Hello Everyone! First and foremost I wanted to wish those of you who celebrate a belated Happy Passover and/or a belated Happy Easter. As those of you who have been following me for several years already know, I was brought up in the Eastern Orthodox tradition so we do not celebrate Easter before or during Passover. Our Easter will be this coming Sunday this year so it totally slipped my mind last week. I hope if you were celebrating that it was a wonderful day however you chose to spend it. This week has had considerably fewer headaches than last week which I’m very grateful for. I have traveled down the east coast and across Southeastern Arizona this week, visiting with and learning about the Apache, exploring Arizona’s copper mining past and present and checking out some beautiful National Park Sites along the way. Since I’ve come down about 5000’ in elevation from the high desert to the low desert, the temperature has risen considerably with daily highs reaching into the 90s. Thankfully it is a dry heat, which really does make a huge difference, and it cools off at night which is the most important thing. I am trying to avoid being outside and/or driving in the heat of the day at this point, but overall it hasn’t caused me any problems. I’ve certainly seen some fascinating places this week, so let’s get right to it.
When I left you last week, I was in the interestingly named town of Show Low which was a quaint and quiet vacation town which seemed nice enough but didn’t have much of interest to me. I spent Wednesday night just a little bit south of there in Pinetop and was up and off early the next day. I headed straight for the White Mountain Apache Reservation which is centered around the old Fort Apache. Fort Apache was built there at the confluence of the East and North Forks of the White River beginning in 1870. The fort was built in that location with the permission of the White Mountain Apache, and many members of that band served as scouts in the U.S. Army during the Apache War which was waged mostly with the Chiricahua Apache. I was fascinated to learn about this conflict between the different bands at the wonderful museum and cultural center located there at the old fort, and it seemed to me as though they were proud of the role their ancestors played in that campaign. The fort remained an active one until 1924 and after it closed the buildings were converted into the Theodore Roosevelt Indian Boarding School which educated both Navajo and Apache children. I’m not a huge fan of the Indian Boarding Schools, which sought to strip young Native Americans of their culture, but I do believe there were good intentions involved. The campus is still a school today, but run locally by the White Mountain Apache. I spent the morning at the museum which, while it discussed some of this history, was clearly designed to present the White Mountain Apache as a modern community proud of its heritage and working towards the future. I spent the afternoon touring the old fort and trying to soak it in. Everyone I met there was incredibly friendly and welcoming and I spent considerably longer there than I had planned. I did get out to visit the Kinishiba Ruins in the afternoon which is a small Ancestral Puebloan site just down the road. It is protected and managed jointly by the White Mountain Apache, the Hopi and the Zuni, all of whom claim ancestry at Kinishiba. From there I stopped into the little mountain town of Greer for some delicious trout at the historic Molly Butler Lodge and then I was off to the twin cities of Eager and Springerville for a quiet and an early night.
Friday morning I was up early and headed down the Coronado Trail Scenic Byway which at some point likely crosses the trail Coronado took in 1540 on what was the first European penetration into the region. What their exact route was is unknown as there were no maps of the region for them to follow, but there is evidence that they spent time in that general vicinity. The scenic byway was a beautiful, winding 120 mile route which took every bit of four hours to travel. There were some stunning viewpoints along the way as I descended out of the White Mountains and into the desert below. It was a great road to crank up some good tunes, roll my windows down and cruise. At the other end of it, I found myself in the heart of the Morenci Mine, the largest copper mine in North America. It’s not pretty by any measure, but it is massive and definitely something to see. The small town of Clifton, on the other end of the mine, was an interesting little place to visit. The main street through town was a dirt road and a narrow one at that. The buildings were definitely a century old and not necessarily in very good repair for what should be a prosperous mining town. Everything seemed coated in red dust. It was unlike anywhere I’ve seen in the US and reminded me of some of the small mining communities I visited in Western Australia. They did have a beautiful old train station though. From there I was off and running towards Safford, another 45 minutes or so down the road. When I got there I was excited to see a Jack in the Box, one of the only fast food restaurants that I actually like. I don’t eat fast food as a general rule, but I haven’t seen a Jack in the Box in years, so I treated myself. Then I headed out to a great little private hot springs park called the Essence of Tranquility. The owner was super friendly and I had a wonderful night there soaking in the tubs and kicking my feet up in the communal areas. While I stayed in my van, they do offer little casitas and dorm beds as well. It’s definitely a worthwhile little stop and it was a nice respite from the road for a night.
