Don't Call it a Ghost Town: Mina, Nevada 

It’s a bit late to comment on this post, but I do have memories of this place. I worked for a small mining company there and lived in a company owned trailer at the southern end of town. This was 1970 and from your video, it seems nothing much has changed in the last 53 years. At that time, Mina had a population of about 300 and Luning a population of 9. You probably missed the airport and the 9-hole golf course. I kinda miss that place.

Great video! I grew up and lived in Mina from 1952-1963. Back then it was booming with a population of 300 people! Had a school there with grades 1-6 and a library. Grades 7 and above bussed to Hawthorne. My folks had a grocery store there in Mina. Was a great place to grow up in. Everybody knew everyone, you couldn't get away with anything without your folks finding out! No one locked their houses or their vehicles, on fact most folks left their keys in the ignition! Much simpler and honest times back then! Thanks for the return to my childhood!

All the houses along the highway and just off the highway were built by the railroad. There was a huge railroad exchange here. This yard was where the Narrow gauge Carson and Colorado Railroad Company, later Southern Pacific changed from Narrow Gauge to Standard Gauge. The Narrow Gauge railroad came from Laws California, just North of Bishop. On Highway 6 just West of the NDOT yard, the old rail bed crosses the highway. Last time I talked to a person the said the railroad bed was still drive-able all the way down, which included the tunnels. If you turn on highway 361 just North of Luning and drive to the top of the CalVada summit, there is a dirt road to the South. If you head down this road you will come to the Mina VORTAC. This is an FAA site which allows the Air Traffic Controllers in Palmdale to talk to the aircraft flying from Salt Lake City to San Francisco. The site farther North is the site I put in when I worked for Nevada Bell, this site was built to replace the old open wire system which was in use when I transferred from LA in 1990. Previously the circuit for the FAA controllers use to come through Hawthorne, down to Tonopah, and from the brick building on the North side of Tonopah, went all the way to Luning, up beside highway 361 to the VORTAC. Now it is from Hawthorne to the site. Afterwards we put a link to Gabbs the East facing antenna, then to Rawhide Mine, the North facing antenna.

No-one does reviews more honestly and enthusiastically than our girl-Sarah-Jane!

Some day in years to come there is going to be a Wikipedia page about Wonderhussy. They’ll say on a clear night over the hot springs you can hear her passing over on her way to another desert adventure. Stay awesome, ma’am.

I grew up in Mina. Boy, do I have some stories! We sure had some characters living there back then and the mining was GREAT.

Lol,...i was a bartender at the silver king bar/cafe in Mina in 1999. Thanks for going there, i have nothing but good things to say about the people there.

Lovely ......Your a great story teller. I really enjoy your work. 🏴‍☠️

My cousin and her husband had a mine up in the hills somewhere between Mina, Luning and Gabbs. I was only about 9 or 10 years old, but I spent a couple of weeks two different summers up there. That was back in the early 1960s. There wasn't much there even then. I do remember gas was about 60 cents a gallon when it was going for 30 cents everywhere else!

What's not to like about your videos?! Thanks for sharing your adventures, Sarah!

I grew up in Virginia City Nevada and if I remember correctly that boat in Mina use to serve fresh seafood dinners.

Another great history lesson and adventure. Why you don't have a quarter million subscribers baffles me. Keep them coming. A big fan. Rob.

Sarah, you edit your video's so well. Pleasure to watch.

Exactly where I wanna move to. A place with no dollar generals on every corner

Thanks for the review Soccoros burger hut is my family’s restaurant Socorro is my grandma

When I was a kid in the 80's my geologist uncle lived there, I loved visiting there, lots of good arrow head hunting, and old mines in the area to explore.

I once worked at the Brothel in Mina...the Wild Cat. I managed it before the owner Ron, sold it. It's a curious little place....I liked it. The boat was brought in years ago by a friend of mine Bob....that's a whole other story. It's owned by a another person now.

You do such a great job with your videos and narratives.

Love your channel Wonderhussy! Love your friend Larry too! I am a subscriber of both of your channels. You both have shown and educated me tremendously through your eyes and lense. Keep up the awesomeness, and stay safe! Many more happy travels, adventures and videos. THANK YOU SO VERY MUCH!

You are the best story teller. Thanks.

You're the happiest youtuber I watch, your adventures are unique and awesome. View of ten thousands...love it al..

