Last Sunday, Ms. Karen, my mother-in-law Judy, and I traveled from Tucson to Carr & Ramsey Canyons south of Sierra Vista. Our principle goal was to attend a 2 PM performance by Dolan Ellis, the Official Arizona State Balladeer at the Arizona Folklore Preserve. Along the way we enjoyed several beautiful places  that most folks don’t even know about.

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.

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.

Yesterday was another Sunday drive. This time Neighbor Roy, Ms. Karen, and I were off to Oracle State Park via Redington Pass east of Tucson. Access to Redington Pass is easy. Just go east on Tanque Verde. Eventually, the pavement ends and the worst road in Southern Arizona begins. Even the high-clearance 4-wheel drive vehicles could barely manage 10 mph. The road through Redington Pass was so bad that I may stop complaining about the deplorable condition of Tucson’s streets. It made Silverbell Road feel like the autobahn.

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.

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.

As some of you already know, Ms. Karen & I have set aside each Sunday to venture into the unknown … at least not previously known to us. Saturdays, on the other hand, are reserved for tending Ms. Karen’s many gardens.

Ms. Karen & Neighbor Roy in King Canyon Wash near the Desert Museum.

Yesterday, she & I, along with Neighbor Roy, spent a delightful early morning at the Desert Museum’s new aquarium on a Behind The Scenes Tour. More on that manana. Afterwards, we drove a few hundred yards west of the Desert Museum entrance and parked at the King Canyon trailhead (K-24). Our modest goal was to find and photograph petroglyphs.

Ms. Karen had hiked King Canyon from the summit of Mt. Wasson a year ago with relatives from Colorado so she knew (about) where to find the petroglyphs. Back then, I couldn’t walk a city block, let alone hike up a mountain. But following my surgery last November, I’ve been walking a little more each day and got up to 1.5 miles last Friday.

Ms. Karen told me that from Kinney Road, our goal was only about a mile up a wash, so I started out feeling confident that I could make it. Of course, having hardly walked at all for years, the muscles in my lower extremities have atrophied. After a quarter mile or so of walking in sand and gravel, my legs and hips were burning. Fortunately, getting to the petroglyphs was not a timed event, and I sat and rested several times on the way up. Here are a few photos of what we saw.

I don’t know what the paleo-Indians who carved these figures were trying to communicate, except perhaps that we should know they were once here.

Why do you suppose a pre-historic American Indian would feel the need to draw a rattlesnake on a cliff wall?

After our King Canyon hike, we went back to the Desert Museum to have lunch at the Ocotillo Cafe, one of our favorite Southern Arizona restaurants. Excellent, as always! You can find our 2012 List of the Best Restaurants In Southern Arizona by category on our website: SouthernArizonaGuide.com.

A Magnificent Mata Ortiz Pot

Following lunch we walked over to the exhibit called: The Women Potters of Mata Ortiz. Sunday was the last day of this exhibit and we were very glad we had not missed it. Not only is their pottery masterful works of art, but we also met some of the women potters who were at a table working on their next piece. Because some of the patterns on the pots are so tiny and precise, I assumed without thinking that they were machine-made.  That is until I witnessed one of the potters creating a very intricate pattern by dipping a single strand of hair in dye and painstakingly applying it one stroke at a time. And not just any hair would do. So tiny are the lines in the pattern that she used the ultra-fine hair from a baby. Extraordinary indeed!

As promised, here are a few more photographs of the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Our thanks to Francie Hills for sharing. I did prepare a slideshow of nine of Fancie’s images on our SouthernArizonaGuide.com. If you would like to view them, please click HERE.

San Pedro River Riparian Conservation Area a few miles east of Sierra Vista.

When Ms. Karen and I were here two Sundays ago, it was cold and all the vegetation looked dead. I assume the photo above was taken in the spring or summer given that everything is green.

Turtles or Tortoises?

I assume that these critters are turtles because they are in the water. I associate tortoises with dry land. Do any of you know what these are?

When we return in the spring, we intend to visit both the Murray Springs Clovis Site and the Lehner Mammoth Kill Site. Today, this narrow riparian area is surrounded by desert. But in the olden days, 11,000 years ago, this whole area was a large marsh. It doesn’t take a lot of imagination to envision stone age people killing and butchering mammoths and bisons here while trying not to become dinner for a sabre-tooth cat.

If you go, stop at San Pedro House, the visitors center for this 57,000 acre preserve. If it wasn’t for the Friends of the San Pedro River, this desert waterway would be as dry as the Santa Cruz that used to flow year-round through Tucson. You might even consider becoming a member. One thing we learned while there is this is a major stopover for migratory birds. Consequently, I have amended our 9 Best Birding Hotspots in Southern Arizona to ten.

Dan Starr in full hiking regalia.

