Carr House in Carr Canyon south of Sierra Vista.

Carr Canyon is just south of Ramsey Canyon at the southern tip of the Huachuca Mountains. At the Carr House we met Mike Foster, who is the resident expert in these parts. Birds, wildlife, plants, history: Mike knows them all well. Better yet, Mike is a talented videographer. We already have one of his videos about the Carr House and another about the San Pedro River on our Southern Arizona Guide. He will soon be sharing more of his videos about local wildlife on our website. While we were here, we viewed one showing a local black bear climbing a tree. Amazing! This critter climbed a big tree faster than most people can run on level ground.

After chatting with Mike for a while, we headed up the mountain on a rough dirt road to our intended picnic area at Reef Townsite Campgound five miles beyond the Carr House. If you go, you won’t need a 4-wheel drive vehicle, but we do recommend one with fairly high clearance. The road is steep and has many switchbacks. But the awesome views make the journey worthwhile.

One of many views from Carr Canyon Road.

Between the late 1800′s and 1950, there was a mining town here. The town was named for the Carr Reef, a tall band of quartzite-bearing cliffs that form the Huachuca Mountains’ dramatic eastern front. Mr. Carr was a local mining entrepreneur. Now the former townsite serves as a fine camping & picnicking area, but do bring your own water.

Picnic at Reef Townsite Campground in Carr Canyon.

For future reference, campsites 9 & 12 seemed to us to be the best. Each campsite had a table, a fire pit, and a flat area for tents. Fee: $10 per day.  Also, there is one day-use picnic site for a large group with many picnic tables under a ramada and several fire pits with grates.

Campsite #12 at Reef Townsite Campground high in Carr Canyon.

We are nothing if not picnic people. Love a good picnic. Which is why Southern Arizona Guide offers our viewers a list of the Best Picnic Areas. Here in the woods near the top of Carr Canyon is another of Southern Arizona’s many Sky Islands, a unique ecosystem completely different than the Sonoran Desert below.

In our picnic basket this time was summer sausage, roast beef, Grey Poupon, jalapena cheddar cheese, several varieties of crackers, apple, orange, a couple of Coronas, and a bottle of Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc 2012.

After our picnic and a short walkabout, we headed down Carr Canyon to Highway 92 at the base of the Huachuca Mountains. Turning north, it is only a mile or so to Ramsey Canyon Road. Heading up Ramsey Canyon Road the Folklore Preserve is about 3 miles on the left. If you get to the Nature Conservancy’s Visitors Center at the end of the road, you missed it.

Yours truly, Ms. Karen, mother-in-law Judy, and Dolan Ellis, Arizona’s Official State Balladeer.

The Folklore Preserve is a small, rustic venue staffed mostly with volunteers. Mr. Ellis is the founder and artist-in-residence at the Arizona Folklore Preserve in Ramsey Canyon, where he performs one weekend a month. Guest country, Western, & folk artists perform on the other three weekends. For upcoming schedule, click HERE.

Balladeers tell stories through their music and Dolan Ellis is an excellent storyteller, songwriter, singer, and guitarist. His one-man show was totally worth the drive from Tucson for the hour and a half performance.  Reservations for upcoming performances are highly recommended: (520)378-6165 or email reservations@arizonafolklore.com.

The trail along Ramsey Creek.

Of course, there is another good reason to visit Ramsey Canyon. Anyone who has been here knows the natural beauty of the Canyon itself. 170 species of birds, including 14 varieties of hummers, have been spotted in Ramsey Canyon, where temperatures are typically 10-15 degrees cooler than Tucson. A trail parallels Ramsey Creek and further up the mountain are more trails into the Coronado National Forest. Keep an eye out for black bear, coati, wild turkey, white-tail deer, mountain lion, bobcat, and other wildlife.

Liz Sockness recently retired as manager of the bookstore here. Last year she shared many of her photographs with us and you can view the slideshow by clicking HERE. On this trip we meet Debbie, the new bookstore manager.

The Nature Conservancy’s Visitors Center is open 9 AM to 5 PM, but closed Tuesdays & Wednesdays.

