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.

Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain

Even though I was a newspaper & magazine publisher for almost 4 decades, I stopped reading the Arizona Daily Star some years ago. However, by chance I saw an article it published recently with the headline: Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain shares top SW resort ranking. That caught my attention. As publisher of SouthernArizonaGuide.com, I should know these things. After all, I do make dining & lodging recommendations.

The article proceeded to rank the Top 25 Resorts in the Southwest according to Conde’ Nast Traveler readers. Neither the Star nor Conde’ Nast bothered to explain why Traveler readers have a lock on discriminating taste.

According to this Top 25 list, the Ritz at Dove Mountain tied for Numero Uno of the Southwest with Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain Resort & Spa in Paradise Valley. Tucson’s Loews Ventana Canyon Resort is #13; followed by #14, the J.W. Marriott Starr Pass. Lodge at Ventana Canyon barely made the list at #24. But any resort in the Top 25 is a fine place to stay.

I tend not to trust the Star to do serious research, so I went to the Traveler website to see for myself. Found something interesting.

If you go to Traveler’s Gold List of Arizona Hotels & Resorts, you will find one of our finest resorts was left off the Top 25 in the Southwest, but was #4 on the Gold List: Miraval. How did that happen?

Miraval Resort & Spa – Tucson

Ritz-Carlton Dove Mountain got a score of 92.5, same as Sanctuary on Camelback Mountain. Tucson’s Miraval scored 91.3. Just so you know, #1 on the Gold List: Mii amo, Sedona got a solid 94.0 and way ahead of Loews Ventana Canyon at 85.3.

Ms. Karen & I have stayed at some fine hotels and resorts. The most pleasantly memorable are the Winter Palace in Luxor overlooking the Nile and a short walk to the magnificent Temple of Karnak;  and the Mena House on the Giza Plateau in easy walking distance to the Great Pyramids. Somewhere, I have a photograph of Ms. Karen teeing off on the 6th fairway with the Pyramid of Khufu in the immediate background. Not sure any resort could match that.

In Jeruselem, we stayed at the (then) new Hilton (along with President Clinton) where we had an unsurpassed view of the Old City. Absolutely glorious at night. What resort can match that? Clearly my criteria for great lodging are significantly different that the readers of Conde’ Nast Traveler. I didn’t find any of these on Conde’ Nast’s Gold List. But they’re on mine.

For our Southern Arizona Lodging reviews, click HERE.

Let me know which are your Gold List Southern Arizona Hotels & Resorts. Please include your criteria for excellence. If I haven’t already reviewed them, I will check out your suggestions for best Southern Arizona lodging. Thanks!

Muleshoe Ranch Preserve Visitor Center

We have discovered the Garden of Eden, only a 2-hour drive from Tucson, AZ – the last 30 miles over unpaved road.

On a pleasantly warm mid-September Sunday, we left the comforts of our home in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains and headed for the wilds of Muleshoe Ranch Preserve.

Muleshoe is one of the 4 Nature Conservancy’s preserves in Southern Arizona. The other 3 are Aravaipa Canyon, Ramsey Canyon, and Sonoita-Patagonia Preserves. All are designated major birding hotspots … and for very good reason. As we got near, Ms. Karen sighted (a) 4 raptors; (b) a dozen different LBJ’s – aka, little brown jobs; and (c) 3 seriously interesting feathered creatures she could not ID, even with her field guide. All without binoculars, which she forgot to bring.

Honestly, any one of these beautiful wild places could be the original Garden of Eden. And tons of gratitude to the Nature Conservancy for ensuring that our children and grandchildren will be able to experience natural Arizona as it was before human overpopulation began its destruction.

The Social Life of Rattlesnakes
Arriving at the visitors center, we met Jeff Smith who, as caretaker, lives in the Preserve. Melissa Amarello is there too, working on her thesis about the social behavior of rattlesnakes. Some people have all the fun.

I am reasonably certain that rattlesnakes have some social life. After all, they do mate. And to mate successfully, one must have a modicum of social skills.

I also know that when I remove rattlers from our yard, via a 6-foot-long snake-grabber, the only behavior they exhibit is hostility.

To learn more about their research, check out their blog, SnakeResearch.Wordpress.com.

Muleshoe Ranch Preserve Stone House

Lodging & Hot Tubs
Two features set Muleshoe apart from most preserves. First, you can stay overnight in one of their 4 apartments comfortably furnished in Southwestern décor, each bordering on a grassy courtyard. Or, if you crave isolation, you can stay in the Stone House located near the beginning of the nature trail.

And second, as an overnight guest, you have access to the hot tubs just down the path along the stream.

One of two hot tubs at Muleshoe Ranch

These tubs are continuously fed fresh water from a natural hot spring. Ms. Karen guessed the water temperature to be 102-103: just right. What a luxury it would be to spend the day in search of the many rare birds that live here or pause here on their migration, then soak in a hot tub beneath the starry sky before turning in for the night.

