I saw signs for Calico Ghost Town way back when we went to the lantern festival near Las Vegas (almost three yearsss ago). I almost convinced Krystal, Emily, and Kaye to go. Almost. But we opted not to pay the fee. 

And on the way to Las Vegas in times past, it always seemed to be the adventure that gets knocked off the priority list. It just wasn't the right time.

Until it was.

Until this day.

You guys! It was my dream come true and so. much. fun.

We only had about an hour until it closed, but we paid the $8 admission fee* and entered into the old mining town. 

And then we were transported back in time! We sat on the porch rocking chairs, we visited Lucy Lane's Museum, and checked out some of the old shops. 

We also got some advice from "Old Pappy" that said "Don't ever underestimate the power of stupid people in large numbers..." #hopethatsnotme

I put Annemarie in jail only to watch her walk right out. And then we panned for some gold. We thought it might be real, but Annemarie's got some solid experience with fool's gold, and, well. I guess we're fools. 

Our next adventure took us to the Mystery Shack. It was trippy. The guide had a little story to go along with showing off the magic of the shack, but the whole thing made me feel so confused. You just couldn't think about it logically. I used my math skills to try to make sense of it. Or physics even. I still don't get it. And every time I thought the guide was going to actually tell us how they pulled it off, he'd just do something to make me more confused. There was one part especially where you could sit in this chair, but it felt like you were being pushed into it. In that same room, a broom could stand up straight. It was crazy! But also awesome. I love mysteries, and figuring things out, so even though I was frustrated by my own lack of understanding, I still enjoyed it.

Our finale of the day was making it to Maggie Mine — what used to be a working silver mine in the 1880s that is now for people like us to navigate through. We literally had thirty seconds until the mine closed, and we JUST MADE IT. 

The mine is a 1000 foot self-guided tour that takes you through and lets you see some of the old miner's themselves — they don't talk though, they're more like immovable statues — and learn how they worked in the mine way back when.

The mine exit opens up into a view of the whole mining town and beyond. Annemarie and I hiked up to the highest point and tried not to let the wind push us over the cliff.

I am so excited I finally got to experience this little ghost town. 

*Each adventure after that also cost money — about $2-3 — or you can get a package deal.