May, 2014–Goldfield, Nevada
Goldfield, Nevada, is an old mining town and the county seat of Esmeralda County. Gold was discovered here in 1902. By 1904 there were 20,000 people living in Goldfield, and the district had produced $2,300,000 in gold ore.
The boom didn’t last long. The 1910 US Census showed 4,838 people living in Goldfield.
The 2000 Census counted 440.
You can drive through town in a few short minutes, as we did several times on our way to Death Valley.
We blew through Goldfield without noticing the main attraction that lies just outside of town: The International Car Forest of the Last Church.
Part art, part whacky–the Car Forest was created by Michael “Mark” Rippie and Chad Sorg. It’s a collection of old cars, planted and painted, in the desert.
The name of the place is odd. One of the creators, Mark Rippie explains that he “came up with The Last Church as representation of the last church being inside each of us, meaning that we should pass knowledge to each other from one heart to another about two things: unconditional love and compassion.” http://www.hcn.org/issues/46.6/international-car-forest-of-the-last-church
The other creator, Chad Sorg, further explains that “to call it an International Forest was my idea as a sort of spoof on ‘national forest’ and because people from all over the world visit Goldfield. Highway 95 gets large amounts of tourists wanting to experience the Old West.”
Moby Goes 
Yes, at the Car Forest we would love to have Moby once he’s looking for a final resting place. 🙂
Hopefully Moby won’t be ready for the Car Forest anytime soon, but when he is, we’ll bring him by. He’d look great with a new paint job. 🙂
Reblogged this on Fishbowler and commented:
I say it over and over again but the Car Forest is like this ongoing goldmine for me. I search the internets and every time I find new blog posts about the place!
If Larry’s past record is any indication (he drove the family 1956 station wagon for most of his life), Moby should have about 40 years before he heads to his final resting place at the International Car Forest of the Last Church. Larry will be about 100 by then. Seems like a good age to give up driving.
Looks like an appropriate final resting place for Moby.
Radical.
I assume there are a lot of people with good drugs in Nevada- Gary
Yeah, the bus is super cool. Happy New Year!!!!
Love the planted bus — look up the Cadillac Ranch (near Amarillo TX)
I hope this goes through. Enjoyed Moby goes to the early Gold Field’s. Wish u all a Good 2015. Hope all is well there. We okay. Love, Dad and Mom
What an odd place…of course you guys would find us and enlighten us about it!
Yes, it is a very odd place. I love stuff like this.