I had a quick soak in the morning as well and then set off to Fort Bowie National Historic Site high up on Apache Pass. This is a hike-in park (although they have accessible options as well), and you hike from the parking area up to the fort and the pass, past some fascinating historical areas. There are ruins from an old Butterfield Stage Stop from the days when this stagecoach line was entrusted with bringing the U.S. mail across the country in 24 days from St. Louis to San Francisco. You pass the old cemetery and Apache Spring which was what made this such a strategic location. Along the way there are historical plaques which tell the story of the Apache War between the United States and the Chiricahua Apache. They tell the story of people like Cochise and Geronimo which are probably familiar names to most Americans and many people around the world. These warriors made western expansion and settlement extremely difficult as they were (rightly) worried that these new American settlers would encroach on what they considered to be their land. The war raged for years and it wasn’t until 1886 that Geronimo finally surrendered, bringing an end to the decades long “Indian Wars”. The Chiricahua Apache were sent east to reservations in Florida and Alabama whereas the White River Apache, who had helped in the campaign against the Chiricahua band as I mentioned above, were able to stay on their ancestral lands. It may seem otherwise, but this was often the case with “friendly” bands. Although I am not now nor ever will I excuse the United States for some of the atrocities we committed in the Indian Wars, that whole period is way more complicated than most people want to believe it was. Fort Bowie itself, much like the forts I visited in New Mexico, is slowly deteriorating back into the desert. The signage is good and you can definitely get a feel for what it had been like, although it seems like an isolated frontier post today and I drove there.
I had a fascinating morning at Fort Bowie, but I had plenty more to see that day. I stopped in for a brief visit to the town of Willcox, an old rail town that was the home of Rex Allen, the last of the singing cowboys. I found it interesting that in addition to his music and movie roles, Rex also provided the voiceover for over a hundred Disney productions. I was only there for a half-hour or so and then headed southeast to Chiricahua National Monument. It turned out that my timing was actually pretty good, as late afternoon was definitely the best time to be in the park. It had cooled down a bit and the sun was in the right place to take some good photos. Chiricahua is a beautiful park full of wonderful stone formations which seem to defy gravity and logic. I hiked the 3.3 mile Echo Canyon Loop which was a perfect moderate trail for the late afternoon. This old Civilian Conservation Corps trail led through some stunning scenery with fabulous views around every corner. I found Chiricahua to be a beautiful park and really enjoyed my visit.
I left the park as the sun was starting to break towards the horizon, but I got most of the way to Bisbee before it got dark. The full moon rose over the mountains as I drove and was absolutely spectacular. I definitely prefer pulling into a new town in the daylight, but it had been a busy day and it was Saturday night and I wanted to enjoy a little Southern Arizona nightlife, so I pushed on knowing I would get there after dark. I was following my GPS to Bisbee which, when you just put in a town name, will usually drop you off at Town/City Hall or perhaps at the courthouse. The directions did, indeed, lead me to City Hall, but in a rather unexpected fashion. As I made a turn onto Erie Street, just three blocks from my “destination”, I found myself in 1950. It was dark and there wasn’t anyone there, but all of the cars and buildings were definitely from 1950 or before. It was quite confusing and cool at the same time. I found out the next morning that this is a history display put together by the town to remember that time period. I eventually figured out where I was going and pulled into Bisbee right around 8. It’s been a long time since I’ve gotten such a good feeling from a town as a first impression. Bisbee is a beautiful old copper mining town with some wonderful architecture and it was lit up with Christmas lights from end to end. There were plenty of people on the street and the wonderful sounds of music and laughter were everywhere. I found a good parking spot and ventured out into the night. I stopped in a few different places, including a brewery and an old speakeasy, but eventually found myself in the St. Elmo, which has been welcoming thirsty travelers to Bisbee for 120 years. The band was great, the crowd was fun and the beer was cheap – what more could a guy ask from in a Saturday night after a long day of exploring? I had a wonderful evening and was up past midnight for the first time in a long time, although not by much.
Since Sunday was Easter, I decided to take it easy and just wander around town a bit. I went back to Erie Street to see if it had been real or just an illusion and then had a nice long walk up and down the hills of Old Town Bisbee. In the afternoon I headed out to the Thirsty Lizard just outside of town for some live blues and a couple of beers. I came back later in the day and had a good dinner at The Quarry and a cold beer at St. Elmo’s before calling it an exceptionally early night – the price paid for staying out so late on Saturday night and well worth it.
