She made several purchases that set her back a few “Jeffersons.” After wandering around in the desert heat, a good meal and a cold drink is required.

Found the R & D Fossils & Minerals shop to be of particular interest, while my companion enjoyed the Candle shop. If you are just interested in shopping, fourteen shops are scattered around with a wide selection of different gifts and items for sale. Want to take a ride on historical train? The Calico & Odessa Railroad provides you that opportunity. Maggie Mine will provide you with an opportunity to explore a silver mine. The Lucy Lane Museum with a collection of artifacts, photographs and documents traces the history of this mining town. One will find numerous shops, and restaurants located within the Ghost Town complex. Camping, hiking and off roading desert trips are available at this site. Admission to the park is reasonable, however attractions have a separate entrance fee. Today, this ghost town is a thriving tourist attraction that draws guest from every corner of the world. The entire town (except for five of the original buildings) was restored to reflect their 1880 appearance. During the 1950’s Walter Knott (of Knott’s Berry Farm) took an interest in and purchased the town. Buildings were vandalized and others collapsed. For nearly a ½ century, Calico sat neglected and deteriorating. By the end of the century the area was abandoned, and Calico joined the long list of ghost towns found throughout Southern California. Ten years later, the silver ran out and the mines closed. In 1881, Calico became a silver mining town in the Mojave Dessert. The expedition continues with a stop at the Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, California.

Calico Ghost Town is a great place to get a bite to eat and do a little shopping if you’re traveling between Los Angeles and Las Vegas.

The desert park is just a few miles north of Barstow, and minutes offInterstate 15. Special events are held year-round, including Civil War re-enactments in February, Spring Festival featuring Americana music, the Calico Days Festival when the town’s rich mining history is celebrated with a burro race, miner’s triathlon, music and more, and let’s not overlook the ever-popular Halloween Ghost Haunt in October. By 1907, residents had moved away, leaving Calico to the tumbleweeds and spirits.Amenities include group and RV camping, mountain bike trails and off-road vehicle areas, fourteen shops, three restaurants, cabins and bunkhouses. The town thrived for 12 years, until the price of silver plunged and mining operations ceased. Visitors from around the world come to Calico each year to experience a real ghost town originally settled in the 1880s.A hive of activity for the adventurous at heart - the park hosts the Mystery Shack- a crooked house where water runs uphill, two museums, narrow-gauge train rides and gold panning.Calico was founded during California’s largest silver strike.

Calico mine ride