The view from above of the Kennecott mill (ghost) town in Alaska's Wrangell-St. Elias National Park. Photo by Jenna Schnuer.
Write a blog for long enough and, at some point, your patterns will start to emerge. You’ll notice the themes you return to time and again, the grooves of the record that are worn deep. I have a thing for the abandoned and the dying: American ruins, Rolley-Hole Marbles, Presbyterians. Psychologists, really, hold your tongues. I don’t care what it means.
So, while doing a bit of web wandering the other day, I got lost in GhostTownGallery.com. It’s a not-necessarily-beautiful-but-pretty-damned-fun travel blog written (and shot) by Daniel and Ligian Ter-Nedden, a couple who live in Zurich, Switzerland. They’ve visited more than 200 ghost towns in nine U.S. states. (Yes, I’m also keen on people who get mildly-to-completely obsessed with…whatever.)
And now I want to add a lot of what they’ve seen to my own ghost town experiences. (Yeah, add it to my list of travel to-dos.) The one in the photo up above, Kennecott mill town, sits high atop my list of favorite abandoned town experiences. But, until my next ghost town outing, I guess I’ll just keep myself busy on the Ter-Neddens’ site (amongst others) planning possible visits to places once known for their “wickedness, badmen, and ‘the worst climate out of doors,’” “lawlessness, murder, and mayhem,” and gold.
Though they were all abandoned once, I don’t see it happening again.
The latest issue of Montana Magazine has an interesting article on Montana’a top ghost towns. I haven’t read it yet but it looks pretty interesting. I’ve only been to 1 – Garnet – and it was pretty cool (yet another excuse to visit Big Sky Country)! Most books stores with a large magazine selection should carry this magazine and since the articles aren’t very long you could probably read the article while sipping a cup o’ joe, but, the magazine as a whole is worth a looksie. I love it!
Ooh, I love an old ghost town, definitely will be checking these out. Something about abandoned places is so fascinating.