A month earlier, this was a scene of desolation. Now with their new spring leaves, these gnarled old mesquite trees proudly provide shade for picnics at Agua Caliente Park on a warm April Sunday.

Turtles bask in the warm spring sunshine in one of the 3 ponds at Agua Caliente Park.

Kannally Ranch Home at Oracle State Park. On weekends, guided tours are free.

Early morning fishing at Patagonia Lake.

An abandoned building near the east entrance of Aravaipa Canyon.

This model train is in the front yard of a Tucson residence … one of 10 on the railroad-themed home tour. Very elaborate setups. For scale, this engine is about 14 inches long.

Redington Pass east of Tucson. Worst road in Southern Arizona. The Friends of Redington Pass have been working to clean up the area with some success. The San Pedro River Valley is the green strip in the distance.

Fairbank Post Office is closed. Only ghosts live here now.

Fairbank fiddlers at a gathering to celebrate the old town on the San Pedro River near Tombstone.

Crossing Aravaipa Creek in March before the trees had their new spring leaves.

Southern Arizona Guide has over 50 original videos and a dozen slide shows about the most interesting places and people in Baja Arizona. To view some, go to SouthernArizonaGuide.com > Main Menu > Home > Our Videos / Slideshows.

To get to the East Entrance of Aravaipa Canyon, we had to cross Aravaipa Creek 7 times. We were here in March so the trees had yet to sprout their spring leaves.

In March I shared with you our adventure to the West Entrance of Aravaipa Canyon. From Tucson, it took us about 2 hours to get there, the last several miles on a very windy but decent dirt road. The following week we drove to the East Entrance. That adventure took us about 3 hour just to get to the entrance and then another 3 hours of hiking, picnicking & exploring before heading back home in Tucson. But we were on a mission to find the cliff dwelling in Turkey Creek Canyon, an offshoot of Aravaipa Canyon.

The distance from the West Entrance to the East Entrance of Aravaipa Canyon is about 10 miles through the main canyon. With the required permit from the BLM you can hike in the Canyon. However, in the Canyon there are no hiking trails or campsites. About 9,000 acres within Aravaipa Canyon are owned by the Nature Conservancy and are jointly managed with the BLM that also manages their 40,000 acres of surrounding near-prestine Wilderness Area.

In the Canyon hikers can find several species of desert fish, and some 200 species of birds depending on the season. Here too are big horn sheep, coati, & mountain lions. Not more than 30 yards from where we were standing we saw 2 black bear cubs walking in the stream. Quickly realizing that were there are bear cubs there surely will be a momma bear nearby, we high-tailed it to the safety of our car.Unfortunately, our cameras were in the car and by the time we were ready to take photos of the furry little critters, they had disappeared into the woods.

We saw several abandoned buildings along the dirt road to the East Entrance of Aravaipa Canyon.

Hiking
Arivaipa Creek flows year ’round, an oddity for Southern Arizona. Aravaipa Creek is a tributary of the San Pedro River.

Most of the hiking through the Canyon takes place in the Creek itself, so if you go, plan to get wet up to your knees. The elevation of the Canyon floor and Aravaipa Creek is about 3,000′. But some of the surrounding cliffs are above 6,000′. Thus, the Canyon is cooler than Tucson. We were there in March so the trees, mainly willow, sycamore, alder, & cottonwood, had yet to sprout their spring leaves.

By the time we reached this point, we were almost to Turkey Creek.

In order to preserve this wilderness, both the BLM and the Nature Conservancy have restrictions on almost everything: NO FISHING, NO OFF-ROAD DRIVING, NO FIREARMS, NO DOGS, etc., etc. The BLM only issues 50 permits per day, which are about $5 per person.

High-clearance vehicles are recommended. Our front-wheel drive Ford Edge did just fine, even as we crossed the Creek at least 7 times.

Camping
At the East end two camping areas are available. Four-Mile Canyon Campground, located about one mile southwest of the Klondyke Store has ten units with picnic tables, grills and a flush toilet. Four-Mile Canyon has a fee of $5.00 per night. The second area is Turkey Creek, a primitive camping area with no facilities. Turkey Creek is located near the east wilderness entrance and has no fee. Primitive camping in the Wilderness Area is OK if you have a permit.

