While Meadview has limited attractions, for me anyway, one thing there really appeals to me: the sunsets. Every evening during my stay, the sunset was absolutely spectacular. I didn't even go out to photograph Saturday's sunset, as I was too engrossed in a football game on TV. I looked out the window and lamented the fact that I couldn't enjoy both.
There was a little time for bird photography on my last day in Meadview, mainly because the Joshua trees by my campsite suddenly became very active with birds. I'll just share a couple bird photos. First is the cute little cactus wren actively collecting materials for a nest, then squeezing into a tiny area deep within the fronds to place the material.
Another bird that loves the Joshua trees, and lives primarily in the desert for that reason, is the ladder-backed woodpecker. This is the first one I've ever seen, or at least identified.
My last sunset in Meadview was truly amazing, 360 degrees of color.
After moving to Golden Valley, near Kingman, I took a drive into nearby mountains to visit some ghost towns. First stop was Mineral Park. This mining town was founded in 1871 and, with a population of 700, became the County Seat. After about fifteen years, the gold and silver mines went into decline and the town was finally abandoned in 1912. Now there is a huge open pit copper mine on the site, limiting visits to the five remaining structures and the cemetery. I managed to see two old buildings before being told that prior arrangements with the mining company were required to visit the old town site.
All that can be seen of the copper mine are huge piles of tailings. I did meet a worker who was "driving" a large drilling rig to a new location. He walked behind the rig, controlling it remotely with what looked like a game controller.
Although it claims to be a ghost town, Chloride is far from it. Nearly 400 people still live in the town, many of whom make a living from tourism and serving visitors. Still, it is an interesting place that has some original buildings, but is also known for its quirky art.
Several residents display yard art crafted from junk, of which there is ample raw material scattered about.
The main reason I went there was to see the murals painted on boulders by Roy Purcell, a well known artist who lives in Las Vegas and works in a variety of media. Purcell gained national prominence in 1966 when, at age 30, he painted "The Journey", a series of colorful murals on granite boulders in the Cerbat Mountains near Chloride. He called it a "search for inner self". Many of the symbols are borrowed from Indian culture.
I think homeowners would love to know what kind of paint he used, because the colors are still vibrant after more than 50 years of exposure to the elements.
Nearby boulders have markings that may be ancient petroglyphs or may have been created by Purcell. I could not tell if they are authentic, especially since it would be difficult to get really close to them.
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