Plenty of opportunities for picnics here too. Muleshoe Ranch quickly became one of our favorite picnic areas. But you do have to bring your own groceries. This is no B&B. A stay-over at Muleshoe is definitely on our To Do List.

Note: you can bring your horse, but not your dog.

Getting There
You can access Muleshoe Ranch Preserve from two directions. Either from the Interstate at Willcox or Benson. Both departure points have their advantages.

Coming from Tucson, it was shorter to get off the Interstate at Pomerene (Exit 306) just past Benson. We took the road north to Cascabel about 16 miles, then turned east (right) onto Three-Links Road, which is unpaved. From here it was 15 miles to where it connects with Muleshoe Road. Then a hard left onto Muleshoe Road for another 14 unpaved miles to the visitor center. In all, about 30 miles on decent unpaved road across Southern Arizona’s ruggedly beautiful high desert. In all, it took us about 2 hours to go from Downtown Tucson To Muleshoe Ranch.

Antique Cars at Gammons Gulch

Gammons Gulch
The advantage of going this way is Cascabel Road takes you right by Gammons Gulch, a re-created Western town still used as a movie set. The Gulch is a labor of love by Jay & Joanne Gammons, both of whom we met. Jay gives a very entertaining tour of the place, peppered with stories about the many movie stars he has worked with over the decades.

Willcox & Wine
You can also access Three-Links Road just north of Willcox, then follow it west to Muleshoe Road. The advantage of going through Willcox is wine. There are several vineyards nearby. In Old Town Willcox on Railroad Road is a wine tasting establishment that we have not experienced yet.

However, two miles east of Willcox, just off the Interstate, is Coronado Vineyards. Here they have a tasting room and a restaurant. We have not eaten here, but we have tasted six of their wines, three of which we particularly liked and bought a case. Take note that the restaurant at Coronado Vineyards only serves dinners starting at 5 PM. However, their tasting room offers a bar menu starting at 9:30 AM.

If you go to Muleshoe Ranch Preserve, please say “Hi” to Jeff & Melissa for us. And check out SouthernArizonaGuide.com for more excellent local adventures like this one.

Kentucky Camp Headquarters Building Restored

More than a hundred years ago, Kentucky Camp was the headquarters for the Santa Rita Water & Mining Company, which was formed to extract placer deposits from the Greaterville Mining District in the foothills of the Santa Rita Mountains 9 miles NW of Sonoita.

Gold, in the form of placer, was discovered here in 1874. Placer is a mixture of gold, sand, and gravel. Separating out the gold required water. But in the Greaterville Mining District, there was no permanent surface water, and the arroyos were usually dry.

Early on, miners here had to haul their pay dirt in sacks to the few running streams in the area, or haul bladders of water to their claims on the backs of pack animals.

At first, this laborious effort was worthwhile, but by 1886 the easy pickings played out and most of the miners moved on.

A Bright Idea
In 1902, along came James Stetson, a California mining engineer who had an idea to solve the water problem. He believed it would be possible to collect seasonal runoff into a nearby reservoir, creating a permanent water source, and thus making placer mining once again profitable.

Stetson sold the idea to investors and together they formed the Santa Rita Water & Mining Company. The mining operation took place in Boston Gulch and the company built facilities in neighboring Kentucky Gulch.

From 1902, the company had their headquarters and employee residences in what became known as Kentucky Camp. By mid-1904, the company had begun hydraulic mining and success seemed assured.

One Fateful Day
However, as so often happened in these early mining ventures, fate intervened. On May 20, 1905, Mr. Stetson was in Tucson for a Board of Directors meeting. He had taken a third-floor room in the new and very prestigious Santa Rita Hotel, located at Broadway & Scott.

Around 3 o’clock that afternoon, a maid working on the 2^nd floor directly below Mr. Stetson’s room heard a thud on the windowsill of the room she was cleaning. She went to investigate. As she leaned out her window, she saw Mr. Stetson’s dead body on the concrete sidewalk below.

Why Mr. Stetson fell out of his hotel window was never determined. Was he pushed? Was he drunk? We will never know.

The remaining partners tried to keep the mining operation going, but gave up in 1906. By 1912, Kentucky Camp was abandoned.

For information about the restored buildings & overnight stays at Kentucky Camp, click HERE to go to SouthernArizonaGuide.com.

Eldorado Suites Hotel
55 OK Street
Bisbee, Arizona
(520) 432-6679

July 2012
I went to Bisbee this time of year to make photographs with interesting skies created by our dramatic summer monsoon clouds. I also needed to gather additional material for dining & lodging reviews so you would have more recommendations for things to see & do, plus where to find the best dining and lodging.

General Bisbee Info
For those of you who don’t know, Bisbee is an old copper-mining town about 2 hours southeast of Tucson and a half hour past Tombstone. At one time, it was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco.

The place reeks of early 20^th century history, but is now as much an antique destination and art community as anything. To get a sense of Bisbee’s glorious past, I generally recommend first-time visitors do three things to get oriented.

