Though it was a good distance of US-50, I opted to visit Berlin-Ichthyosaur State Park. As the 3+ hours that I spent there will attest it was worth the stop. The park features two distinct parts; a pavillion built over fossil remains of an ancient marine mammal and the remains of a couple mining ghost towns.
The fossil house was locked up, but was designed in away to allow visitors like me to peer through windows to see the fossils of the of the giant marine mammal in situ.
In any event, I was really came to see the mine history. There were actually two. All that remains of Union is one adobe house, but the park had about a score signs to mark the locations of other houses, stores & community buildings. The town of Berlin is much more intact. The mine shaft, the mill & a handful of other structures still stand. They are also marked with signs to identify them & relay a little history.
Even though it was getting on in the day, I walked a tad further to the Diana Mine entrance. I was a splendid spot to end my visit. The mine was neat, but it also offered a wonderful view over the broad valley to the west. A couple fighter jets from the nearby base roared overhead as I stood by, soaking up the scene.
No comments:
Post a Comment