What fun we had this morning visiting historic Virginia City, MT. It was started in 1863 when gold was found. It was a thriving area until the gold ran out. Many of the buildings are from the original era, some are restored. We did a self-guided walking tour before the crowds arrived and soaked in lots of history. As we walked we could just imagine: drunks getting tossed out of the saloon like John; horses hitched to the railings (well, we didn't have to imagine that as there actually was a horse there); ladies walking the boardwalks with long rustling skirts; goldminers having their ore assessed; and life as it was 2 centuries ago. There are follies here at night, train rides for kids, narrated stage coach rides and horse rides on nearby trails. Just down the road 1.5 miles is Nevada City which we just drove through and saw the mining equipment. Very interesting morning, that's for sure.