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| Goldfield Ghost Town |
There are people who love staying home watching TV and spending the day resting, then there are people like, my twelve year old daughter McKenna and me who love to explore and travel at the same time, earning an education by visiting interesting sites around us. We had the exciting opportunity to visit two ghost towns in our new home state of Arizona. The first was Goldfield ghost town, which is located in Goldfield and the second was Tombstone, which is located in the Mule Mountains. Both had exciting things to do and offered historical information about the history of the area. You may ask yourself, is this something you can afford to do, is there enough time to take a day trip, or is this something that is enjoyable to both single people and families? Although going to a ghost town can be enjoyable, it can also include taking a considerable amount of time out of your day and could involve a lot of walking. Often times, life can be very busy, so when the weekend arrives the last thing on your mind would be to take a lengthy drive and then walk all day, but after visiting the ghost town sights that Arizona has to offer in our own backyard, I know you will feel it was well worth your time.
Visiting a ghost town has always been on my list of things to do, so when we moved to Arizona my daughter and I jumped in the car and set to GPS for Goldfield! Although we were excited about our new adventure, my daughter and I were apprehensive about going to a ghost town, afraid that there may truly be spirits out there that had yet to find a peaceful resting place.
Goldsmith Ghost Town is known to the locals as the "Gateway to the Legendary Superstition Mountains"(Goldsmith). The history of this little town began back in 1809. Goldsmith was a thriving community, filled with everything that a town needed to function. There was a blacksmith, a boarding house, saloons, a meat market, a general store and a school. Through the years the town of Goldsmith was able to successfully mine millions of tons of gold. In 1894 a section of the mine was closed down, due to what the miners described as "abnormal and haunting events” (Goldsmith). Unfortunately, shortly thereafter the town died due to a decline of the availability of gold ore.
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| Superstition Mountains |
Our visit to Goldsmith was filled with many things to do, some of which mystified my daughter and me. There was a great mix of families and couples on the day we went. The town was well kept and just like in the old days, the roads are made of dirt and rock. The distant sound of excitement coming from the voices of the children added to our own excitement! We stopped at a home called The Mystery Shack. It is said that back in 2009 a miner's home was restored and moved to an old section of Goldfield.
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| "The Mystery Shack" |
The house smelled of weathered wood and the air was thick from the heat outside. The home is said to have a vortex that defies gravity and has been given the name "The Mystery Shack" (Goldsmith). Upon entering the home, McKenna and I walked, not very gracefully I may add, at a 45 degree angle, witnessed water running from faucets that had no connection to outside pipes and saw objects that hung freely from the ceiling at a 45 degree angle. We tried sitting in a chair at the Mystery Shack and found getting up a challenge. Once we were finally able to get back on our feet, we rolled a ten-pound ball freely uphill instead of down.
After doing some internet research, I found that there were over 275 ghost towns in Arizona, so we planned our next visit for Tombstone (Ghosttowns). The town of Tombstone is best known for the infamous gunfight at O.K. Corral, which included brothers Wyatt, Morgan and Virgil Earp along with Doc Holliday (Arizonaghosttowntrails).
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| Doc Holliday |
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| Original Picture of Tombstone |
With the sun on our faces and the dust kicking up over the main road, you could visualize the gun fights that took place there. It was like taking a step back in time. There was a gun fight re-enactment for the visitors to participate it. When the guns were fired, the smoke hovered in the air, and with our eyes closed, we were back in the 1800's. My daughter and I then walked down the main road and paid a visit to the photography studio, where we were able to watch as families had their old time pictures taken.
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| Gun Fight re-enactment |
On the flipside, Goldfield Ghost Town also had many things for the entire family. Visitors were able to pan for real gold, take a carriage ride or go horseback riding. For those not interested in physical entertainment, there was shopping at the local general store. There is no entrance fee for the town; however, the cost for entertainment packages is as follows (Goldfield):
| Dinner at the Steak House/Western Entertainment | Starting at $30.00 |
| Outdoor "Under the Stars" Steak Cookout & Fixins Campfire, Storyteller, with legends of the Superstition Mountains and hot coffee No Host and Host Bar available | Starting at $45.00 |
| All Attractions "The Mother Lode" | Starting at $30.00 |
If I had to choose between re-visiting Goldfield versus Tombstone, I would hands down choose Goldfield. Although the town is not nationally known like Tombstone, the grounds at Goldfield were cleaner and there were organized functions for families, as well as singles and couples to do.
We loved our visit to Goldsmith and Tombstone, as it was a way to gain an education about our new surroundings and a moment in time where my daughter and I could build a memory that only she and I could share together. Although visiting a ghost town may not be on the top of your vacation "to do" list, you just may be pleasantly surprised upon arriving. The education obtained could prove invaluable to not only adults, but would reinforce what your children are learning in school about the history of America.
References:
"Ghost Towns of Arizona - Arizona Ghost Towns with History, Pictures, and Location." Ghost Towns of Arizona - Arizona Ghost Towns with History, Pictures, and Location. Http://www.ghosttowns.com, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012. http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/az.html
"Goldfield Ghost Town - Gateway to the Legendary Superstition Mountains." Goldfield Ghost Town - Gateway to the Legendary Superstition Mountains. Http://www.goldfieldghosttown.com, n.d. Web. 16 Sept. 2012.
"Ghost Town Trails - Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona." Ghost Town Trails - Tombstone, Cochise County, Arizona. Http://www.arizonaghosttowntrails.com, n.d. Web. 17 Sept. 2012.
http://www.arizonaghosttowntrails.com/tombstone.html