is a tall (5 ft?) obelisk with just the inscription " Rosa" on it. Rosa was a prostitute who helped nurse many of the miners when an epidemic hit. She is said to have saved many lives. However, due to her profession, she was not allowed to be buried in consecrated ground. I have been to Bodie many times and there are always flowers on her grave.
This is just a glimpse into the past of California. It is well worth visiting during the summer months. From mid-September to June the high mountain passes are usually snowed in. However, it can be reached easily from the Nevada side.