-Bodie (California, though close to Nevada) is a state park with no regular residents other than park rangers, though at one point in the late 1800s it had 10,000 residents. I believe Mark Twain briefly worked at a newspaper in the nearby town of Aurora, Nevada. Mono Lake, not far away, is fascinating. And you're near the Tioga Pass entrance to Yosemite.

-Johannesburg, CA less interesting than its neighbor Randsburg (site of the White House Saloon). Both old mining towns named after cities with lots of mines in South Africa (though the one in SA is Randburg). Both close to beautiful Red Rock Canyon State Park.

-Pioche, Nevada, near the Utah border, and close to Cathedral Gorge State Park (Nevada) is interesting and less touristy than Sedona (albeit with fewer boutiques and shops selling high-end art and crystals). I believe that in its early days something like 60 people died before anyone died a natural death.

-Silver, Colorado and Chama, New Mexico are both interesting historic towns, and both served by interesting tourist trains.