Visitors

The Far Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Blake came to visit us about a month before school let out.  The first thing we did was go hang out at the Bucket of Blood Saloon because that's our favorite place to go hang out.  Just kidding!  It was just a fun place to take a picture when we went to visit Virginia City.

Because of course we took the Far Grandma and Grandpa and Uncle Blake to see Virginia City.

We took an underground mine tour of the "Best and Belcher" mine.  The entrance was located in the Ponderosa Saloon right in the middle of town and the mine went under the town and into the hillside.

This is the emergency escape route.  Luckily, we didn't have to use it.

We also checked out the Virginia City graveyard.  Hmmm, I guess the theme this time was "under the ground".

We think above ground is best.

A Haunted Tour

While in Virginia City we took a tour of the Old Washoe Club--the haunted tour, that is.

Apparently a great deal of paranormal activity has been observed in the upper rooms of the club, now made famous by such groups as "Ghost Trackers" and "Ghost Adventures".

Please note:  I have not edited the following photos in any way.  Let me know if you see signs of any paranormal activity such as orbs, mists, ectoplasm, etc. in any of these pictures.

This was our tour guide.  He chronicled many of the unpleasant things rumored to have happened here as well as the more current ghostly happenings.

Look!  It's two orbs!  I promise--I did NOT edit these photos!

Oh, wait.  There are a couple of orbs in this picture, too.  Is the lake haunted?  Maybe they followed us.

What do you think?

Virginia City

We also took Lori and Grandma up to historic Virginia City, another very cool attraction nearby.  Virginia City was a mining boom-town established in the 1800's and preserved for us to experience.

I guess some people took their losses pretty hard.

Mark Twain was "born" in Virginia City, as it is the place in which Samuel Clemens first began using his pen name.

The boys like the name of the saloon pictured below.

This monument was built to commemorate the Comstock Load and contains ore from every Nevada county.

We witnessed a hold-up at the visitors' center.

The boys love the "Barrels of Candy" store.

St. Mary's in the Mountains Catholic Church is very impressive.

When we drove into Virginia City for the first time, I was really amazed that it was there.