Harriman State Park & Virginia City

Monday we went to Harriman State park and the Railroad Ranch. It was interesting, but disappointing. There are no guided tours except on weekends so we couldn't get into any of the buildings. Visitors are not allowed in the buildings without a guide because some of the dinnerware was stolen off of the table displays.
The Harrimans, from the Union Pacific Railroad, owned all of this land along with a few of the other owners of UP. There are thousands of acres and was a working cattle ranch. It was donated to the State of Idaho and became a state park.
There is a self guided tour of the property, around all of the buildings. It is an easy 1.5 mile walk. This is to give you an idea of the size of the compound. The houses sit on a hill overlooking Henry's fork of the Snake river. It is a spectacular view.

We went back up to Henry's Lake State Park and looked around. The lake can bee seen through our front windshield. There is a small campground near the lake and a boat ramp into the lake, but not much else. As with most areas in the bottom of the Valley, there are few trees, so no shade.
Henry's lake is large and therefore produces some pretty horrific winds. We feel these at our space at Valley View CG. On some mornings fog forms over the lake, an interesting site.
Yesterday we drove back up to Virginia City. When we were there the last time, it was late in the day and most everything was closed.We especially liked the museum, and the authentic 1880's buildings that are under constant maintenance. Some of the buildings were being repaired and were closed, but those were unoccupied.
On a whim, Brenda and I had our picture taken in period costume. It was fun, and these people have easy on and off costumes. This is the first time we had had this done.
These last 2 pictures were taken outside of the building through period glass. The first is a barber shop, and the last is a cobbler. All are mannequins. The buildings are not open to the public.

Today is laundry day and house cleaning day. It is unbelievable how dirty this place can get in just a couple of days.

Ta ta for now.