Points of Interest
The beauty of the Canyon is reason enough to go. However, our goal on this trip to the East Entrance was to find the cliff dwelling in Turkey Creek Canyon. Prehistoric people abandoned the area about 1450 A.D. The cliff dwelling is located 1.4 miles south of the east wilderness entrance and is one of the most intact structures of its kind in southeastern Arizona. It was probably occupied for a few months each year by prehistoric farmers around 1300 A.D. A trail leads visitors up to the structure. Please help protect and preserve these ancient ruins. If you are going to explore this area, best to get a topo map. I usually get ours at the Arizona Experience Store on Congress Street. For exploring Arizona, this is a major resource and we highly recommend it for books, gifts, and free, information-packed brochures.

Additional Information
Call (928) 828-3443 or e-mail mhaberstich@tnc.org

To get permits online, click HERE.

To view our recommendations for many other adventures around Southern Arizona, go to http://southernarizonaguide.com > Main Menu > Adventures.

Neighbor Roy had travelled this way 30 years ago. He didn’t recall the road being as bad as it is now.

San Pedro River Valley in the distance.

Redington Pass Road is so bad that it took us two and a half hours to travel the 42 miles of unpaved road. When we finally reached the pavement that is Hwy. 76 (San Pedro River Road)  we all cheered. After a few more miles we reached the little community of San Manuel. We were looking for a cut-off west to Oracle so we didn’t have to go all the way to Hwy. 77 north of Oracle. Our first attempt landed us in the maze of city streets. All I’ll say here is the San Manuel is bigger than it looks from atop Mt. Lemmon.

We finally got out of the maze and found Webb Road just north of San Manuel. According to Ms. Karen’s map, Webb would take us directly to Oracle State Park. A word of warning. You know how highway signs say things like “25 MPH”, but you can easily take the coming curve in the road at 40? On Webb Road there are a couple of “25 MPH” signs that are no exaggeration. Unless you are driving a Lotus, taking these turns at 40 will land you across the road and into a steep ravine.

After three hours drive time we finally arrived at Oracle State Park. Ms. Karen & I had been there about 6 weeks earlier and taken the guided tour of the Kannally Ranch House. The tour was interesting but I didn’t take any photographs of the grounds because it was cold and nothing was in bloom. We figured by now (early April) the gardens would be a blaze of color like our gardens in Tucson.

Also, by the time we arrived at the Park, we were all hungry and ready for our picnic. Surely Oracle State Park would have wonderful picnic areas. Or so we imagined.

Ms. Karen leaving the visitor center at Oracle State Park (April 2013).

The visitor center at Oracle State Park is in the former residence of the Kannally family. Their story is interesting but I suggest you go on the guided tour and learn for yourself. It’s about an hour north of Tucson on Hwy. 77.

We anticipated that the gardens around the Kannally Ranch House would be full of blooming plants. Let’s just say the gardens, which could have been magnificent, were a disappointment.

Mostly, the gardens were unattended and most of the vegetation was native plants like agave and trees such as oak. The folks at the visitor center claim poverty … the State is nearly broke and there’s not money to hire professional gardeners. In fact, Oracle State Park has been closed more often than open over the past several years.

The Ranch House is in a state of disrepair and the gardens had almost no spring flowers. Many of the plants look like they need water, but the big Lady Banks Rose Bush against the side of the building seemed to be doing fine. The blue shutters in this photograph were in need of a new coat of paint and are about to fall off the window.

After wandering about the grounds taking pictures for half an hour, it was time to find a good picnic spot. Oracle State Park has three picnic areas for individual families and one large picnic area for groups. Except in the group area, almost none of the picnic tables had a ramada. Nor were they on level ground. It was as if someone had just thrown the tables randomly on the hillsides.

We finally found some benches and a ramada that were on level ground for our picnic, but no table. We made do.

Would we recommend Redington Pass for a Sunday drive. No. The portion nearest Tucson is used a lot by hikers. And further up in the Pass are areas designated for dirt bikes and ATV’s. But generally, it’s a miserable road.

