SOUTHERN
ARIZONA
We also spent a
lot of time in Southern Arizona touted as part of the Old West. In the late 1800s, the
area was rife with gunslingers, cowboys, lawmen, and Apaches. Nearby stagecoach
robberies and gunfights created the stuff that legends are made of as the
famous Earp brothers, Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan, who attempted to deliver “law
and order” to the lawless desert areas encompassing the entire territory of
Arizona. The famous “Gunfight at the O.K. Corral” is re-enacted almost daily in
the rugged nearby desert town of Tombstone. The culture in Southern Arizona is
a wonderful blend of Native American and Mexican cultures, art and cuisine,
unique to this corner of the world.
Pima Air
& Space Museum
Spanning 80 acres
and housing more than 300 retired planes, the Pima Air & Space Museum
offers 100 years of Aviation History with five hangar buildings full of
interesting history and exhibiting over 150 legendary military craft ranging
from Thunderbolts and Falcons to seaplanes and amphibians, helicopters, as well
as a space gallery, and the 390th Memorial Museum featuring the
B-17G “Flying Fortress.” And we also took a tram tour of the outside display
area featuring over 150 aircraft, including “Freedom One,” a VC-137B that
carried the 52 Americans who were held hostage for 444 days in the Iran Hostage
Crisis back home. What we didn’t have time for was a tour of the “Boneyard” that
stored 4,000 plus aircraft on 2,600 acres at the U.S. government’s 309th
at the Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group at Davis-Monthan Air Force
Base (AMARG).
ASARCO
Mineral Discovery Center Tour - Mission Mine
The ASARCO Mineral
Discovery Center provides copper mine tours for a rare opportunity to see one of
Arizona’s formative industries in action:
the size of the earth-moving equipment alone is mind-boggling and the
open pit mine and mill were very fascinating.
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| Mike made a noise and all the squirrels came out of their holes! |
Mission
San Xavier del Bac
Just south of
Tucson, along the Santa Cruz River, is the stately Mission San Xavier del Bac
also known as the “White Dove of the Desert.”
A National Historic Landmark, the mission was founded by Fr. Eusebio
Francisco Kino, the Jesuit pioneer and explorer, in late August or early
September 1692. The Mexican Baroque
structure was completed about 1797 and is widely considered to be America’s
finest surviving example of Spanish Colonial architecture. Statues dating to the 1750s, vivid late
baroque altars, and original paintings adorn the interior. The mission has Spanish roots, and was built
as part of an extensive chain of missions under the direction of Jesuit and
Franciscan priests and Native Americans in the early 1700s.
After our tour, there were several Native American food vendors set up in an area in front of the Mission. It was time for lunch so we decided on an authentic open-faced taco with stewed meat. We also had to try the homemade cinnamon tortilla for dessert. The taco and dessert were so delicious!
Titan
Missile Museum
Just south of the
Mission is the Titan Missile Museum, the only museum of its kind in the entire
world. This intriguing outpost is home to the last Titan Missile, part of a
Cold War arsenal that once ringed Tucson. When armed it could carry a
destructive payload over land and sea at 16,000 mph. Today, the 103—foot weapon is stored
underground, visible from viewing balconies that ring the glass canopy. Titan II weighed 165 tons. It carried a nine-megaton warhead and had a top speed of 16,000 mph. Range was 6,000 miles. Time to target was 30 minutes. We did
the underground tour of the museum which was fascinating.
Tombstone
We took an hour day
trip to Tombstone with our friends, Joann and Steve. The silver mines once made
this town one of the largest and wealthiest cities in the West. Tombstone is
renowned as “the town too tough to die,” and is recognized internationally as
the site of the infamous October 26, 1881 shoot-out at the O.K. Corral. So we had to watch Wyatt Earp and Doc
Holliday in the gunfight re-enactment at the O.K. Corral. We also watched Vincent Price tell Tombstone’s
story from Geronimo’s Apaches to modern times as the detailed “historama”
turned on stage.
We then walked down Allen Street, a dusty drag that has been restored to evoke the town’s heyday with landmarks such as the town’s legendary saloons and the Bird Cage Theatre. As we strolled and shopped, we passed re-enactors in period costumes who wandered the block. We also stopped at the most famous saloon in the West – the Chrystal Palace Saloon & Restaurant for lunch. Later we went to Big Nose Kates Saloon for a beer. Big Nose Kate was a well known Madam and Doc Holliday's common law wife. Another great day!
Bisbee
We stopped for lunch in Lowell at the Bisbee Breakfast Club which was once a Rexall Drug Store. We then continued to the charming town of Bisbee, a former copper mining town that once was among the
world’s richest mineral sites. It is located about 90 miles southeast of Tucson
and nestled amongst the Mule Mountains. New York Times calls Bisbee a
“Greenwich Village West.” It was a rough and tumble mining camp founded in 1880. On display in Bisbee’s famed red-light
district, Brewery Gulch boasted nearly 50 saloons and almost as many brothels
and was once considered the wildest street in North America. Once known as
“Queen of the Copper Camps,” today Bisbee has transformed itself into a quirky,
artsy town. It features the historic Copper Queen underground mine and the
Copper Queen Hotel which dates from 1902. We browsed the boutiques on Main
Street, many of them in Victorian buildings.
Tubac
Surrounded by
dramatic high desert vistas the quaint village of Tubac is where art and
history meet. It is just 40 minutes south of Tucson. The oldest European
settlement in Arizona, Tubac was established in 1752 as a Spanish Presidio
(fort) and has undergone several transitions from a military fort for Spanish
soldiers, to a frontier colony besieged by Apaches, to a modern-day artists’
colony and shopping mecca featuring a south-of-the-border rustic ambiance and
charm. We visited the historic Tubac School and the Tubac Presidio State Historic Park (Arizona’s first State Park).
We stopped at many of the art galleries and eclectic shops. Among them were The Beads of Tubac so Sharon could add a few more beads to her collection; we ate lunch at The Goods, a charming sandwich and smoothie bar, and also visited the Tubac Center of the Arts.
But the best find for Sharon was when we stopped at the Sunrise Jewelers Trading Company and talked with its owner Vincent Gulino. A Tucson Blue Opal in the raw caught Sharon’s eye and she asked to see the collection of cabochons. She was immediately drawn to a uniquely shaped cabochon to add to her collection. The opal is from a private mine in the near-by mountains.
Tumacacori National Historical Park
Just four miles
south of Tubac is Tumacacori National Historical Park which was created in 1908
and includes three Spanish colonial missions - Tumacacori, Guevavi and
Calabazas. Nobody knows what Tumacacori means, but the name is a result of the
Spanish attempt, upon their arrival in the late 1600s, to record what the
native O’odham called their home.
Patagonia
We also visited
the picturesque small town of Patagonia with the beautiful Red Mountain as a
backdrop. Many of the early buildings
are still in use as shops and residences, giving the town an age-old ambiance.
Patagonia is a thriving arts community and a mecca for birders and hikers as
well. Mike found an interesting book called Field Guide to Mysterious Places of
the West in a little shop where we stopped and enjoyed a delightful talk with
the owner.
Just a few miles down the road we drove through the Patagonia Lake State Park which featured a 265-acre man-made lake. A great place for camping, fishing, hiking, birding and swimming.
On our way back to Tucson, we didn’t expect to come across the Border Patrol where we had to stop. We were just asked if we were U.S. citizens and bid good day and we were on our way. We were surprised that no I.D. was required. And the cameras lined up along coming and going traffic was intimidating.
Take a look at Part 3 of our Tucson blog, the end of our month long stay!
Mike & Sharon
