Goldfield Ghost Town

This past week I flew to Arizona from New York to do a show. Literally one show.  It was actually the shorter version so it was 90 minutes long.  So yes I flew across the entire country to do a 90 minute show. But listen, when you’re freelance, and it’s a dry time, no desert pun intended, you WILL FLY 6 HOURS TO DO A 90 MINUTE SHOW.
On the plus side, the cast decided to take a red eye home the next night so we were able to explore the area.  And by explore the area I mean spend all the money I made flying to Arizona in the first place.  But at least I got to see some really cool stuff!​

    We spent the day in an awesome resurrected/rebuilt ghost town called Goldfield.
In 1892 gold was discovered here and the town grew to about 4,000 people.  Five years later the gold ran out and the town was deserted.  It briefly came back to life when new mining methods were created before eventually becoming an official ghost town in the 1920’s. In 1943 an accidental fire destroyed most of the town.  It wasn’t until the 1980’s that someone bought the property and created an exact replica of the old town from the 1890s, whorehouses and all! 
Entrance to the town and parking is free. You can purchase tickets for tours and other things you want to do once inside. 

​Here are some of the fun things to do in Goldfield!

Eat at The Mammoth Saloon
Enjoy live music sung by a cowboy and down your prickly pear margarita with a side of golden nuggets all while taking in the gorgeous mountain range and array of cactuses, cactii?? 

Visit the Siphon Draw Apothecary
This was one of my favorite things in Goldfield.  I’m a sucker for natural creations and remedies and I could have spent hours in this little shop.  Hand made soaps and bath bombs, natural deodorants and chapstick, herbal teas blended locally in Arizona, raw local honey and so much more.  I left with 5 shower bombs that the clerk infused with a sinus relief essential oil blend, and of course a hair and scalp treatment called “Horsetail” because I’m still hoping I’ll get that Disney princess hair one day.

Take a tour of Lulu’s Bordello
This was definitely a highlight! The tour was only $4 and the history behind it was incredible.  Women lost husbands who went to mine for gold out west and had to make a living for themselves.  They were lucky if they had the education to be a school teacher or nurse, but if they weren’t they worked at the bordello, sleeping with 30-50 men a day! Inside the bordello are actual coins bought at the local saloon and used at the bordello.  Fun fact, the women used these coins as an IUD so they wouldn't get pregnant!

Forget about calories and give in to that sweet tooth!
Stop into the Miner’s Grill and Ice cream Parlor, the Cantina Bakery or the Fudge Shop.  The scent of warm waffles cones and cinnamon buns will make your eyes spin in your head like a cartoon character!

Walk through Church on the Mount
There are actual services held here on Sundays, and the inside is beautiful with pews built in 1931.

Shoot a Gun
See how many moving targets you can hit in the Eagle Eye shooting gallery. Compete with your friends to see who can get the highest score!

There’s so many more colorful and fun shops where you can buy art, handmade jewelry, hot sauces, precious stones and a ton of other things to do including horseback riding,  a train ride around the town or watching a gunfight between cowboys! (on the weekends)

After we spent the day at Goldfield we headed to the Scottsdale entertainment district that was buzzing with people and packed with bars and restaurants. 
We sat down and enjoyed delicious wines at the LDV Winery Tasting Room.  
​I would recommend it as a relaxing place to sit on the patio with a glass of wine while the sun is setting just before you head out to dinner.

Any of the neighboring restaurants looked amazing, but we were hopping on that red eye (remember how I did all this plus a show in a day and a half?!) so we wanted to find something on the way to the airport. 


Cotton & Copper 
This spot caught our eye because of their use of quality local ingredients and really interesting menu items like rabbit and spatzle, roasted quail salad, corn dumplings and jalapeño lasagna! Of course we HAD to start with a basket of their assorted house made breads with compound butter.  Unbelievable!!!

Thanks for hanging with this starving actress!