What was this large wooden ore bin used for? Gold or silver ore? Some other kind of material? That’s part of the fun of finding places like this, the wondering what it was used for.

The Ranch House Cafe had been serving great food for decades, under several different names over the years. So sad to see it closed.

You’ve most likely zipped past this abandoned service station, if you’re a Hwy 395 junkie. It’s been closed for a long time, nothing to see here, keep moving along. But every place you see like this has a story, and sometimes, they’re wacky. And sometimes, they’re ordinary. I think the story behind this service station is rather extra-ordinary.

Here’s what the Rustic Oasis Motel sign looks like today. I had seen a picture of it from many years ago where it was in better shape and thought, “hmmm, I should stop and get a picture of that for my explor-files.” So, I did.

Imagine living next to a volcano. “What a blast!” Sorry. Sure, it’s been at least 10,000 years since the last eruption, maybe as long as 100,000 years. Why risk it? And what would the insurance rates be…..