Saturday, June 1, 2013

Spring Break Part 2c Calico

Why oooh, why have The Happy Ones been so quiet?  Our new computer has made posting blog posts really frustrating.  Actually it is Windows 8 that is causing most of the frustration, followed by our smart phones and "the cloud".  We thought we would have made it past the learning curve by now, but 8 takes over when it wants to, and my phone cannot decide if it is Cindy's phone or mine, and our pictures are floating over our house somewhere  in space.  So anyway...

This is the post you have all been waiting for.  Yes, this is the final chapter of our spring break camping trip to Rainbow Basin near Barstow.  On our last full day of camping we went to Calico Ghost Town, which was a relatively short drive from the campground.  If you are not familiar with Calico, it is a ghost town, but it was turned into a tourist destination in the 1930s by Walter Knott, the berry farmer who created Knott's Berry Farm, in Buena Park.  This is the second time The Happy Ones have been to Calico this year, but this is the first time we were all there together.  We had a lot of fun riding the train, going to the stores, panning for "gold," exploring a mine, going through the Mystery House, and such.  Afterwards, while Dominik was napping, I gave Lukas and Konrad a shooting safety class in the nearby hills.  We talked a lot and plinked a little, and then hauled off a trash bag full of other people's junk that they left behind.  On the way back to camp we stopped off at a train museum in Barstow, and had a treat at Del Taco.  Have I mentioned I love Del Taco?  Barstow is the mecca for Del Taco lovers, because Del Taco was founded here.  Del Taco #1 is no longer but we ended up having treats at #2.
Old steam powered fire engine

Taking a bath


Checking out a mine

"Danger!!!"

Trying to stand up "straight" in the Mystery House

The train

Target shooting

Watching Dad

Train stuff

Old computer that monitored the trains years ago



Packed up and heading home

Where is Barstow?  These signs will tell you where, in relation to cities around the world.

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