Bodie is like a trip to the Old West. Not only is it a ghost town it is also a state park. It is…read morelocated north of Mono Lake in the Eastern Sierras, not easy to get to but pretty cool spot. You drive in 13 miles on a road that is paved for a few miles then goes to dirt for the remainder. It is dusty and pretty rough at this current time. There is no cell service off Hwy 395. Upon arrival you pay at either the kiosk or at a self-pay machine depending on staffing then you park. The parking area is dirt and there are lots of flush toilet bathrooms and displays about the history of Bodie there. You will need to buy a $3 map as you enter to read about the buildings and the history, which are numbered so you can keep track. Next to this in an old building is a black and white informational movie running on an hourly loop. There are guided tours and history talks that are either free or an extra cost depending on which you choose. A store and museum is located midway through the park to purchase merchandise related to Bodie. There are 2 pit toilets next to the Bodie Motel that, for all intents and purposes, are real outhouses except they have real toilet seats on them. It's dusty, windy, and can be hot, but a great spot for history buffs, ghost hunters or families looking to blow off some steam. Dog friendly, too!

If there's one thing you need to know about me, it's that I LOVE WESTWORLD - or Westerworld, as my…read moreboss calls it. Ever since I saw the very first episode, I haven't been able to pause. The show is halfway through the second season and I'm already thinking about rewatching it from the beginning. But I digress. What does this have to do with Bodie State Historic Park? Let me explain. A couple weeks ago, I drove with some friends to the Sierra Nevada in hopes of uncovering the unknown and Bodie was at the top of our list. After a few hours of rugged, spooky and cold exploration, it was safe to say that we felt like guests walking through a parallel version of Westworld's Sweetwater. Settled in the mid 1800s, Bodie was a prominent mining town home to thousands of residents who looked for riches during California's gold rush. According to historical records (a.k.a. the park map), this town had been in operation until 1942 - after which, California took it over and declared it a historical landmark. Today, it remains as a well-preserved ghost town for tourists to explore. Ever since I read about Bodie, I've always wanted to visit this state park. And I was finally able to see it firsthand for myself. I know some of y'all are debating whether it's worth the time to venture out here just to see some "ghost town." So let me make it easy for you and list out all the amazing features Bodie had to offer: -- WELL-PRESERVED PARK -- I know some Yelpers have commented on how dilapidated some of the buildings are. Y'all, this is a GHOST TOWN, not a resort! Anyway, I appreciated how maintained the park was. Inside a lot of the houses, we saw stuff such as newspaper clippings that had been there for what seemed like a long time. Furthermore, all the structures appeared stable despite having that abandoned feel. -- GORGEOUS LANDSCAPE -- When I bloviated about how Bodie looked just like something straight out of Westworld, I wasn't kidding. The open layout of the town, the sprinkle of churches here and there, the old ranches, and the farm stables - they all helped create this genuine western feeling. It was beautiful. Especially with the mountains in the distance, we found it hard to believe this was real. -- SUCH HISTORY -- Thanks to the map guide and the video showing inside the barn-house, I learned more than I thought I would. For example, during Bodie's heyday there used to be a ratio of 100 or so miners to a couple of women. Damn! And apparently there was a lot of outlaws and old western showdowns. If you're a California history nut, you'll love this. -- MUCH MYSTERIOUS -- Super creepy area too. Lots of tourists came by during our visit, but it still felt so secluded and isolated. Very safe, but half the time I thought someone was about to rise from the dead and scare me. As a side note, we noticed that an employee actually lived on the park property so don't be spooked when you see his/her dog staring at you through a window... -- VERY INTERACTIVE -- Probably one of my favorite parts was that you could get close and personal with some of the property. For instance my friend was able to climb onto an old truck and even sit on what seemed to be remnants of a reindeer sleigh! In addition, they also had one tour that happened each day that allowed you access to the actual mining area! -- LOW-COST, HIGH REWARD -- Some of y'all also commented on the $$$ of the admission. It was actually only $8 for adults, $5 for kids ages 4-17, and free for the toddlers - SO CHEAP considering how you could spend literally an entire day walking around the gigantic park. It's also $2 for the map booklet, which I highly recommend getting. And, as an added perk this park also had NICE BATHROOMS! There are a few things you have to know when planning a trip to Bodie. First, there's only one official way to get in and one way out: Road 270. It's about 10 miles to the ghost town from U.S. Highway 395. After 7 miles, the rest is through very unpaved gravel. It's DOABLE, even for car rentals. Just be safe and drive under 10-20 miles per hour. Secondly, the weather. According to the website, Bodie is open all year-round, with winter hours between November 1st-March 31st and summer hours from April 1st-October 31st. But just because it's open everyday, this does NOT MEAN you should pull up during the dead of winter. This park will FREEZE and get snowed in. When we stopped by in the middle of May, it actually started sprinkling snowflakes! Because of the sudden snow and chilling winds, we had to leave early. Even if you feel like you can handle the cold, there's also a 100% chance the only road in will be closed too. So if you find yourself with nothing to do in California, or maybe you're randomly driving through the Sierra Nevada, I must recommend a visit to Bodie State Historic Park. I give it an "Omg, I'd travel 2 hours for this" rating. We came, we saw, we conquered and I'll definitely do it again. Have fun and prosper,

I had the pleasure of playing in the Hawthorne Volunteer Fire Department annual scramble tournament…read morelast weekend. The tee boxes and greens were the heightest part of the course. Its a 9 hole course with different tees for the back nine. It is not a links type where you go back and forth but need to pay attention where the next hole start and goes. The uniformly smooth greens were deceptively fast with wicked breaks. The fairways were lush and cut short. You don't want to land in the deep kevlar strong roughs like I did many times. The tall, really tall, trees line all the fairways and just beyond that is the desert....just pick up and save your clubs. There is a 230 yd straight par 3 that has a wall of 60 ft tall trees blocking the fairway. 40 yds from the tee is a 10 yd wide gap in the wall of trees that opens up to the 20 yd wide fairway. Giant trees line the entire fairway and the green. My foursome par it twice and were happy to do so. I'm a Californian passing through and brought my clubs just in case the Walker Lake golf course was acceptable. It was terrific and will try to return sometime. Mr Moto

Compared to Hawthorne Utilities, the pricing at Walker Lake Water District offers substantial…read moresavings on monthly bills. Keep up the good work, a customer.

The Walker Lake Water District GID, has nothing to do with Walker Lake or the water in it. This GID…read moresupplies sub-standard residential tap water to the town of Walker Lake.

I don't doubt there's a park. But the directions take you to the middle of a residential street and…read morefield full of impassable thorny ground cover I don't know where the hell I am, and can't find any patch of green on Google maps that makes sense.

This park has been a landmark in Hawthorne for decades. Growing up her I knew it as 'Lady Bird…read morePark' It's now the Veteran's Memorial Park and they have done an amazing job keeping it up. Though it's at the entrance to town next to the highway, it's a comfortable place to rest and with the back area fenced off for dogs, you have a safe place to let your dogs run a bit too.

I just wanted to post a shout out to the organizers and volunteers of this 4th annual event. The…read moreevent was well organized and ample snacks and drinks were available at each of the 3 check points. The weather was great and the views from the peak were even greater. Special thanks to Kathy Trujillo for answering all of our questions (and giving my group a partial refund) and Lt Colonel Gibbons (who also hiked to the top) for allowing us civilians access to hike to the top of Mineral County. If you are an active person who likes to get out and explore areas of the country that are off the beaten path, this event is for you.