1. Walk about town whenever possible. Driving will keep you from experiencing many half-hidden and worthwhile places. Moreover, driving will prevent you from meeting a lot of interesting people.
2. Take a leisurely drive or stroll up and down the hilly streets above the city and you will see a lot of interesting and historic homes, churches, and other buildings.
3. Visit the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, the big red brick building on the main drag. They have excellent exhibits and do a fine job of telling Bisbee’s story.

The Museum’s Executive Director, Carrie Gustavson, gave an excellent on-camera interview for our SouthernArizonaGuide.com. The video will help you understand the early life of Bisbee and why it eclipsed Tombstone as the most important southwestern outpost. Click here to view her video.

In addition to Bisbee’s fine art galleries, antique shops & general Old West history, a lot of folks go there just to people-watch. One might describe Bisbee’s hippy & biker inhabitants as “colorful”. The old saloons, such as St. Elmo’s along Brewery Gulch, are good places to make acquaintance with the indigenous population.

I have generally found Bisbee-ites of all stripes to be friendly and helpful. More than anything, Bisbee is a pleasant state of mind: laid-back with a definite sense of community. (Actually several communities with in a community.)

Eldorado Suites Hotel
Before I went, I checked out the usual customer-review websites, such as TripAdvisor, and settled on the 3-story Eldorado Suites Hotel overlooking Brewery Gulch. I was not disappointed. This is a very fine historic hotel. It features a private courtyard with patio seating & BBQ in back and panoramic views of the city from its long balconies in front.

Unlike so many old hotels in Southern Arizona that were built mostly of wood more than a hundred years ago, the Eldorado was constructed of concrete in 1914. Eight-inch thick cement walls make this structure not only sturdy for the ages, but remarkably quiet.

All rooms are not just “a room”, but rather whole suites, each with a modern kitchen, comfortable sitting room with sofa and (can you believe it?) a recliner, and a sizable bedroom with ceiling fan and walk-in closet. And the most comfortable beds in the known universe.

If you are traveling with family or friends, you can reserve a second bedroom or adjacent suite. This place has everything … everything, except coasters for drinks. What’s with that?

The Eldorado is not a B&B. No food served here. Not that this is a problem even if you didn’t bring your own groceries. It’s easy walking distance to Santiago’s and many other worthwhile restaurants in the historic district. Additionally, many of Bisbee’s 19^th century saloons serve decent pub grub. On this trip, I had an excellent chicken club sandwich at St. Elmo’s bar just down the street from my hotel, but had to order it next door. (Don’t ask. Just do it!)

In the evening, I enjoyed sitting on my veranda overlooking the old city watching the intermittent black monsoon clouds drop torrents of rain and spew bolts of lightening. Quite the show… and FREE!

Is the Eldorado Suites the best place to stay in Bisbee. Perhaps. Probably. You don’t get the creaky old floors, tiny rooms, and antiquated facilities of some of the old hotels on Main Street. But you do get authentic history, spacious comfort, interesting views, and modern facilities. No, the Eldorado is not the least expensive. The best of anything seldom is. However, to me it was well worth the $140 price tag ($125+Tax).

Included: Wi-Fi, cable TV, hair dryer, on-site washer & dryer, fully-equipped kitchen, excellent linens & towels, a bear claw bathtub and the best shower this side of an Irish castle.

The Eldorado is not particularly handicap-friendly, but none of these old hotels are. Too many stairs. But for the Eldorado’s ground-floor suites, you only have to negotiate a couple of steps.

Not included: ghosts.

Ghosts
I didn’t see any ghosts at the Eldorado. Nor was I promised any.  Lots of places in Bisbee are “said” to be haunted. The historic old Grand Hotel on Main Street, for example. The bartender there described to me several unexplained “events” she had personally experienced. Spooky.

A few years ago, Ms. Karen, friend Kent, and I stayed up until 2 AM playing poker on the 3^rd floor inner-balcony of the Copper Queen Hotel awaiting the arrival of their ghosts. Nothing. Nada. Zip.

If you want to scare yourself, the Eldorado isn’t the place to stay. On the other hand, unlike other places down here, they don’t charge extra for the “possibility”. If you’re serious about finding the ghosts of Bisbee, I suggest you arrange a ghost hunt from a real, certified “paranormal investigator” such as Renee at Old Bisbee Ghost Tours. I have not taken her Bisbee tour, but I did go on her Downtown Tucson Ghost Tour. What fun!

If you go, say “Hi from Jim” to the ladies of Eldorado: Kathy, Lisa, and owner, Justine. They made my stay most enjoyable.

Eldorado Suites Hotel: Highly Recommended.
For more recommendations for where to stay & dine in and near Bisbee, go to: Southern Arizona Guide > Dining & Lodging Reviews.

Great Southern Arizona Getaways.