I was up at the crack of dawn on Monday, though, and spent a couple of hours taking photos in the early morning light. Bisbee had a ton of character, but I found it hard to get great photos of the place for some reason. At 9am, I headed over to the Copper Queen Mine for an underground tour. There was a strange old French guy on tour with me who was constantly talking and very amusing and referred to me alternatingly as either “The Giant” or “The Viking” and kept telling our guide that I had an axe. I wasn’t quite sure what to make of him, but he was funny enough. There were only 6 of us on the tour and we took the little train about 1500’ into the mine to see old drills and dynamite rigs. It was very similar to the coal mine I visited in Kentucky and the iron mines of Michigan, but it was a well-spent $14 and a very informative hour. From there I hopped in my van and was off and running towards Coronado National Memorial down near the Mexican border. This is a small park operated by the National Park Service which memorializes the 1540 Coronado expedition, which, as I mentioned above, was the first European penetration into the Desert Southwest. It was a small park but an interesting one and I found out that Coronado was actually tried in Spanish court for his treatment of Native Americans during the expedition. He was acquitted, but Juan de Cardenas, who was one of his captains and the first European credited with visiting Grand Canyon, was sentenced to 7 years in jail for his actions. I enjoyed a nice long chat with the ranger and then headed up the road to see the cave in the park. It was only a half-mile hike to the entrance, but it was uphill and very hot out so it seemed much further. I did have the cave to myself for the better part of an hour and found some pretty formations and some historic graffiti dating to the late 19th century. When I left the cave, I shot out of the park and just up the road to Sierra Vista for a quick shower and then I headed on to Tombstone for the night. I’ve spent a lot of time in Tombstone in the past as I used to run tours through there in the winter, but it’s a fun little town and I enjoyed my evening there. Tombstone was the site of the infamous Gunfight at the OK Corral between the Earp brothers and Doc Holliday and the Clanton Brothers, the McLaury Brothers and Billy Claiborne. The gunfight lasted a short 30 seconds, but is probably among the Old West’s most famous and has kept Tombstone on the tourist trail for many years. The main street is dirt and the sidewalks are wooden and the buildings give off an Old West vibe. Sunset was spectacular and I enjoyed a calzone and a few beers at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon (named after Doc Holliday’s girlfriend, a notorious old west prostitute who worked the streets of St. Louis, Dodge City and Tombstone, among others). It’s a bit gaudy, but it’s a fun place I always look forward to stopping in.
I was up early again the next day and headed towards Nogales on the Mexican border. I stopped to take some photos in the cute little town of Patagonia and then headed straight for Nogales. This town sits right across the border from its sister city of Nogales in Mexico and feels more like a Mexican town than an American one. It was nice, though, and had some cool old buildings scattered around. After a nice long stroll, I hopped back in my van and headed north to see Tumacácori National Historical Park. Tumacácori is another old Spanish mission and church, this one established to convert the O'odham people (also historically known as the Pima). The priest who established the mission was an Italian born Jesuit named Eusebio Kino who was generally held in high regard by the native people. At some point, the Spanish expelled all Jesuits from their empire, and while Kino was dead and buried by that point, his replacement was also forced out of the colony. The Franciscans came in to take their place and were considered more loyal to the crown and more likely to demand native labor to support it. This eventually led to an uprising, as happened in most of the missions at some point. The old church is still there, as are some of the outbuildings, and it is definitely an interesting place to visit. I enjoyed chatting with the ranger for a while and he recommended a little place called Wisdom’s just up the road for lunch. Wisdom’s is a great old spot famous for its chimichangas, a reputation I found well-deserved. After a nice lunch, I headed up the road to Tubac, a town which was home to a Spanish presidio (fort), built after the previously mentioned uprising. Unfortunately this State Historic Site was closed during the week, but I could walk around and peek over the fence and get a general idea of the place. From there, I went north again to the old Spanish mission at San Xavier which has been preserved and protected by the O’odham people since 1783 and is known as “The White Dove of the Desert”. It is an amazing example of Spanish colonial religious architecture and is one of the prettiest churches I’ve ever seen.
I stayed at the church for a while, and then headed up the road through Tucson and out to the western section of Saguaro National Park. I spent an hour or so wandering among these massive and beautiful cacti which grow nowhere else on Earth outside of the Sonoran Desert. They’re probably what comes to mind when someone says the word “cactus”, and they always bring a smile to my face. I had a lovely time out there and enjoyed taking photos as the sun set behind the mountains. I was pretty tired after a long day, but wanted to make one more stop before bed. Kon Tiki is one of the oldest existing tiki bars in the country, opened in 1961, and it definitely helped bring a wonderful day to a close. While not quite as hip as some of the newer tiki bars I’ve been to, the prices were better and the drinks were delicious.
This morning I headed to the eastern unit of Saguaro National Park and had a great hike from the Broadway trailhead out to the Pink Hills. I got on the trail later than I had planned and the sun was blazing, but it was still fabulous to be out in the park and getting some exercise. I came back into Tucson from there and ran some errands and now I sitting in the library and trying to finish up this post before closing time. I had a couple of great photo posts almost ready to go, but they might not get done today.
I will get through the rest of my New Mexico photos this week, though, and hopefully start getting to some of my Arizona ones soon thereafter. I’m going to be sticking around Tucson for a few days as there are several things I want to check out around here before I take off. The Pima County Fair also kicks off this week, so I am looking forward to that as well. There are also a few Eastern Orthodox churches in town, so I may stick around through the weekend to celebrate our Easter here with them. From here I will be off to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument and then I will probably head up to Phoenix and begin to think about my time in Northern Arizona. I’m not sure what the rest of my week will look like, but it will probably be a little quieter than this past one. You’ll just have to come back next week to see what I’ve gotten into. I hope you will. Thanks for reading and have a great week.
-Mike