Dan Starr is a music teacher and avid hiker who lives in Tucson. As I cannot yet walk more than .3 miles, I asked Dan to share his experience hiking along the San Pedro River, one of the last remaining year-round, free-flowing rivers in Arizona. A few dedicated conservationists known as Friends of the San Pedro River have managed to preserve 57,000 acres for the rest of us to enjoy. Here you will find myriad trails, dozens of bird species, a ghost town, and archeological sites.

The photographs of this riparian area are by Francie Hills, a retired teacher from New Hampshire now living in Sierra Vista. We will have a slideshow of some of her other photos on SouthernArizonaGuide.com in a few days.

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During the last month of 2012 I stayed a few nights in Sierra Vista. I had two reasons for going: (1) to figure out how I could teach music to more students and (2) check out that area. Naturally in order to achieve my second purpose I took a full day trip to the San Pedro River.

My first stop was “The San Pedro House” at the San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area. Travel on Arizona Highway 90 from Sierra Vista a few miles and you’ll see it just before you cross the San Pedro River. I arrived early and the visitor center was just opening. Nevertheless, I was invited by a nice docent to go along with a tour group at 9 AM. Being more of a solitary person (and hoping to get in some valuable “thinking time”) I declined but was able to stock up on free maps and literature. I gave myself what one of my sheets called a “Self-Guided Tour.”

There are many, many trails around this part of the world. I specifically asked my new friend about “illegal activity” and was told there wasn’t much at that point. I surely didn’t want a confrontation! Being reassured, I took a trail down to the water and then headed farther into the US along the river itself. Each point of interest was posted and agreed fully with the numbers on my “self-guided tour” map.

While I was hiking, I was reading some other flyers and discovered something else interesting nearby – The Murray Springs Clovis Site. Archeology and anthropology have always interested me so when my hike was done, I got back into my vehicle and went closer to Sierra Vista and then turned north onto Moson Road to this site. I loved this place, complete with the varying trails and explanatory plaques.  I also trekked along the old railroad bed quite a ways.
Getting back in my truck, I took Moson Road further north to it’s intersection with the Charleston Road, turned right and drove a few miles ‘till I got back to the San Pedro River. Armed with my knowledge from my San Pedro House visit, I knew where to go to get to the trailhead. This trail doesn’t actually go to Charleston. That is on the west side of the river and it’s “discouraged” by the BLM. Instead, the trail goes to two places, down to some fairly decent (remember I’m from Tucson and have seen much better) rock art and also to the mills that supported Charleston. Unfortunately, there is not much left of these other than walls, but there are some great explanatory plaques.

I hiked both trails and checked out what there was to see at each. I knew from other readings that Charleston was essentially leveled by a huge earthquake in 1887 (the last such around these parts, luckily!). Personally, I was much more interested in the rock art. Of course, I just had to go down to the river and found a seldom used trail to do that. Along the river I came across a site where some intrepid camper had created a lean-to and obviously lived on the river bank.

Well, my day was done. I had started early and the sun was already descending.  I had covered quite a few miles and headed back to the Sierra Vista motel in my truck.

Restored schoolhouse at Fairbank, AZ.

We had been intending to visit Fairbank for at least a year. Yesterday, Ms. Karen and I took a Sunday drive and had a look around this 1880′s ghost town.

Fairbank was named for Chicago investor Nathaniel Fairbank. He was the founder of the Grand Central Mining Company, which had investments in several Tombstone silver mines. In the 1880′s Fairbank was the closest railhead to Tombstone, then one of the largest cities in the West.

Fairbank, AZ: ca. 1890.

From Fairbank, trains took silver ore from the Tombstone mines and delivered it to the stamp mills at Contention City and Charleston. When the Butterfield Overland Mail Line started in 1885, Fairbank was also an important stage stop.

By 1886, Fairbank had about 100 residents. The little town boasted a steam quartz mill, a general store, a butcher shop, a restaurant, a saloon, a Wells Fargo office, the railroad depot, and a stage coach station.

Today, the schoolhouse has been restored. Inside we found a knowledgable docent, his dog, and many books and historical photos about this area along the San Pedro River. Outdoors, there are numerous interpretive plaques that help identify some of the old buildings and explain what life in Fairbank was like back then. Fairbank is open to the public 9:30 – 4:30. There are trails from the schoolhouse north along the San Pedro to the cemetery. We’ll return in the spring to photograph the cemetery and surrounding area when all the vegetation is green. Yesterday, the wind was cold and all the vegetation, including the giant cottonwoods along the river, looked dead-dead.

Millville trail head sign off the Charleston Road just east of the San Pedro River.

From Fairbank, we picked up the Charleston Road at Tombstone and headed southwest toward Sierra Vista hoping to come across the ruins of Charleston and Millville. Just before crossing the bridge over the San Pedro, Ms. Karen spotted an outhouse and a rail fence that looked suspiciously like it might be related to one of the ghost towns we were searching for. A quick U-ee and we approached the trailhead sign just off the north side of the road.

Giant cottonwood tree on the grounds of the San Pedro House. The little house in the background is constructed of railroad ties and was the playhouse for the young daughter of a rancher who lived here many decades ago.

