We leave The Glacier National Park heading to Yellowstone, along the way we stopped overnight to explore two living ghost towns. Virginia and Nevada City in Montana. The area of Alder Gulch in the spring of 1863 began the stampede of gold seekers. Sluices soon lined the gulch and various “cities” blossomed Virginia City and Nevada City were two of them. The very much alive ghost towns, Virginia City and Nevada City, Montana, were frozen in time. It is a remarkably well-preserved Old West Victorian gold mining towns. When the gold ran out, it froze, and now represents the true and original Old West, even driving through you could still see the remnants of all the dredging that was done through the area. Virginia City and Nevada City lie along Alder Gulch about one mile apart, the site of the richest placer gold strike in the Rocky Mountains with an estimate total value of 100 million dollars throughout the 18th and 19th century. In the early 1860s, during the first three seasons, an estimated $30 million worth of gold was removed from the gulch. Believe me it has been frozen in time, when we went there it was hot , the restaurants and saloon has no a/c. They did have electricity though. Cool to go through and see how unchanged and well preserved it was. We also did the Brewery Follies, this was a comedy cabaret in an old brewery building. Interesting Pit stop.
Glad you got to see this, the follies is a riot... Now for Yellowstone, stay at Valley View Campground, tell Wendell hello, the owner, eat at Pond's Lodge, yummy home made bread, try Ernie's Deli, in West Yellowstone for great sammiches, also ask if the ranch out from Henry's Lake is still doing its rodeo and steak dinner, there is a family run place back at the foot of the mountains that has the best lamb, home made everything, pie to die for, down a dirt road off the main highway, Meadow Creek Lodge, have to go early or they run out of food. Have to see the trout at Big Springs. Go up on top of Chief Sawtell mountain and see all the surrounding area, beautiful. Drive around Henry's Lake, one of our favorite fishing lakes, watch for wolf and moose. Any questions, email me at retdon@gmail.com we spent many summers there.Linda
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