Dublin Gulch Caves, Shoshone, CA. Wooden doors lead into shadowy rooms that originally held stoves, beds and all the comforts of home. These cave residences were hand-dug by miners into the soft hills on the edge of the tiny town of Shoshone. Most of them are locked, but you can still peer through open windows…
Blair Valley, Anza Borrego Desert State Park. For anyone who thinks of the desert as a monotonous and endless stretch of sand and ugly rocks: this is for you. The Anza Borrego Desert State Park is three hours southeast of Los Angeles, in the backcountry of the San Diego backcountry. It’s the perfect Southern California weekend…
White House Saloon, Randsburg, CA. The desert can be a thirsty place, but if you’re visiting Randsburg, California, the White House Saloon will slake your thirst on many levels. Randsburg is part of a cluster of ghost towns in the Mojave Desert close to the junction of Hwy 395 and Hwy 14. There is a…
Amargosa Opera House Hotel, Death Valley Junction, CA. I wasn’t prepared for the noose hanging in the abandoned room, the peacock fan headboard with the strange glow, the untraceable bridal reflections in the swinging kitchen doors, and unwelcoming feel. It was the cold of an influenza winter from the perspective of the survivors, clinging to…
