Southern CA Day Trip: Calico
Ghost Silver Mining Town Calico, California
I challenge myself to go new places alone. It gets me out of the house and I feel like it helps maintain a bit of my waning sanity. The main thing is it cannot be considered an errand, something about the solo trip needs to go beyond a “chore.” I like to call my little outings “Solos.” It makes me think of red Solo cups and Frat parties and country songs and then I just chuckle. Side note, if you have not heard the Toby Keith Song “Red Solo Cup,” I highly recommend you experience the amazingness of this song. And I dare you not to laugh.
A few weeks ago, I did a random search for nearby Ghost Towns. I came across Calico Ghost Town in Yermo, CA, just outside of Barstow, CA. It’s technically a San Bernardino County Regional Park. It was a silver mining town active from 1881-mid 1890s. It’s residents ghosted it when silver lost its value. It ended up being really cool and a really enjoyable day.
The area was bought by Walter Knott in the 1950s (Knott’s Berry Farm, anyone?) with the mission to rebuild through restoration and maintain the area as an educational experience. You can see a mix of buildings in various stages of restoration. My favorite part was being able to see the working day-to-day items still on the land. Broken wheels, the blacksmith shop, an abandoned table and chair sitting inside a building, all just add to the general charm and authenticity of the place.
I chose to walk around outside and enjoyed the views of the surrounding landscape and spent about an hour there. If you want to extend the trip or really want to get more into the vibe of the space you can go on the attractions and tours that take you further into buildings. There are quite a few souvenir shops and a themed restaurant that extend the fun of the whole experience.
I really enjoyed the trip, I really enjoyed the drive out there, it was surprisingly nice! I went in July on a day when it wasn’t sweltering hot. Their website shows that they have Fall and Halloween themed events, which would be fun to go back for. A haunted event at a Ghost Town? Perfect setting!
As Fall approaches and the sweltering weather cools off, I hope you find some fun places to go on a Solo. Enjoy spending some quality time with yourself, ❤️ Petra.
