However, not having learned from our last day trip, we embarked on another one today, Friday. On one of our previous trips to the Tucson area, we visited the copper mining community of Bisbee, AZ. Established in the late 1880's as a gold, silver and mineral mining town, it boasted 20,000 residents in the 1920's and was the largest city between St Louis and San Francisco. In 1917, Phelps Dodge introduced open pit mining, which extended the life of the mines and the city until the 1970's when the mine was closed as unprofitable. A number of shaft mines still exist in the area, but the large open pit mine is the chief example of the mining industry in town.
But, before that…..
This morning, we dropped Sasha off at Central Pet for a day of play and socialization.
After going through the same routine as we used to do when we left the kids with a babysitter, we managed to take off on an adult day trip!
We drove east on I10 to Benson, then turned south. Through St David and Tombstone, we landed in Bisbee 96 miles later. Our last visit to Bisbee resulted in several copper art pieces that we can no longer keep in the motorhome, and our objective this time was to find some small pieces to hang on a wall somewhere. No luck. The gallery we remembered was not to be found, so we walked around town for awhile.
Along the highway leading into town, we noticed a mineshaft with the letters "Copper Prince" on the front. Even though it was sealed to prevent entry, we managed to get a photo of the shaft and the interesting sign.
Many of the original building and mine equipment still dot the hillsides.
Today, Bisbee is a quaint artsy/craftsy town with memories tucked into every corner.
A growling stomach resulted in a stop at the Copper Queen Cafe for lunch. The Copper Queen Hotel was opened in 1902 with seventy-three rooms. Eventually, every third room was converted into a bathroom, leaving the hotel with the forty-eight rooms it has today.
A warm day with very little breeze got us out onto the patio!
On our way south toward Douglas, AZ, we stopped for another peek at the huge open pit copper mine. All of the equipment is still onsite, but stout chain link fences surround the property.
Twenty five or so miles south of Bisbee, along the Mexican border, lies the small town of Douglas, AZ
We were told to visit the Gadsden Hotel in Douglas, but a singularly unimpressive exterior caused us to drive right on by. This has turned out to be a bad move, since the 160 room hotel, originally opened in 1907 has a massive lobby that contains an original Tiffany & Co mural that spans 42 feet across one wall of the mezzanine. Stained glass skylights run the full length of the lobby. Room 333 is said to be haunted, and has been featured on several "ghost" tv shows. Notably, Thornton Wilder and Eleanor Roosevelt have been guests.
Back to Bisbee to catch the road to Sierra Vista got us to Huachaca City, Whetstone, and Sonoita.
Our next stop was in Patagonia (love the clothes), Arizona.
Patagonia's claim to fame is its history as a supply point for area farmers and ranchers. Now, a population of 913 include retirees and artists supporting a tourist destination. Known for its Nature Conservancy areas, Patagonia is home to an effort to save seeds of local plants.
From Patagonia we headed southwest to Nogales, then north to Tumacacori, Tubac, and back to Tucson. A total of 10 hours away from "the kid", 16 towns, and 343 miles later qualify todays trip as the new, official, longest day trip we can remember!
We picked up Sasha at 6:30 pm, and she has been asleep in her bed or on the floor ever since! She had a busy day! We hope to get her back to doggie daycare again, if only for the socialization aspect. She enjoys her buddies!
What a great idea for Sasha! Dad would have loved to go to Bisbee...old mining towns fascinated him!
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