Two & Three Day Summer StayCations For Locals

San Pedro River. Courtesy of Tucson Citizen Archives

Southern Arizona StayCations are only a bit complicated because you folks in Sierra Vista may want a mini-vacation in Tucson to see a play or concert or enjoy one of our terrific museums. By contrast, you Tucsonans may want a weekend in and near Sierra Vista to hike Ramsey Canyon or explore the San Pedro River Valley.

Either way works but I have to write from the perspective of a Tucsonan since I live in the foothills of the Tucson Mountains over looking the City and Ramsey Canyon would be a respite from the summer heat. That and there are about a million more Tucsonans than Sierra Visitians.

If you’re coming into Tucson for a great weekend getaway I can happily recommend several excellent establishments for dining & lodging. Just go to Southern Arizona Guide > Main Menu > Dining & Lodging Reviews.

If you’re a Tucsonan headed to the wilds of Southern Arizona, you can do the same in reverse. I have recommended dining and lodging in Bisbee, Tombstone, Tubac, Safford, Duncan, and many other places in Southeastern Arizona.

Well, I need to modify the above slightly. I stay at the Tombstone Bordello B&B when I visit “The Town Too Tough To Die”. At least here I can get a good night’s sleep and an excellent breakfast, fresh fruit and all. Plus I like Ms. Lynda, the innkeeper. As soon as she says two words to you, you’ll know where she comes from.

But there are zero four & five Saguaro restaurants in Tombstone. If you want a better than average dining experience, go to Bisbee. I say this knowing it will upset the good folks of Tombstone who depend for their livelihood on tourism, but if they really gave a damn about us turistas, they would have a better-than-average restaurant. Don’t blame the messenger.

Great Summer Getaway #1: Bisbee
At a mile high, Bisbee is much cooler than Tucson and the lower elevations of the Sonoran Desert. In many ways, most of Bisbee is a living history museum. Just get out in the morning or evening and walk the town with your camera. You’ll bring home a couple of great photos as well as memories.

The Shady Dell: Bisbee, AZ

Recommended Lodging
(a) Sometime this summer I’m going to stay at The Shady Dell. This place just looks too cool not to experience it.

(b) For a first-rate B&B, definitely Joy Timber’s Calumet & Arizona Guest House. Joy has a lot of valuable local knowledge that will help you enjoy your time in Bisbee.

Recommended Dining
Breakfast: Bisbee Breakfast Club

Lunch: Jimmy’s Hot Dog Company. The only hot dog joint I know of that is recommended by Gourmet Magazine. Say “Hi” to Jimmy for us at Southern Arizona Guide.

Lunch: High Desert Market. Located a short drive up Tombstone Canyon from Old Town Bisbee.

Dinner: Café Roka (make reservations well in advance) This is one of the few 5-Saguaro restaurants in Southern Arizona.
Dinner: Rose’s Little Italy (ditto on the reservations)

Other: Also I hear Santiago’s has good Mexican food. I’m going to dine here this summer and let you know.

Recommended Things To See & Do
(a) A cocktail on the veranda of the historic Copper Queen Hotel.

(b) Copper Queen (underground) Mine Tour.

(c) Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum (so good it’s affiliated with the Smithsonian).

(d) Art galleries & other shops along Main Street. It looks pretty much as it did in this old postcard.

(e) Just walk around the hilly streets above this lovely old city, once the most populous between St. Louis and San Francisco.
(e) Check out the Bisbee Events Calendar for special events.

Great Side Trips from Bisbee Coming or Going

Tombstone, of course.

Avoid the OK Corral gunfight re-enactment (rent the video). Don’t miss the Tombstone Courthouse State Park or the office of the Tombstone Epitaph. Eat at Crystal Palace Saloon where you can admire one of the Old West’s finest bars.

Do take Dr. Jay’s Tombstone Walking Tour. You’ll learn many fascinating things about the town you thought you knew all about. Do call for reservation: 520-457-9876. Tell Dr. Jay “Hi” from Jim at Southern Arizona Guide. Maybe he’ll give you a deal.

I did on-camera interviews with Virgil Earp and Tom McLaury just before they left the saloon to head down to the OK Corral. Not surprisingly, their accounts of the events leading up to the most famous gunfight differ somewhat. If you go to Tombstone, don’t miss the tour of the Bird Cage Theater. In 1882, the New York Times referred to the Bird Cage Theater as “the wildest, wickedest night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast.” I have no doubt.

The thing I like most about Tombstone is that the facts, should you do the necessary research, are far more interesting than the legends. Check out my recommended reading about this fascinating remnant of the Old West. Great reads!

Karchner Caverns State Park at Benson.

Excellent exhibits in the visitor center and a fine guided underground tour. Do make reservations. (520) 586-2283.

Holy Trinity Monastery at St. David.

Here the Benedictine monks have guesthouses for you, an RV park, a lovely little chapel, and pleasant tree-lined trails on 92 wooded acres … perfect for bird watching and a bit of serenity.

Fort Huachuca at Sierra Vista.