From there we wanted to visit the Clovis site, but a slight navigational error put us too far south, so we just continued on to the San Pedro House. Operated by Friends of the San Pedro River, this is where you come to learn first hand about this rare and important Southern Arizona riparian conservation area. They have have a self-guided walking tour, and bookstore, and some merchandise. Ms. Karen acquired a specialty hummingbird feeder and two large Nyjer Thistle Socks (nylon bird feeders). All through the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area are all sorts of wild critters and dozens of species of birds.

Not far away, we found the trailhead for the Mammoth Kill site, but again, my legs were not up to the one mile hike. After that, we continued south to the Coronado Memorial on the International Border. This is the most likely area where the Coronado Expedition (1540-42) passed on its quest for the fabled Seven Cities of Gold that turned out to be nothing more than a Zuni pueblo in what is now New Mexico. Amazingly, the Expedition made it all the way to Kansas before giving up. However, some of expedition turned west from present-day New Mexico and became the first Europeans to see the Grand Canyon and the Colorado River.

The small visitor center had some paintings and video that told the story of the Coronado Expedition. They also had a conquistador’s metal helmet and some armor made of chain mail just laying in a box. So, never having handled chain mail, I picked up a suit. Unbelievably HEAVY! I have no idea how soldiers fought effectively wearing this stuff. But as to its effectiveness, Wikipedia has this to say: Mail armour provided an effective defence against slashing blows by an edged weapon and penetration by thrusting and piercing weapons; in fact a study conducted at the Royal Armouries at Leeds concluded that “it is almost impossible to penetrate using any conventional medieval weapon”

Here the Park Service has a picnic area and a nature trail along a creek. Also, there’s a trail to a nearby cave that you are welcome to explore. The Park Service suggests you bring a flashlight. Seems like a good idea.

During my recent convalescence I read fairly extensively about this remarkable expedition and just posted my take on it on our Southern Arizona Guide. My intent is to retrace the route they took through Arizona to the Zuni Pueblo this spring by foot and back road. You can read the short story by clicking HERE.

Here are our recommendations for the best things to see and do around Willcox, Arizona. Most have something to do with the area’s history or its vineyards.

Willcox is about an hour and a half east of Tucson on I-10. The town has seen better days, but fortunately the citizens have preserved many of the historic buildings. Some are pre-1920. Others were build pre-1900. So one of the best things to do around Willcox is to take the short, self-guided walking tour of historic downtown. Click HERE to identify each historic site below.

Rex Allen Museum

The main attraction in historic downtown Willcox along Railroad Avenue is the Rex Allen Museum. If you are younger than 65 as of 2012, it is unlikely you will know who Rex Allen was.

Through the 1950′s & ’60′s, Mr. Allen was a singer-songwriter, Western movie star, and narrator for many Disney nature films.

At one time, he was almost as famous as Roy Rogers and Gene Autry. In all, he starred and sang in 19 Westerns, and earned a star on Hollywood Blvd.

So popular was Mr. Allen that he became a comic book character for Dell Comics. With his trademark white Stetson, he was always the good guy. In his movies, he had a sidekick for comic relief: first Buddy Ebsen (later star of Beverly Hillbillies), then Slim Pickens.

Rex Allen was known as the Arizona Cowboy. His museum exhibits a lot of memorabilia, shows some of his old Westerns, and plays his music. His statue (and his ashes) are across the street in Railroad Park.

Marty Robbins Museum

Today (2012), far more people are familiar with the Western ballads of Marty Robbins than the songs of Rex Allen. Mr. Robbins has a small museum next to Rex Allen’s. A singer-songwriter, Mr. Robbins wrote and sang such hits as “A White Sportcoat”,  “My Woman, My Wife”, “El Paso”, and “Big Iron”.

Both Frankie Lane and Elvis Presley recorded Mr. Robbins’ “You Gave Me A Mountain”.

The Academy of Country Music honored Marty Robbins by naming him Artist of the Decade (1960′s). In 1982, he was elected to the Country Music Hall of Fame. Like Mr. Allen, he has a star on Hollywood Blvd. and Arizona claims him for its own.

Willcox Wine Tasting

Next to the Allen & Robbins Museums on Railroad Avenue is the Keeling Schaefer Vineyards’ Wine Tasting Room in the restored 1917 Willcox Bank & Trust building. This is a fine venue that includes an worthwhile art gallery.

Willcox Dining

In historic downtown Willcox: Big Tex BBQ. This is just around the corner from Railroad Park. The restaurant is an old railroad car. Excellent BBQ ribs.

Two miles west of Willcox: Coronado Vineyards. This is one of our favorites. Here you can taste their various wines and also enjoy dinner overlooking the vineyard.

Given its location, Willcox for us has been a gateway to 3 excellent adventures this past year. For more about things to do within an hour of Willcox, please click HERE to go to Southern Arizona Guide.