Would we recommend Oracle State Park for a picnic. No, unless you like having to use a seat belt to keep from falling off your picnic table. Although the group picnic area is nice. Lots of  level tables, very large grilles, and decent restrooms. From what we could discern, the hiking trails in the Park are not as interesting as those at Catalina State Park about 20 minutes south of here.

For our features on recommended Day Trips & Road Trips, click on this link to SouthernArizonaGuide.com > Main Meun > Adventures > Best Back Road > Day Trips/Half-Day Trips/2-3 Day Road Trips.

If you do go to Oracle State Park, but don’t bring a picnic basket, you may be tempted to dine at the Oracle Inn nearby. We ate there in early February, but could only give it a rating of 3-Saguaros … OK, but nothing to write home about.

On Tuesday morning this week I ventured down to Patagonia Lake State Park. From Tucson I was on the lake in my tiny vessel in an hour and a half. It’s a pleasant drive and this time of year the weather is gorgeous, the fishin’ is good, and it’s not congested like in the summer.

If you subscribe (FREE) to SouthernArizonaGuide.com, you have already received our weekly email newsletter with my slideshow featuring images and comments about my morning adventures around the Lake. If not, click HERE.

Certainly you can camp here, but if you prefer a room with a good bed, check out the Duquesne House B&B (say “Hi” to Nancy, the proprietor) or the Stage Stop Inn (say “Hi” to Cenovia, the innkeeper) in Patagonia just 8 miles north on Hwy 82. About 2 miles from “downtown” Patagonia is the Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve. A very fine natural place to hike and spot rare birds. Best to inquire at the visitor center to see if their resident mountain lion has eaten any hikers lately.

At the Stage Stop Inn is their dining room that,until Tuesday PM, has for years been the Home Plate Restaurant. I had an excellent prime rib sandwich for lunch there. And the fries were great, crispy just like I like ‘em. So, you ask, what happened Tuesday afternoon to the Home Plate?

I was informed that as of 3 PM, it would become the Wild Horse Restaurant. I’m sure there’s a story here but my waitress seemed unsure as to why the name change.

On the back road from Sonoita to Ft. Huachuca. This is a perfect road for touring bikes.

The Back Road From Sonoita To Fort Huachuca
Later in the afternoon, I drove the back road from Sonoita to Fort Huachuca’s west entrance. T’was a delightful tour of the rolling hills and grasslands southeast of the Sonoita-Elgin wine country. My quest was Garden Canyon in the Huachuca Mountains on the south portion of the Fort. In particular, I was interested in the petroglyphs in the Canyon most likely created by Apaches in the 18th century for ritual purposes. Archeologist have not found any sign of  long-term American Indian settlement here.

In a few days, I’ll post the Garden Canyon slideshow. Next Sunday, I think Ms. Karen & I will head out to Redington Pass and up to Oracle State Park. Also, I have a couple of restaurant and lodging reviews to post from my trip to Patagonia and Sonoita. So stay tuned.

Take one of the many tours offered by Into The West Jeep Tours and Mark and his crew will transport you back in time to the Old West of Cochise, Geronimo, Johnny Ringo, Wyatt Earp, and Doc Holliday.  If you’re planning to visit Tombstone, these back country excursions are highly recommended.

You will not only see the rugged beauty of Cochise County from vantage points few get to experience. These jeep tours can also take you to historic sites and real ghost town, such as Fairbank, Gleeson, & Pearce.

On a pleasant Thursday in March (2013) Richard, my driver & guide, drove me through the hills above Tombstone to see the mining district that made hard-rock miners, like Ed Schieffelin, unimaginably rich almost overnight. As well-versed as I am on the history of this area and as many old mines as I have explored in my younger days, Richard explained a great deal that I had been unaware of. His shared knowledge was indeed an advanced history lesson taught by a man who is clearly passionate about his subject. He made the tour both enjoyable and enlightening.

