Description: Calico is a ghost town east of Barstow in the Mojave Desert. Because of the rich mineral resources, especially silver, there were over 500 mines in and around Calico in the peak times. Founded in 1881, as many as 1200 people lived in Calico. A few of the buildings have been preserved and can be visited. There is also a train that drives around the site, mine tours and other attractions that aim to give visitors an idea of what life was like in the Wild West.

Our rating: We visited Ghost Town in August 1992. The whole place was way too touristy for us to be authentic and that's why there was no revisit. We like Ghost Towns more, if they are not so commercialized. This is certainly quite nice if you do a family trip with children, but then the whole thing is also quite expensive.