This old U.S. Army fort was the home of the Buffalo Soldiers and has two outstanding military museums. Today, Fort Huachuca is home to the U.S. Army Intelligence Center.

Ramsey Canyon

Ramsey Canyon just south of Sierra Vista.
This Nature Conservancy Preserve is one of the most beautiful places in Southern Arizona. Go to the bookstore, get an orientation from the helpful folks there, then take a hike up the canyon. It sometimes amazes me that a place this wild still exists in our over-crowded planet. Take your camera and send me your best photos of the many bird species and wild critters. Watch out for bears.

The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area
This 56,000 acre preserve is located 6 miles east of Sierra Vista. Activities include: wildlife and bird watching, picnicking, primitive camping, pre-historic and historic sites, hiking, fishing, biking, horseback riding, guided hikes, interpretive sites, and weekend children’s programs.

Here you will find the Murray Springs Clovis Site, a significant archaeological area that contains evidence of the earliest known people to inhabit North America. An interpretive trail leads visitors to the site. The area also features the ruins of the old mining town of Fairbank. The San Pedro House, a 1930’s-era converted ranch house, serves as a bookstore and visitor center.

Road to Cave Creek Canyon near Portal, AZ

Great Summer Getaway #2: Portal, AZ

Sitting at just under 5,000’ elevation on the eastern slope of the Chiricahua Mountains, Portal is the gateway to beautiful Cave Creek Canyon.

Here you can indulge in all kinds of outdoor activities, including camping, picnicking, bird watching, hiking, plus great photographic opportunities.

Fair warning: services, particularly gas stations, are few and far between out here.

Portal Arizona: Lodge, Store, and Cafe

Recommended Lodging

Portal Peak Lodge
520 558 2223

We stayed here April 2012. Clean, simple rooms, adjacent to the Portal Store and Café. Free WiFi. Only restaurant in these parts as far as I know.

Aside from a good night’s sleep, the most important thing to know about this place is they sell a fairly detailed copy of a map to these parts for $0.25. Buy one! You’ll thank me later.

No cell phone service or GPS out here.

Birders B&B

We have not stayed here, but it looks lovely. A 1930’s renovated stone guesthouse with two spacious rooms, each with private baths and patios, private phones with
modem setups.  Both rooms are located close to Cave Creek.  One room
has  a queen-sized bed, sofa bed, shower and dressing room.

The other is a handicapped accessible studio apartment with queen-sized bed, king-sized sofa bed, fully equipped kitchen, large bath with jacuzzi, and fireplace. Breakfast prepared to order.

Cave Creek Ranch
520-558-2334

I have not stayed here either, but this place gets rave reviews. Three cottages, two lodges with three apartments each, and the Ranch House. Some units have fireplaces. Each unit sleeps from 2 to 6 people. All have fully-equipped kitchens.

Bring most of your groceries with you as the nearest super market is in Willcox, except for a few items available at the little Portal Store.

The American Museum of Natural History Southwestern Research Station
520-558-2396

This is a working research center well up into the canyon. Occasionally they have rooms for non-resident researchers who just want to enjoy this beautiful setting.

To the extent it’s a drawback, meals here are served at specific times. During the day, I can only imagine you will want to be picnicking along one of the many trails above the canyon.

The George Walker House in Paradise.
This cabin, 5 1/2 miles from Portal and Cave Creek, is a 100 year old house with two  bedrooms, a dining room, a living room, a bathroom with shower and tub, a well-equipped kitchen stocked with coffee, tea, breakfast cereal, muffins, and juice, and a laundry room with washer and dryer.  There is also a screened-in front porch, and a shady patio area with picnic table and a barbecue grill. The yard is completely fenced. We have friends who think this place is wonderful.

Recommended Dining

Portal Café

As far as I know, this is the only restaurant for miles around. I gave them a 3-Saguaro rating.

Great Side Trips From Portal Coming or Going

Faraway Ranch in Bonita Canyon

Chiricahua National Monument is just over the mountain from Portal via Forest Service Road 42. On the way from Portal to the Monument or vice versa, you will see evidence of the Horseshoe 2 Fire of 2011. Not pretty. But there are other rewards along this back road.

Plan on about a two hour drive over the mountain. It’s worth it.

Once you enter the Monument, stop at the visitor center to get oriented and find out the schedule for guided tours of Faraway Ranch. Take the tour.

Bonita Canyon Campground

You can camp beside the creek in Bonita Canyon, one of the best AZ campgrounds I’ve seen. From the campground and visitor center, continue up the mountain to the Wonderland of Rocks. Quite a sight. And excellent hiking trails. Keep an eye out for the elusive coatimundi.

Coming from or going to Portal or Chiricahua National Monument, you’re likely to go through Benson and Willcox on Interstate 10. Between Benson & Willcox, just off I-10, is Texas Canyon, a place of massive boulders and one of America’s finest private museums featuring rare artifacts found throughout North and South America. The Amerind also has one of Southern Arizona’s best art galleries and picnic areas. Highly recommended.

