An Afternoon in Bodie

Bodie Panorama

I recently took a trip that led me through Bodie State Historic Park. If you haven't been, and would be interested in seeing what remains of a town that flourished during the latter part of the California Gold Rush, then died out almost as quickly as it sprang up, this is a must visit. I was lucky enough to arrive here during their opening week for the season, with wonderful weather.

The remains of Bodie are a mix of buildings from it's hey day from 1877-1881 to when it was completely abandoned in 1942, and so you see a great mixture of technology from those eras. The buildings are for the most part untouched since the abandonment, so offer a unique view of what life was like.

When working with these photos it was hard not to fall into the black and white or sepia toning of them so to make them feel old. I feel that's a chintzy way to work with historic sites like this, and doesn't really allow the park to stand as it is today. Plus, with the vibrant greens of the foliage and the blue of the sky, I think the comparatively dull colors of the buildings contrasted nicely.

Methodist Church built in 1882

Interior of Methodist Church

The Organ

Between the grass and the sky, it looks idyllic 

A view on the outskirts of town, along with the road I came in on

The weather couldn't  have been  better

Old meets older

The most successful mining mill in Bodie, yielding more than $18 million over 38 years.

Western Bodie

A still life.

An interesting look at school, back in the day

Rack 'em up at the saloon

An early typewriter.

Check out the large display area on the left where you can still see bottles