what old mining towns would you recommend to visit that are still "alive" with sightseeing and other places of the time to visit.

Answered by Christina Nellemann , Reno, United States

Yes, Virginia City, NV is about 45 minutes to an hour from Lake Tahoe. It is a real live Wild West town where people still live and work. Visit the cemetery, the church, the saloons and go just down the hill to Gold Hill where there is the oldest hotel in Nevada.

If you don't mind a bit of a drive, you can drive south on Hwy. 395 toward Bridgeport and visit Bodie. No one lives there now, but it is one of the best preserved ghost towns in California.