Out this way along I-10 you will be annoyed by dozens of billboards enticing you to stop and see THE THING. Avoid the temptation.

Willcox

Last chance to fill the gas tank before heading up to the Chiricahua National Monument. Also tank up on groceries. If you’re a huge Rex Allen fan (who?) Willcox has a museum to this singing cowboy. If you were born after 1960, you won’t have a clue.

Recommended Dining

Big Tex BBQ  Dining Car by the railroad tracks. Excellent BBQ ribs.

Coronado Vineyards Near Willcox, AZ

Recommended Wine Tasting

Coming from or going to Portal or the Monument, do stop at Coronado Vineyards. For very few coins, you can sample some of the best wines produced in Southern Arizona.

Also they serve dinners there Thursdays – Saturdays starting at 5 PM.

Located a few miles east of Willcox just off the I-10.

More Recommended Summer Getaways to come.

On the third and final day of our Southeastern Arizona adventure, we started early. Deborah Mendelsohn, our Simpson Hotel B&B innkeeper in Duncan, had prepared a delicious take-along breakfast for us the night before.

Normally, we would have slept in and enjoyed breakfast with her and the other guests, but we had a lot of ground to cover if we were to see all that we wanted to explore and still get home to Tucson in time to pick up our two dogs.

Salsa Trail
Since leaving Willcox and passing through Safford on our way to Duncan, we had been on the Salsa Trail.

The Salsa Trail extends about 240 miles and unites the towns of Safford, Pima, Thatcher, Clifton, Duncan, Willcox, and York. It also unites about a dozen Mexican restaurants, a chili farm, and a tortilla factory.

You can take it any time of year to sample the best Mexican food in the area, and more particularly, many varieties of salsa. But every year, the Graham County Chamber sponsors SalsaFest, sort of a block party that extend over 3 counties: Graham, Greenlee, and Cochise.

The next SalsaFest is September 28^th & 29^th, 2012. In addition to great Mexican food, there will be a jalapeño-eating contest (not for me), the Salsa Challenge were you can help determine the winner (this I can do), hot air balloons, Chihuahua races and Best Chihuahua Costume contest, plus a classic and hot rod car show.

Clifton, AZ. Jail Carved Into Cliff.

Clifton
Leaving Duncan, we headed north to the once-vibrant mining town of Clifton. Clifton is an old copper mining town. No mine, no town. Rich copper deposits were first discovered here soon after the Civil War.

The San Francisco River runs through town. Over the last century, it has flooded and decimated Clifton several times. Now there’s a fine RV park along the river where houses used to be before the most recent flood.

While taking photographs around town, we met Marla who, with her husband, owns several historic building. She was kind enough to point out some of the more impressive features in and around Clifton, including the Potter Ranch B&B.

Potter Ranch on the San Francisco River a few miles north Of Clifton on an unpaved road.

Potter Ranch
On the National Register of Historic Homes, Potter Ranch was built in 1901 by a wealthy miner and the grandfather of the present owner and innkeeper, June Palmer.

You wouldn’t know it just by looking at it, but this lovely home was abandoned after a 1983 flood, and vandalized during the six years it sat vacant. Ms. Palmer, an acclaimed artist, reclaimed the property in 1989 after a 50-year absence, and restored the home to its original Victorian décor.

And you couldn’t ask for a more beautiful natural setting.

Old Downtown Clifton

Most of the buildings along the narrow main street that runs through what was once a thriving downtown district are boarded up now. But at the north end is the museum and offices of the Greenlee County Historical Society.

The exhibits chronicle the long history of this area, from paleo-Indians and Coronado’s  Expedition, to Apaches, and most recently miners, ranchers, and other pioneers.

There are 3 places to dine out in Clifton: PJ’s, El Corralito (Pizza & Mexican), and Tyler’s Taste of Texas BBQ. All were closed the early Sunday morning we were in town.

As for lodging, if there’s no room at the Potter Ranch, I suggest the Simpson Hotel B&B in Duncan.

Morenci' Mine

Morenci’
Today, the big copper mining activity is at Morenci’ just up the road. They say it’s the biggest open pit mine in the Western Hemisphere. But the ‘pit’ is not just a hole in the ground like the Lavender Pit Mine in Bisbee.

The mine in Morenci’ is vast, leveling whole mountains for as far as the eye can see. The Morenci’ Mine offers a tour, which undoubtedly would have been interesting, but we didn’t have time.

You may decry the wholesale destruction of the environment up here, but modern civilization depends as much on copper as it does on fossil fuels.

Much of our early Sunday morning involved taking photographs of old Clifton, and there’s a lot of old Clifton to photograph. In a few weeks, I’ll have a slide show about all this on our Southern Arizona Guide website.

Gila Box Raft Launch Site

Black Hills Country Byway
After several hours exploring Clifton and Morenci’ we headed south a ways and picked up the Black Hills Country Byway. This unpaved road was once the main thoroughfare between Safford and Clifton. Now it’s a scenic back road that takes adventurous people through rough, beautiful backcountry and across the Gila River.