I'm so glad you did this one. Like you I've driven through there dozens of times and never stopped. Maybe next time it will be burger time. Thanks

Well...I hope you two enjoyed the burgers as much as I enjoyed the video. That would make three damned happy characters for sure(8-). Fascinating stories, by the way.

The Boat was a restaurant called The Desert Lobster...Shut down by the federal government. The owners raised A certain type of lobster near a river and hence why it was shuttered. The governments fear was the lobsters would escape into the river And become a nusance. I lived there In Mina for about a month and a half. Ate at the Desert Lobster several times. Pretty lonely little town. Great video!

You usually get 3 videos out a week but you know what this one is super super super cool thank you for bringing it I enjoyed it quite well and Mary video Larry is cool thank you for the introduction various Channel dudes awesome

Fallon Nevada also has a Naval Base that is where the new Navy Top Gun school is. Moved from San Diego to Fallon a long time ago.

Brings back memories took an emergency leak there ! So someone did stop ! Lol!

Excellent. Yep I go through both towns all the time in my travels. Been to the burger hut many times. Sometimes she's not open. You know just down the road is the brothel...

Sometimes Spanish names are Americanized. That is what probably happened to Mina. A similar example is San Pedro. Locals pronounce it San Peedro when in Spanish it would be Paydro

Love the intro music!

I had relatives on my mother's side who lived in Mina and worked in the mines. We visited on vacation a couple times back in the 60's. The old Chinatown was on the East side, but all that was left were the foundations. If you dug around you could find all these small medicine bottles that supposedly contained opium, and there were a lot of old, charred books and magazines in Chinese. My uncle actually bought one of those roadside lots in the 70's bc 'the railroad was coming back' hahaha.

Very good to know these little town still exists

Informative video...thank you! Will stop at Socorros for a burger .

Great video of this small town! Seeing you enjoy that burger was a “High-Point!” Hope you have another great adventure!

there was a nice little place there called Billies Day and Nite.

Hi the stunning Miss Wonder Hussy.Thanks for the videos.I look forward to them every week.🥂😋👄

So awesome!!!!!!! What you do, for yourself and us of course. Keep do it👍🏼

Countless times since I was a kid we passed through Mina on our way to our cousins ranch in Duckwater, Nevada. Never stopped as far as I can remember. We usually stopped in Tonopah.

Spectacular!You guys Rock! WX here is getting cold,What a nice fall day you guys had..Safe Travels,,

Mina had a restaurant and served best Hamburger. Friend of mine from Stuart Nev. Be friended old Loie who was a Miner . She took care of him as he aged. ...

Glad to see the burger stand is still there, I told the other explorer I thought it was gone. Thanks for the story and walk around.

I really liked this video. Keep them coming. You make my day.

That was so fun. Also been past Mina dozens of times. Never stopped. 💜

Very interesting history to that place thanks for sharing.

One of the best stories yet! Wonder Hussy did a fantastic job on this. 😍🤗🙄🤩

Great video, I live in Sacramento, every time we drive to Vegas we go through Nevada instead of down the valley. Love it, the high desert is so beautiful. Going to try that burger place in January, my daughter's 21st birthday Vegas trip

Great history on Mina! Waiting for your next video on the area. Stay Safe!

You always find really interesting places! TFS 👍🙃

Sarah I just find you! Great video! I’m def SUBSCRIBING - So, The Nicaraguan 🇳🇮 lady story is amazing, I’ve heard about thru a Nicaraguan Historian.. so yeah, I happened to be born and raised there! Greetings, from LV!!😊

Great story about Mina, And the other Hip Hop sing song gangs

Great stories!

Interesting, as always. Thanks.

That spot you and Barry went camping to the little grand canyon, was so badass, I would have loved to try the food he made too.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Absolutely AWESOME!! 🌹😎👍👍

Another greatvid!

Great little area just south of Hawthorne, I have done lots of good prospecting in that area.. thanks for posting. Don’t forget to grab a bit from the little hot dog stand half way trough town on the west side of the road... lol just finished watching and you did stop there (S’socorros) 😀

Glad that I got to Uber in Vegas. I’m checking out this video because I just drove a local from Nevada they told me not to to drive from Vegas to Reno passing through Mina. They said to stay away there are 200 people missing there 😮. They said a women they met at the bar told them that there were no motel and she would offer a bed for them to sleep on. The couple left the bar and found a motel just 1 mile away. People there are sketchy. Stay way! Lol

Always got me watching 🤷 always a town ahead of me 😂 love your videos

I love Nevada! I explored every inch of it in the 2000s and swear Ill do it again soon!

