Visiting Gold King Mine Ghost Town

It’s Saturday evening already and I haven’t posted – no excuse just haven’t gotten around to it. We were supposed to leave this campground yesterday but have renewed for a week – might or might not stay that long. Depending on the weather across I-40 as the week progresses.

We stayed here as Bill wanted to get the brakes on Willie checked. While we were exploring on a narrow twisty dirt road that climbed up into the mountains above the Gold Mine Ghost town Bill said he heard and felt something he didn’t like in the brakes. Sure glad he didn’t tell me then I was already hanging onto the Oh Sh!t bar.  So Friday instead of leaving we asked the gate guard here for a reliable mechanic. Drove over there and had them checked - nothing was wrong - everything was fine – probably just sand got in them for a while.

Then we headed to Georgie’s again for breakfast – excellent. Went home and watched some NASCAR practice. Later in the day we went to Sedona to a bead store real nice place and I found the thread I needed. I can’t find it any where near home. Then we took a ride out to a fish hatchery – got there at 3:35 and it closed at 3:30 – oh well another time. I’m trying to stay kind of off my foot a little.

Today was another stay home day. Two soccer games and the truck race. We did get out to a used book store and WalMart. Should have enough reading matter until we get home.

But I do have a few things to write about and of course some pictures. When we went to Jerome we also went to a ghost town – that one of my readers told us about. The road to the town is by the fire house.

The sign for the ghost town. The original name was Haynes, AZ. It was established in 1890 when the Haynes Copper Co. dug a shaft to find copper and instead found gold!

The road leading in – were we going to a junk yard?

Some of the old buildings up on the hill and just a small portion of the vehicles sitting around.

After we parked and headed towards the entrance the first thing we encountered was a coffin – just sitting there waiting for someone I guess.

The entrance – through the gift shop of course. The car is drivable – I’ve seen it in Jerome.

Lots of stuff in the gift shop but nothing we needed. One nice thing was 75 and older got in for free. I just fudged a little – after all I remembered I would be 75 this year…..

The brochure says “Tons of antique trucks and mining equipment can be seen scattered across the landscape.” And they aren’t kidding. Have never seen so much STUFF. Piles and piles of it all over.

Looking down at a few of the vehicles.

Not sure what this is but it was pretty – maybe the door of an old oven? Just laying in a pile of other strange and rusted stuff. 

This is an International truck don't remember the year a sign on it said “The other woman” 

The dentist office

Inside the dentist's office

And shoe repair building

The inside full of machinery and old shoes and boots. 

Just one more picture - I took many many more of all kinds of cars and trucks and machinery - we could have spent hours there just looking at the stuff and trying to identify it. It is well worth the visit. 

After leaving here we started up the side of the mountain on a dirt road that ended up in Perkinsville 16 miles away. It was there that Bill heard and felt something in the brakes. So we went home for the day.