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September 20, 2017 www.DesertMessenger.com 15 If you need someone to speak with after Sunday's devastating news, Cenpatico Crisis Line is open 24 hours/day. 1-866-495-6735 Desert Messenger offers FREE Classifi ed Ads! Here's the small print: Items for sale under $1000. Private Party Only. 1 per month. Yard/Garage/Craft Sales, Wanted, Give-a-ways, Free, Lost & Found, etc. (non-commercial) For more information, contact Rain at 928-916-4235 or Email: Editor@DesertMessenger.com into the some of the pits as well, plus engine rooms, storage buildings for explosives, a portion of the original railroad, and even vaults where the silver bars were stored awaiting ship- ment back east. A trail heading up the mountain leads to the Desert Queen headframe, huge tailings piles, ruins of the Tonopah mine and amazing views of the mining district and the town of Tonopah. If you haven't had enough after vis- iting the Mining Park, head east on Hwy 6 a couple of miles and you will see on the left the remains of an enor- mous ore processing plant. Turn left onto the dirt road, and you will see the front of the smelter, some more tailings, vaults, and remnants of other refi nery buildings. There are 4-wheel drive roads to explore in the desert, too, where there are remains of more mines. Also, on the south side of town on 95 is the Nevada State Museum, which houses antiquities, fossils and artifacts, more mining equipment, and cool lit- tle buildings from a min- ing camp. For more photos and information about To- nopah, the Historic Min- ing Park, and the Nevada State Museum, and to purchase ore samples from the Tonopah Min- ing District visit our website http:// AdventuresWithRocks.com. Also, please follow us on Facebook and here in the Desert Messenger for more exciting places to visit along Hwy 95 as you head to Quartzsite. Happy Travels! ADVENTURES WITH ROCKS ™ By Jenn Jedidiah Free • www.AdventuresWithRocks.com In our last column, we took you to Grimes Point Archeological Area, near Fallon, NV. And now we head southbound, on Hwy 95 from Fallon to Tonopah. There is about 175 miles of desert between the two, and if you don't want to make the drive all at once, there are a couple of pretty plac- es to stop about midway. My favorite is Walker Lake- a picturesque desert lake with mountains and canyons all around it. There are a couple of nice campgrounds down by the shoreline, and if you are a boater, this could be paradise for a day or two. But don't stay too long, because there is still so much to see and do along this route. Tonopah, NV is a fairly de- cent-sized town, as far as desert towns go. Some in- teresting neighborhoods and historic buildings round out the experience of this town, but the biggest attraction is Tonopah's mining history. Tonopah was once a booming cen- ter of silver production in this part of Nevada. From 1900 to 1921, the mines at Tonopah produced 138 mil- lion ounces of silver and 1.5 million ounces of gold. There are three ways to explore the mining history of Tonopah: take a 4-wheel drive trip out into the des- ert behind Tonopah, visit the Nevada State Museum, and spend the day at the Tonopah Historic Mining Park. If you only have time to do one of those things, then defi nitely choose the Mining Park. It takes an entire day to see all of it, and it is well worth it. Be prepared to do alot of walking outdoors, so wear comfortable shoes Silver, silver and more silver and take water and snacks. Get there early so you can take your time. Begin at the Visitor Center to see the short movie about the Tonopah Min- ing District and the mines that are part of the Mining Park- the Mizpah, the Silver Top, the Desert Queen, and the Tonopah. The visitor center also has a really cool rock and mineral col- lection as well as a small museum of antique mining equipment and pho- tos. After the movie and some time in the museum you will head out onto the trails that wind around the prop- erty, amidst tailings piles, old tools, equipment, structures and debris. The Mining Park encompasses 100 acres and contains portions of four of the major mining companies that be- gan the great rush to Tonopah in the early 1900's and made it the "Queen of the Silver Camps". Many of the buildings and structures have been preserved or restored and are open for visitors to enjoy. The headframes for three of the mines are still standing, including the impres- sive headframe of the Mizpah mine which was the fi rst in the country to be built of steel. There are overlooks We have great lunch menus, serving at 12 noon sharp! Suggested donation is only $3.50. There's cards, books, games, puzzles, pool table, Wi-Fi available. Community Services, Volunteers Needed! Come join the fun at Quartzsite SENIOR Center 40 Moon Mountain Ave. For more information call 928-927-6496 Senior Center open all year! Monday - Friday, 9am – 3pm DEADLINE : WED. SEPT 27 TH for the oct. 4 th edition Desert Messenger News Email: editor@DesertMessenger.com 928-916-4235 www.DesertMessenger.com

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