Cisco, Utah

As I'm wandering around exploring Cisco, an abandoned town in Utah, I hear what sounds like sawing or machinery. I figure it's a metal scrapper and keep my distance. Then the person emerges and calls out to me, friendly, "Hey!" As we walk towards each other I see it's a woman my age dressed in work clothes. Maybe she's there exploring too?

"Is that your camper?" she asks.
"The van? Yeah." 
"It's cool," and then, "Are you my Air BnB for tonight?"
Record scratch sound in my head.   Me, incredulous: "Wait.. you run an Air BnB out here?!"
Her: "Yup! I just started in May."

We start talking and I find out she's originally from Chicago, went to art school, visited Cisco as a tourist, thought it was awesome and decided to buy land and move out there. She's fixing up the dilapidated buildings one-by-one using found materials, starting with the old one-room post office. I was amazed. When I asked if I could take her picture she said, "Sure! Wanna see my gun?" Then she pulls back her shirt to reveal a handgun in her pocket. Badass. 

If you want to stay at Eileen's Air BnB in Cisco, UT, here's the listing:
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/18719990

Cisco was a railroad and mining and town with a population of 200 at its height. The Johnny Cash song "Cisco Clifton's Fillin Station" is about H. Ballard Harris, a man who lived there. 

When construction of nearby I-70 bypassed the small community, businesses failed, people moved away, and it was left to decay.