You're not suggesting that I pay $2,500, including food, for a day's tour of a few Arizona ghost towns?

Indeed not. The owners of this site are just as opportunistic (and arguably just as foolish) as the gold rush pioneers they celebrate. But ramshackle and decrepit though it undoubtedly is, ghosttowns.com may well appeal to those driving in the States or Canada.

I've seen The Blair Witch Project.

Then you'll like this. Take St Deroin in Nebraska, a former steamboat landing which was eventually eaten away by the Missouri river. Only the cemetery remains. Or Randsburg, California, where rusting Model Ts, a disused jail and a mine shaft are still visible. Some entries are illustrated, others are anecdotal: "It is said that any drifters either moved on or ended up in the cemetery. The saloons, gambling houses and brothels ran 24-hours a day." Possibly quite untrue, but compelling stuff nonetheless.

How do I get to these places? "At milepost 52 on the old Grand Canyon RR" is not especially helpful.

The maps here are very basic. Use Expedia's driving directions at maps.expedia.co.uk instead. Finding a place to stay is more of a challenge, for obvious reasons - try www.motels.com or www.usahotelguide.com. The excellent site at www.desertusa.com, meanwhile, should be required reading for anyone venturing into North America's more arid and remote landscapes.