When Meggie and Paige and a kid named Johnny uncover the missing diary in the ghost town of Bodie, California, they have no idea what secrets had been buried for over a hundred years. Bodie--once known as the Wildest Mining Camp in the West--comes to life through the words of the unknown girl whose words, Goodbye God, I'm going to Bodie have become a legend. The Ghostowners set out to discover Anna's secrets, but uncover a whole lot more than they had bargained for.

First published in 1956, this is a history of California’s official state gold rush ghost town, which was designated a National Historic Landmark in 1961, and in 1962 became Bodie State Historic Park. The account is written by Ella M. Cain, a native of Bodie, whose father-in-law James S. Cain and family owned much of the land the town is situated upon and had hired caretakers to protect and to maintain the town’s structures following its decline in 1914. “Bodie deserved and sustained its reputation of being the most lawless, the wildest and toughest mining camp the Far West has ever known.”—Ella M. Cain

"A guide to the best ghost towns of California. Once thriving, these abandoned mining camps and pioneer villages still ring with history. Philip Varney equips you with everything you need to explore these sites, including maps, directions, history, and photos"--Provided by publisher.

"Bodie, the very sound of that name conjures up images of "The Bad Man From Bodie", a rough and tumble life, and the harsh climate of a gold mine boomtown of the early West. But to a young park ranger and his wife, fresh out of college, and with a child on the way, it was an intimidating beginning to a 32-year career with California Department of Parks and Recreation. A PATHWAY THROUGH PARKS follows the career of Ranger Carl S. Chavez and his family as they travel the length and breadth of California from the ghost town of Bodie State Historic Park to the mountains and beaches of Southern California. Each new assignment brings new adventures and challenges as Ranger Chavez promotes up the career ladder to positions on the Central Coast of California, the Sierra Nevada and finally to the redwoods of Northern California at Humboldt Redwoods State Park. Career decisions must be made which result in advancement, "out of the field", and into the Management ranks of Regional and Division Headquarters. Yet even these changes do not alter the opportunity for stories and tales of humor and tragedy, joy and sorrow, adventure and routine, and the success and failure that many readers will recognize in their own lives. Anyone who has retired from the workforce, regardless of occupation, will have memories like those found in A PATHWAY THROUGH PARKS. The author's experiences will give all those who love the Great Outdoors and enjoy our parks and forests a rare, inside glimpse, not only of the inner workings of park operations, but also, of family life living in parks.

Ghosts Towns of the West is filled with photographs, maps, history, and detailed directions to find the best ghost towns to linger in the wake of the Old West. Ghost Towns of the West blazes a trail through the dusty crossroads and mossy cemeteries of the American West, including one-time boomtowns in Arizona, California, Colorado, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington, and Wyoming. The book reveals the little-known stories of long-dead soldiers, indigenous peoples, settlers, farmers, and miners. Perfect for planning a road trip, each section covers a geographic area and town entries are arranged by location to make this the most user-friendly book on ghost towns west of the Mississippi. Most ghost towns are within a short drive of major cities out West, and they make excellent day trip excursions. If you happen to be in or near Los Angeles, Phoenix, Las Vegas, or El Paso, for example, you ought to veer towards the nearest ghost town. Western ghost towns can also easily be visited during jaunts to national parks, including Grand Canyon, Yosemite, Crater Lake, Mount Rainier, Glacier, Yellowstone, and many others throughout the West. Ghost Towns of the West is a comprehensive guide to former boomtowns of the American West, covering ghost towns in eleven states from Washington to New Mexico, and from California to Montana. This book has everything you need to learn about, visit, and explore a modern remnant of how life used to be on the western range.

A ghost town is only as good as the stories about it. The legends of bar-fights, famous visitors, and big findings of gold are throughout this book. It also has a good map and directions on locating the towns, some of which are "alive" today.

With this book in hand, hikers can spend their days wandering in wildflower meadows, hiking to cragged peaks, or swimming in cobalt-blue lakes in the Sierra Nevada, and then settle into a deck chair at sunset to enjoy the alpenglow. Hot Showers, Soft Beds, & Dayhikes in the Sierra describes 112 carefully chosen dayhikes in Yosemite, Sequoia and Kings Canyon national parks, John Muir, Ansel Adams, Desolation, and Emigrant wilderness areas, and more. Many hikes have easy-through-strenuous options, and every hike listed is in close proximity to one or more quality accommodations (over 80 cabins, B&Bs, motels, lodges, guest ranches, and resorts are described).