We made it from San Antonio to Benson AZ in 1.5 days an it feels good to be almost home! We have had sunshine and no rain for about a week. Strange, after having so much weather for the past 6 months. Everyday I wake up and can’t believe that the sun is still out! Yippee!
I don’t care how hot it is! Im wearing my boots!
Tiny towns, mines and the wildwest is what it is all about in Southeastern Arizona. Bisbee, the county seat for Cochise County, AZ was a copper mining town in the 1800’s becoming the county seat in 1929, moving from Tombstone AZ which is mainly a tourist town now complete with gun fights, stagecoaches and saloons!
Bisbee is right on the Copper Queen mine which you can take a tour of now as they are no longer mining due to the expense of mining. The towns population now is mostly for tourism, full of tiny shops full of local artwork, a coffee shop an a few B&B’s.
Main Street, Bisbee, AZ
Local artwork
If you look in the lower left of this photo you see a smalll shelf. It looked like a sale table or trade. It was full of wierd miscellanous stuff – didn’t look like art to me!
The town is full of tiny homes built on the hills, one on top of the other. Very quaint but I am sure originally they were so close as to be walking distance to the mine and supplies.
Tombstone is much smaller and is famously known for the gunfight at the O.K.Corral. They say the fight was a block away but I figure somehow the cowbows spent alot of time in the O.K.Corral. This tiny town had several saloons in it’s day and today there are still a few.
Saloon, where guns are O.K.
Ready to fight!
The street is closed to cars as they still have a gun fight or two!
Need a ride? or want to rob the stagecoach?
Right next to Bisbee, actually closer to the mine is the town of Lowell which today looks very deserted except it had the most interesting mix of memorbilia.
Gas station
Main street, Lowell, AZ
Lowell didn’t really seem inhabited although there was one saloon that was open but facades of buildings and the number of very old automobiles along the street made it very fun to drive along.
Roadside attractions
Often when driving in the desert you might see something like this. This is a small temple of sorts, complete with several statues inside and places to place and light a candle for a blessing. The post outside had a slot in it and a note that you could make a donation! There was nothing for miles around but there were lots of lite candles inside. Hmm.