Standin' on the Corner in....Benson, Arizona

Benson is a small town in Cochise County, Arizona, with a population of about 5200 hardy souls. During the great pioneering migration west, it was the site of the San Pedro station of the Butterfield Overland Mail and a wagon depot. The Southern Emigrant Trail passed through this area, so it was a natural choice for the San Pedro River crossing of the Southern Pacific Railroad. This led to commercial traffic between the mines of Fairbank, Tombstone, and Contention City. Voila...a town named after Judge William Benson, a friend of Charles Crocker, the president of the railroad.

As it is only forty-five miles southeast of Tucson, the city of Benson has not grown much over the years, but has maintained stable largely due to the large influx of snowbirds in the winter. A small selection of restaurants, one good grocery store, and a small Walmart pretty much take care of the attractions. Just outside of town, the 40,000 acre Jay Six cattle ranch has been operating for a hundred years. The Kennedy brothers Joe and Jack were went to work on the ranch in 1936 so that Jack could recover from a recent illness in the dry desert heat. It is reported that they were "worked very hard".

We're staying at CTRV Resort just west of Benson. This very nice park was known as Cochise Terrace RV for many years, but has recently begun to sell rv sites and has changed the name to reflect incorporation protocols. It's a nice park, and our site is number 250.

This picture was taken the day after our arrival, when the sky was clear, the temperature warm and the wind blowing about 30 miles per hour! Wind is a constant here, and the downside to this park is it's location on a hill, so wind is very much park of life here! One major upside here is the availability of high-speed internet. For about $25 a month, it's a real bargain since the free wifi and cell reception is marginal at best.

In the week we've been in Benson, the weather has been the most common subject of conversation. It has been windy and cold. It has been windy and hot. Today it is windy and raining. Some of our anticipated day trips to Tombstone, Bisbee, and Douglas have been put on hold because of the weather, but we continue to enjoy the beautiful mountains of Southern Arizona.

As I write this on Sunday, the 8th, we are expecting about 3/4" of rain. It's pretty well socked in by a storm coming off the Gulf of California. But, GOOD NEWS!....No wind! There's hope for some good weather!