We were in an open-air jeep that Mark had modified to handle the demands of the rocky, uneven roads up there. What had been a standard Jeep with stick-shift and 6-cylender engine was now an automatic with a powerful V-8 outfitted with some serious tread. This high-clearance beast could go anywhere it could get traction.

That said, they also have enclosed 4-wheel drive vehicles for those who want to see the Old West in climate-controlled comfort.

Into The West has several standard tours that take 2 to 4 hours and cost anywhere from about $55 to $95 per person. But they can easily create custom tours to suit the occasion, including weddings, cookouts, and outlaw shootouts.

Coming Soon
Coming up on April 13^th (2013) is their 3^rd Annual Cowboy Cookout & Rocky Mountain Oyster Fry with live Western music, beer garden street dance, & gunfight show at Doc Holliday’s Gunfight Palace. You can make reservations by calling 520-559-2151.

Death In A Tombstone Saloon: circa 1882.

Speaking of Doc’s, many of these Jeep tours include a half-hour gunfight in a mock 1880’s saloon on Allen Street near the Bird Cage Theater. These theatrics are what tourists want to see. However having seen many, I can attest that this one is by far the most realistic.

For more on Tombstone, check out our Southern Arizona Guide’s Tombstone Section, including my 1881 video interviews with Virgil Earp and Tom McLaury. Also, if you’re interested in some of the ghost towns you an visit on these Jeep tours, check out our Ghost Towns section.

In association with The Mini-Time Machine: A Museum of Miniatures, the Tucson Garden Railway Society hosts its 10th annual “Rails In The Garden Tour” this coming weekend, March 2nd & 3rd 10AM to 4PM.

For 2013 there are ten garden railways, two of which are new on the tour, as well as annual favorites, many of which have been expanded or have added features or scenes since last year. This year’s layouts are located primarily on the west side of Tucson and you can visit all venues as often as you wish.

John Carmicheal attends to detail on his “G” gauge garden railway: Tucson, AZ.

Yesterday, I visited one of the venues at the home of John Carmicheal. John has been a sculptor of sun dials for over 20 years, but he is new to garden railroads. In his front yard is a labyrinth of rails, bridges, tunnels, depots and other features among a variety of cacti, primarily cholla and prickly pear. Laid end to end, John’s railroad is longer than a football field. His trains are “G” gauge, which is much larger than the more familiar “HO” scale. John explained that the model trains have to be larger for outdoor operations so that small objects, such as a leaf or pebble, won’t derail them.

From what I saw, John has two steam engines that each pull a variety of cars, and this little yellow trolley that provides local transportation for miniature passengers.

One has to be a serious railroad hobbyist to develop and operate one of these garden railways. I could not help asking John what I would have to budget to replicate something like his layout in my own gardens. He explained that the layout I was watching took him 14 months of near-full-time effort, including design time. He also told me that I should budget at least $10,000. WOW! Given the precision & complexity of this garden railway, I was surprised that it wasn’t more.

The Tucson Garden Railway Society will again be collecting donations (cash or check only) for the Community Food Bank. Also, they will raffle off a railroad-themed quilt, the proceeds of which will go to Ronald McDonald House.

Funds raised by tour ticket sales help fund the Society’s projects at the Tucson Children’s Museum, Tucson Botanical Garden, the Diamond Children’s Center, Tucson Medical Center, Veteran’s Administration and modular displays at various locations throughout the year.

Tickets cost $5.00 per adult and there is no charge for children/teens 18 and under when accompanied by a ticket holding adult. Tickets are good for both tour days and all venues. Each ticket includes entry into a drawing for a complete “starter” train set. Click HERE for local businesses where you can purchase tickets. Click HERE for a map of each garden railway on the tour.

For more information, click HERE.

These steps lead to the top of the ridge where, around 500 C.E., a band of Hohokam established a village. Perhaps as many as 300 people lived here until about 1450.

Ms. Karen & I have lived here for 11 years and had never visited Catalina State Park. Last Saturday we discovered what a great Tucson asset it is. There are hiking trails that lead to natural pools, an equestrian center and horseback riding trails, plus several picnic and camping areas. But last Saturday, we went with our guests from New York, Susan & Charlea, to hike the trail that leads to the Romero Ruins.