Ha, that's pretty good, I'm gonna' start using that..."halfway between nowhere & nowhere'....heh.

2 p.m. on a Thursday or any day is a fine time for a drink!

Very nice, well produced.

Good job, big like.

Looks like fun I've been there once! 🌹♥️😘

Awesome video...thank you for all you do!👍🍻🍔

That was a great report

You know I'm going to have to go there now, check out the food and old mines. Seems like a cool place to to hang out for a week.

I stopped here to make breakfast at the little public park on the east side of the road on my way to Tonopah , from Smith Creek Valley .

Interesting story!

That boat would make a very cool place to live.

I grew up in the Sweetland diggings California , population 30, it was an old hydrolic gold mining town. We found antique coins bottles and mine shafts, it was a cool place to grow up with the other 7 kids in town.

Now, I am starving for a great burger and tater tots! Maybe it is the Nevada connections, but sometimes I feel I am watching a female Art Bell, when you tour old ghost towns, etc. Thanks!

Good work!

I dream about that burger sometimes haha. That is my must stop place for burgers when I drive thru Mina

I hadn't been through Mina (or Luning, either) for a long, long time. Amazingly there is a lot more to the place than there was back in the 70s! I knew about the Tongs from Carlin, Nv's history.

You're so awesome! It is strange that her name would be said like that guy says the town is said... (hope that makes sense) And lol, it does sound like a dinosaur. She was a tough woman, wasn't she? Thanks for another great video!

You forgot to say when the speed limit says to slow down....you best SLOW DOWN !

Very interesting place.

I love getting down to Mina whenever I can. It's just south of Carson City on Hwy 395. By the way Mina was the southern terminus for the Virginia & Truckee railroad. The railroad was abandon in 1950. A good portion of the railroad's equipment is at the railroad museum in Carson City.

I love your vids keep um comming

That burger looks gooood!😋🍔

Mina, ( pronounced the same) is also an old english ladies name. One of my grandmothers name was Mina. I think its a pretty rare name now but I understand it was a common name back in the 1800's.

Hello wonderhussy. Your friend Ted here from Texas. You did a great job on this video my dear. And you made the burger look humongous. Now you got me hungry for burgers for lunch. You stay safe my friend, say hi to Larry. To your next video here we go

I had to lay over for the night there last year. Ended up shooting pool at their watering hole. Actually had fun and way too much to drink 😂

Cool place crossroads city!!!

I like the swamp cooler at S'soccorro'S Place.

Look! It's Larry!

That burger looks good... lol 🍔🍟

Back when I used to truck Cucamonga, California up 395 over Montgromery pass to short cut to 95 up through Mina to Idaho, no speed limit in Nevada back then but towns were 25 mph Mina had a cop and he use to stop us truckers and tell us no boat back then but i see there still is 80 foot semi trailers in Mina ( mi na ) that;s what the cop called it your friend Carl

🥰Loves your videos

I was born and grew up in Hawthorne....as u said about 30 miles north of Mina and Luning. Go to the museum(s)...interesting military past plus fabled serpent that lives in Walker lake!

Really enjoyed this episode Sarah hope you are going to get up to Idaho and Montana to do some Ghost Towns

Cool ❤

10:15 - THATS THE PERFECT TIME FOR DRINKING!! ONLY THE HARDCORES ARE IN THERE & I BET THEY'VE GOT SOME TALES TO TELL...ONCE YA BUY'EM A DRINK OR 4...LOL!!

Very nice again Wonderhussy 👌👍🇱🇷⚠️

You should check out the brothel just down the road. It’s the trailer with the Greek ionic columns lining the lot

Very cool piece. I'd go just for the burger! The Carson and Colorado narrow gauge RR ran from there to Owenyo in Ca. and is on my list of abandoned railroads to explore for my channel. Also, I don't think the RR is going to get back there any time soon. I just retired from UP and there has been no talk of it.

Thank you for the entertainment and great history story. I am hoped you can add a picture of the location on the map?

There use to be a gas station mini mart there at one time. And yes, the rock shop.

Wow! Who knew about Mina? Thanks WH!