Boo! America's coolest ghost towns

My father and I went to Bodie back in 2000 and spent a day going through the stores, homes, bank, and other relics from a bygone age.

If you’ve never been there…I highly recommend going if your interested in Western history.

Abandoned areas offer a slice of history — and an interesting detour

Some ghost towns are protected by parks departments. But Bodie, Calif., protects itself — with a curse.

For years, visitors to this ghost town have learned that bad luck will befall anyone who makes off with an artifact — a curse that is lifted only when the piece of contraband is returned.

Sure enough, park ranger Mark Langner says that a couple times a month, he gets something in the mail — “an old nail or a piece of glass, with an anonymous letter apologizing — they know they’ve done something wrong.” Curse or no curse, he says, “karma is karma.”

Full story here.