Old Safford Road Bridge Over Gila River

Along the way are 2 campgrounds with ramadas, and several exceptionally fine picnic areas that we will add to our ‘Best Of’ list.

We noted several primitive side roads that beckon off-road enthusiasts. We were driving a high-clearance vehicle, but lacked both time and four-wheel drive capability. Another time, perhaps.

We strongly suggest you not tow a trailer or take a vehicle exceeding 20 feet in length on this byway.

Gila River At Old Safford Bridge

Gila Box
The Byway crosses the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area between mileposts 17 and 18. This conservation area includes 22,000 acres of scenic desert canyons and several perennial rivers and creeks.

Here you will find a 15-mile segment of Bonita Creek and 23 miles of the Gila River, including the steep-walled Gila Box. Two other perennial waterways, Eagle Creek and the San Francisco River, flow into the Gila Box. Rafting, backpacking, hiking, birding, horseback riding, photography, and camping are popular activities in the area.

Fire Agates

Rock Collecting
There’s even an area set aside for rock hounds. Here you may find fire agates, but the predominant geological feature is volcanic rock. This special rock hound area makes a great day adventure for collectors. The site is open for digging by the public without fees or permits. Camping throughout the area is allowed for up to two weeks. Access is easiest from U.S. Highway 191, just east of milepost 141.

Just on the south end of the old Safford Bridge, which was built with convict labor in the ‘30’s, is were you can launch your inflatable raft or kayak and float down the Gila for miles.

Lower Eagle Creek Requires High-Clearance 4-Wheel Drive.

Lower Eagle Creek
Most of this area is BLM land, but there are several cattle ranches long the Byway, and more than a few stray cows in the road.

Little Eagle Creek Road, which you can access just above the Morenci’ Mine, is another gateway to off-road adventures.

At the south end of the Byway is Highway 191/Route 70 and the little town of Solomon, named for the gentleman who made a fortune clear-cutting the surrounding hills to make charcoal for the smelters.

By this time we were hungry, but there were no restaurants open in Solomon or on the way to Safford on this Sunday morning.

Next Stop: Manor House Restaurant and Roper Lake

A Longhorn Bull On Slaughter Ranch

Days One/Recap
This is a continuation of my post about our April 2012 three-day tour of Southeast Arizona. On day-one, we visited the ghost towns of Pearce, Courtland, and Gleason east of Tombstone with a short side trip to Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks.

Then we continued south to the Slaughter Ranch east of Douglas, then north, ending the first day at Portal Peak Lodge in Portal, AZ. Here we eat in the cafe, slept in a small room, and most importantly, acquired a 25¢ map that showed the back road over the mountain.

Day Two/Morning/Recap
Day-two was mostly spent in the Chiricahua National Monument along Bonita Creek and through the Wonderland of Rocks. This is where we got the picture of an elusive coatimundi.

Day Two/Afternoon
Around 1 PM we headed north so as to arrive by 6 PM at our overnight destination, the historic Simpson Hotel B&B in Duncan, AZ.

After lunch at Big Tex BBQ in Willcox, we stopped at the Coronado Vineyards for some taste-testing. We have tried I-don’t-know-how–many Southern Arizona wines to date (2012), but unfortunately have found none to recommend.

Neither have we found a wine steward or sommelier who will recommend even one. But we thought, “What the heck, it’s on the way.”

Coronado Vineyards
Coronado Vineyards is just off the I-10 (exit 344) a few miles east of Willcox. To our delight, they have a great wine-tasting offer. Six different wines to sample plus the wine glass for only $7.00. Now, if the wines are any good, this could be a bonanza.

Both Ms. Karen and I like Cabernet Sauvignon, particularly with whatever we barbeque. But neither of us liked this Cab … kinda sour. Although, the RN at the bar next to us said she really liked it. You’ll have to taste it and decide for yourself.

Nevertheless, we did discover two others to our taste. One is a 2009 Syrah. Very good. This is a Rhone-style wine, slightly spicy with subtle notes of blackberry, plum, and oak.

The other was one I did not expect to like because Rose’ is just too sweet. I much prefer the drier whites, such as Sauvignon Blanc. The best-for-the-buck come from New Zealand, such as Kim Crowford.

This Coronado Vineyard’s 2011 White Sangiovese has a bit of a cherry taste but is very light and will serve as a fine summer wine around the pool.

Upon leaving, we purchased 6 bottles each of the Syrah and White Sangiovese. The two no-stem wine glasses, which Ms. Karen particularly liked, were free.

Day Two/Evening
Duncan, Arizona is small-town Americana. Not much happens here and, from what we could determine, that’s the way most locals want to keep it. Our main reason for coming to Duncan is that it’s close to Clifton, Morenci’, the Black Hills Byway, and the Gila Box.

As planned, we arrived at the Simpson Hotel B&B around 6 PM. We had experienced two adventure-filled days that also included a lot of driving. We were both tired and ready for a couple of drinks and a good night’s sleep.

