Dreamers: In A Town Called Chloride

"I've worked with all sorts of people, yes I have. Big names, you know? Like, umm...have you ever heard of Jack Nicholson?" I was sorely tempted to reply: "No, I've never heard of him. Is he someone famous?" But I didn't. I simply nodded and said, "Oh, yes. How interesting."

This was one of the characters we met yesterday in a small town called Chloride. Another one was a Danish Prince who could trace his lineage way back to the 900's to the great Canut, no less! He told us his dream was to visit all the ancestral places in England and France and Denmark...places he knew he had relatives. Judging by his toothless grin and painful gait, he had better start packing...or be content to keep on dreaming. Perhaps that's all he needed to be happy...

Happy is a word that seems to describe these gentle folk. The town is charming...really charming. There is nothing fake about it in spite of the fact that it is a few miles down the road from the Grand Canyon.

We arrived in Chloride quite by accident. We had had an event filled day as we travelled on from Bishop, CA. We breezed on by Las Vegas. In a sleepy little town in Arizona, an over zealous traffic officer pulled me over with blue lights flashing and siren blaring. Confused we sat waiting for him to tell us what I had done wrong. He approached my window and said: "Sir, I am going to apologize right now. I thought your orange ice-cream was a cell-phone." And so an orange, Blue Bunny ice-cream nearly got me a ticket. Then, we were treated to an "air-show" as we entered Death Valley. Two fighter jets came whizzing by us as we stood looking down at the awesome vistas.

And then...Chloride...

They appear to have tried the touristy thing a while back...but even their attempt is as charming as the rest of the town. There is a small "gold mine" on a hill...a "ghost town" close to the only restaurant in town, complete with graveyard and a grave of a horse thief...among other things...

So, dream on dreamers...you add to the beauty of your quaint town...the town called Chloride.