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Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie

The Ghost Town of Bodie

September 08, 2017 by Gennifer Rose in California, City Tour, The Great Outdoors, Travel

History of Bodie

The tiny town of Bodie lies east of the Sierra Nevada mountain range in one of the most desolate regions of California. Bodie has been left abandoned for the last 75 years but remains perfectly preserved with homes, stores and even a school house filled with personal belongings. Gold was discovered in Bodie in 1859 by W. S. Bodey who perished shortly after the discovery in a blizzard while carrying supplies into town. At its peak, 65 saloons lined Main Street, which was a mile long. Murders, shootouts, barroom brawls, and stagecoach holdups were regular occurrences in the wild west country. While the church is the most prominent standing building, a secret red light district operated at the north end of town. What was once a booming mining town slowly declined into a desolate ghost town with the last of the population leaving in 1942.

Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie

The Curse of Bodie

Rumblings of the Bodie curse began in the 1970's when tourists began reporting unexplained incidences after taking home artifacts as souvenirs from the town. As I mentioned before, the ghost town of Bodie is full of all sorts of belongings left behind by the miners and their families. Inside the homes the art still hangs on the walls, clothing is hung inside the closets and dishes sit on the dining tables. It's as if the entire town population just vanished and never took any of their belongings. So many citizens came to a tragic death in Bodie, both from unfortunate run-ins with violent criminals and harsh weather conditions. There are documented stories of suicides, murders and eerie coincidences.

My boyfriend and I had our own series of unfortunate events directly following our visit to Bodie which we had dubbed "the curse" before we even knew it was a real phenomenon. The next morning after our visit to Bodie we awoke to our car completely buried in unseasonal snow. As we grabbed our boots and headed outside to begin shoveling, we left the door to our cabin unlocked. But when we returned it had somehow locked itself, leaving us stranded outside in the snow. It took over an hour for the managers to get the door open because the master key had gone missing.

After digging out our car, we learned that all the major roads had either closed or required chains on your tires. While preparing to hit the road on a search for tire chains, our car unexplainably locked itself with the keys inside. After another hour of waiting for AAA to arrive, the car magically unlocked itself and we were able to get inside. Finding chains for our car was another fiasco because the entire town had sold out. Long story short, we barely made it out of Bridgeport in one piece as the drive home was rough and very icy. 

Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose_Bodie_45.jpg
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Gennifer Rose - The Ghost Town of Bodie
Bodie Etsy Shops
Campfire Mug This Is My Adventure Mug By Lovewellhandlettered

Campfire Mug This Is My Adventure Mug By Lovewellhandlettered

Happy Camper Decal By TheHouseOfLumber

Happy Camper Decal By TheHouseOfLumber

True Grit Patches By UnexpectedType

True Grit Patches By UnexpectedType

Raw Goods By GreenCoveCollective

Raw Goods By GreenCoveCollective

The ROAM SWEET ROAM Pennant By Blackbird supply

The ROAM SWEET ROAM Pennant By Blackbird supply

Everyday of Your Life T Shirt By GreenCoveCollective

Everyday of Your Life T Shirt By GreenCoveCollective

Road Trip Camping Shirts By EspiLane

Road Trip Camping Shirts By EspiLane

Vintage 90s Big John Rare Denim Jacket By Fabstuffstore

Vintage 90s Big John Rare Denim Jacket By Fabstuffstore

Woodland Animals Notebook by Alice Draws The Line

Woodland Animals Notebook by Alice Draws The Line

Adventure Hiking Sweatshirt By WoodlandZen

Adventure Hiking Sweatshirt By WoodlandZen

SAND X GREEN COVE Utility Notes Case By GreenCoveCollection

SAND X GREEN COVE Utility Notes Case By GreenCoveCollection

Vintage Regal Picnic Pack By TheArtifactoryStudio

Vintage Regal Picnic Pack By TheArtifactoryStudio

Im Not Lost Im Exploring Tee By 85thAdventure

Im Not Lost Im Exploring Tee By 85thAdventure

Happy Camper Coasters By iGotCrafts

Happy Camper Coasters By iGotCrafts

Gennifer Rose - Pin it!
Ghost Town Bodie
The Ghost Town Bodie

See more California adventure:

Gennifer Rose - Tahoe Winter Wonderland
Gennifer Rose - San Francisco's Lands End
Gennifer Rose - Strawberry Fields

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COPYRIGHT: THIS ENTIRE SITE Ⓒ 2014-2019 GENNIFER ROSE. ALL OF THE PHOTOGRAPHS AND COPY HEREIN, UNLESS OTHERWISE NOTED, ARE COPYRIGHTED BY THE PHOTOGRAPHERS AND AUTHORS. NO PART OF THIS SITE, OR ANY OF THE CONTENT CONTAINED HEREIN, MAY BE USED OR REPRODUCED IN ANY MANNER WHATSOEVER WITHOUT EXPRESS PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDERS. PLEASE NOTE THAT THIS POST MAY CONTAIN AFFILIATE LINKS.
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September 08, 2017 /Gennifer Rose
California Love, travel, jet set travel, the great outdoors
California, City Tour, The Great Outdoors, Travel
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