Simpson Hotel in Duncan, AZ. 1920's.

We were greeted by, Deborah, our innkeeper. Beginning in 2005, she had spent 6 months demolishing all but the foundation, walls, windows, and doors, then two years of re-construction. She has faithfully restored this historic building to its 1914 origins, with modern plumbing, electrical, heating and air conditioning. And in the process made it cozy and comfortable.

We asked her to share a glass of wine with us and tell us about the places she thinks we should see on our next day’s tour of Greenlee and Graham Counties. Deborah is both worldly and exceedingly knowledgeable about this area, as you can see from her extensive website. Three hours later, we were still chatting when Deborah had to leave for a party and we were totally ready for bed.

We told Deborah that we intended to leave before breakfast is served in the morning. She insisted on making us a breakfast we could take with us when we leave. Now that was nice. But we do want to go back because we hear she serves a delicious, healthy breakfast.

Simpson Hotel in Duncan, AZ. 1950's

For a quick dinner, Deborah recommended we order pizza or calzone from Humble Pie across the street and bring it back to the hotel dining room. Which we did.

Good pizza. As good as my all-time favorite pizza place, the Velvet Elvis in Patagonia.

Our room was on the main floor with a private bath … very comfortable. The Simpson is everything we could ever want in a B&B. Highly recommended.

Day Three
Clifton, Morenci’, Black Hills Byway, and Roper Lake. The saga continues manana.

Tucson To Slaughter Ranch; Douglas to Portal; Portal Over Mountains to Chiricahua National Monument; Willcox to Safford; Safford To Duncan; Clifton to Morenci; Back to Safford via Black Hills Counry Byway.

As I posted several days ago, Ms. Karen & I were headed for a three-day weekend in Southeastern Arizona. Now we’re back and have a couple hundred photos, some of which I will share here. Others you can view on our Southern Arizona Guide website in a few days. Here’s is the route we traveled. All told, a little less than 700 miles.

This is a wonderful place for children and adults. Tons of hiking, picnicking, camping, fishing, bird and critter watching. And lots of Native American and Pioneer history.

A Lakeside Picnic Area At The Slaughter Ranch Museum

Slaughter Ranch Museum
The Slaughter Ranch right on the International Border is spectacular. A fine museum dedicated to pioneer rancher and Cochise County Sheriff John Slaughter. A beautiful place to have a picnic along side the lake.  We conducted an on-camera interview with Bob The Caretaker. You can view it in a few weeks on our website. I’m going to add this to our Best Picnic Areas section.

Ornate Lobby of Historic Gadsden Hotel. Douglas, AZ

Gadsden Hotel, Douglas
This was once a grand hotel, now shabby after decades of hard times. Douglas is a portrait of an impoverished American city.

Very sparse human population out here between towns. We saw a lot of poverty, a lot of churches, a lot of prisons. We also saw a lot of wildlife and beautiful scenery … and met some terrific people.

Portal, AZ. The Portal Store, Cafe', & Lodge is located on the eastern slope of the Chiricahua Mountains.

Portal, AZ
The first night we stayed at the Portal Lodge. Simple, clean, inexpensive. They have a store, cafe’, and lodge. I think it’s the only place within 10 miles to get supplies and an OK meal.

Taking the back road from Portal over the top of the Chiricahua Mountains to the Monument, we also saw the devastation caused by last June’s (2011) Horseshoe 2 Wildfire which burned almost a quarter million acres of remote forest.

Make sure you have plenty of gas. Gasoline is very scare around here.

Road from Portal, AZ heading west over the mountains to Chiricahua National Monument on the other side.

Saturday morning we left Portal Lodge and headed up the east side of the Chiricahuas. Our destination was the Chiricahua National Monument on the other side. The pavement eventually gave way to a well-maintained dirt road that took us over the mountain top.

This was one of the most spectacular scenic drives we have ever experienced.

Tomorrow or the next day I will post more photos of our tour of Cochise, Graham, and Greenlee Counties almost to the Arizona-New Mexico border.

The Coatimundi of Bonita Canyon

Yesterday, Ms. Karen took this photo of a coatimundi at Bonita Canyon in the Chiricahua National Monument. Please share this photo with other coati lovers.

The Monument is magnificent. Will bring back more pictures.

On Friday, we visited the Slaughter Ranch in San Bernardino Valley 600 feet from the International border and almost in New Mexico. A beautifully restored ranch house now a museum and a fantastic place for a picnic aside the lake.

Also visited the old Gadsden Hotel in Douglas. Once magnificent, now shamefully shabby.

Last night we stayed at the historic Simpson Hotel B&B in Duncan. Deborah, the owner/innkeeper has lovingly restored this old hotel. She’s a terrific host. Great place to stay. Will report more on this historic area manana.

This morning we are off to explore Clifton, AZ, then will stop at Roper Lake State Park on the way back to Tucson this PM.