Bodie, California

                Bodie, California is a ghost town that lies just east of the Sierra Nevada mountains in the Bodie Hills. It is about seventy-five miles southeast of  Lake Tahoe and is one of those places that you hear about but are unsure as to whether you want to put it on your travel itinerary --- until you see it. The ride into Bodie on an old gravel road with Mt. Whitney in the background sets the scene for your destination and a trip back in time. Once you're there you"ll want to wander around forever because there is always something else to see. Photographers are allowed in an hour earlier than other visitors and it's worth getting up for. The town of Bodie became a historic state park in 1962  and receives about 200,000 visitors per year. It was started  as a mining camp by W. S. Bodey in about 1860 when gold was discovered here. The original spelling of  Bodey was changed to Bodie shortly thereafter. The park was threatened with closure in 2009 and 2010 but is now administered by a foundation.

                I wandered into Bodie in July of 2000 and was totally taken with the place and its history. I was glad that I got up at dawn to venture there  because by ten in the morning the sun is high and the town is full of tourists. I was using a Leica M-6 and a good supply of Kodak Tri-X film which worked well for this type of shooting. This was also the very last time that I travelled with film cameras. I would recommend Bodie to anyone visiting central California or Nevada as it is close to Yosemite and Reno. I saw numerous tourists from Europe and Asia while in and around the park. I hope you enjoy the images I chose for this month's blog.

Ancient gasoline pumps at a stop in Bodie

Dwellings in the heart of town

Methodist church at the fringe of a lawless community

Bodie architecture

Images of age

A Bodie homestead

The town of Bodie from a distant rise

Back door of a brothel

Shops and saloons on the main road

One of the few brick dwellings

Two of 170 remaining buildings

A Dodge Graham truck sits on a side street

The general store in Bodie

An alley view of buildings and the Methodist church