Around 500 C.E. a band of Hohokam established a village on the ridge that overlooks the wash that became known as Canada de Oro. Here they found year-round water, and plenty of game and useful plants to live a relatively comfortable life for the next 900 years. Around 1450, the Hohokam abandoned this site, but 400 years later Francisco Romero and his family established their cattle ranch on the ruins of the Native American village. The ruins of the Romero’s home are here as well.

Along the Romero Ruins trail there are many interpretive plaques that help us imagine what was once here. Another reason to like Catalina State Park is we can hike with our dogs, so long as they are on a leash.

This time of year there are many docent-led hikes and exhibits at Catalina State Park on the weekends. I took some photos of our Romero Ruins hike that you can view in a slideshow on SouthernArizonaGuide.com.

In a few days I will share with you last Sunday’s adventure to the West entrance of Araviapa Canyon Preserve. This coming Saturday we plan on enjoying the historical re-enactments at the ghost town of Fairbank about 10 miles west of Tombstone on the San Pedro River. Then, for next Sunday, we have permits to hike Araviapa Canyon Preserve from the East entrance.

San Pedro River. Photo by Francie Hills.

I received a flyer in my email the other day about some upcoming events that look interesting. On one of our Sunday day trips last January, Ms. Karen & I visited the San Pedro River at two locations: the San Pedro House and the ghost town of Fairbank. The San Pedro House is the visitor center for this riparian conservation area. From here you can take a walk on a short nature trail near the House or take another trail that winds along the river for miles. At Fairbank, you can visit the ruins of this mining community on the east bank of the San Pedro. There are trails from here that go down to the river and also to the Fairbank Cemetery and the ruins of Santa Cruz de Terrenate.

You will find some interesting images of the San Pedro on our SouthernArizonaGuide.com.

Fairbank Post Office

On Saturday, March 2nd at Fairbank the Friends of the San Pedro River are putting on a show and I’m pretty sure we will be there to see it. Included are:

• Presentations by the Old Pueblo Archeology Center on the peleo-Indians and Hohokam who lived along the River.
• Spanish soldiers from El Presidio San Agustin de Tucson representing the Spanish colonial era.
• Re-enactments representing events from the Old West.
• Hikes, tours of the Fairbank townsite, including the restored school house, and demonstrations.
• Music + Food
• Displays including: Amerind Foundation,  Empire Ranch Foundation, Friends of Brown Canyon Ranch, Friends of Kentucky Camp, Friends of the San Pedro River,
  Tombstone Archives, Tubac Presido, U.S. Bureau of Land Management

• The 8 AM docent-guided hike to the ruins of Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate is considered a moderate 4-hour, 5 mile walk with two river crossings. Bring suitable trail shoes, hat, water, and snack.
• To view the flyer, click HERE.

Fairbank is about 10 miles west of Tombstone between Whetstone and Tombstone on Hwy 82, just east of the San Pedro River.

Click on this link to view our short article about our January 2013 visit to Fairbank.

For our 1776 video interview with a Spanish soldado at the Presidio, click on this link.

The announcer obviously knows rodeo, from the contestants to the sometimes complex and seemingly archaic rules. The wranglers were great, as were the clowns, and the audience was definitely engaged. And the contestants? Awesome. These folks are rugged cowboys & cowgirls, and terrific role models for our school-age children. If you’re looking for something to do with the young ones, take them to the rodeo. Lots of food and drink here, and plenty of merchandise to purchase at dozens of booths surrounding the grandstands.

Parking was $5 and the cheapest admission is $12. Some 700 contestants will compete for serious prize money this year. Proceeds from the rodeo go to the University of Arizona Scholarship Fund and other worthy charities.

Here are a few photos I took. You can see more at SouthernArizonaGuide.com.

The Tucson Rodeo began way back in the 1920′s during that era of high morals known as Prohibition: if it was fun, it was prohibited. Don’t miss the Rodeo Parade Museum on the rodeo grounds. And don’t miss the Parade this coming Thursday. Gabby & Mark are Grand Marshalls.