Today's OneWord: Desolate

The town that had once been such a staple of the gold rush was desolate, and had been so for over one hundred years. However, there was something to be said about its aesthetics as my team and I explored it, examining the abandoned buildings and saloons that had somehow maintained a fairly steady presence and foundation in the desert area. I half-expected a tumbleweed to swoop past my ankles as I sauntered over to an old bar, its sign still readable in the dust.