Tombstone and Bisbee, Arizona

We checked into Saguaro SKP Co-op, in Benson, Arizona, on Friday, October 11. The large lease sites in this well run park are very nice. As Escapee members we are allowed to rent one of these sites when the owners are not in residence. We decided to stay here almost two weeks because there are so many things to do around the Tucson area.

Saguaro Co-op

 

TOMBSTONE

On Saturday we took a short drive south to visit the historic town of Tombstone, Arizona. This little town has turned into a theme park. It seemed like there were four different establishments hosting "The Shootout at the OK Corral." We decided to forgo all of them. Oh well, it was a pretty nice place to walk around and learn a few things.  We also had a delicious lunch in the old Longhorn Saloon.

 

Main Street with dirt road and wooden sidewalks.

Stagecoach and wagon rides were available.

The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Site was built in 1882.

Was this the real OK Corral or was it one of the other three?

 

BISBEE

 

 The Lavender Pit Copper Mine is 4,000 feet wide, 5,000 feet long and 850 feet deep

 Open pit mining began in Bisbee in 1917 and ended in 1974.

We went on a tour of the Queen Mine, a horizontal shaft into the side of the mountain.

We signed our waivers and donned our safety gear.

We rode on the original mine train built in 1927 deep into the bowels of the mountain.

Bisbee mountains yielded more than 8 billion pounds of copper, as well as gold, silver, lead and zinc. This was one of the most productive mining districts in the world.

This is a "honey pot", hauled into the mine each morning and taken out each evening. They said this was a stinky job, but beat drilling for the same wages.

We sat on the first car going out right behind the engine.

Walking around downtown Bisbee.

Historic Lowell, on the other side of the Pit Mine.

A Day in the Sonora Desert

ARIZONA SONORA DESERT MUSEUM

This is a Zoo, Botanical Garden, Aquarium, History Museum and Art Gallery all in one.

Studebaker Lark on display at the entrance.

Don't get too close!

 

SAGUARO NATIONAL PARK - WEST UNIT

Adjacent to the Desert Museum is the West Unit of the Saguaro National Park.

Teddy Bear Cholla Cactus

Saguaro Cactus

A Day in Downtown Phoenix

ARIZONA STATE CAPITAL BUILDING

This building was constructed in 1900 as the Arizona Territory Capital Building at a cost of $136,000. It became the state capital building when Arizona was admitted into the Union in 1912.

The grey granite came from the Salt River Mountains.

Pieces of Arizona petrified wood are on exhibit around the capital building.

The LEGO flag of Arizona is made of 113,998 blocks which is equal to the square mileage of Arizona. The dark red and blue LEGOS are custom colors, shipped from Denmark just for the flag.

 

HALL OF FLAME

There are over 80 fire fighting apparatus on exhibit, the oldest dating back to 1725.

Metropolitan Steam Fire Engine, 1904.

Downers Grove Fire Department

Grand Canyon - South Rim

We have visited the Grand Canyon South Rim several times and always wanted to travel there via The Grand Canyon Railroad from Williams, Arizona, just 40 miles west of Flagstaff. The railroad line was built in 1901 to transport passengers 64 miles north from Williams to the rim of Grand Canyon. Due to its low ridership, train service ended in 1968. Passenger service started again in 1989 with the help of private investors. The two hour and fifteen minute trip was an adventure in itself. There is six classes of service on board. We opted for the First Class service, which put us in a car with  nicer seats and complimentary beverages and snacks each way.

Passengers ride to and from the Grand Canyon in 1950s era climate-controlled coaches.

We started at the newly renovated Grand Canyon Visitors Center and a short walk to Mather Point.

We had another beautiful day.

The North Rim and South Rim are only separated by 10 miles as the crow flies.

We took the rim trail between the two visitors centers, Grand Canyon VC and Verkamp's VC, located in Grand Canyon Village. Part of the walk is a Journey Through a Trail of Time. Posted signs and samples of rocks help explain the formation of Grand Canyon.

Before we knew it, three and a half hours were gone and it was time to board our train which waits for no one.

The Historic Grand Canyon Train Station

We rode in the Anasazi Coach on the way north and Coconino Coach going south.

It was a very comfortable way to travel.

Flagstaff - Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monument

Wupatki and Sunset Crater National Monuments are adjacent to each other along a parkway, just northeast of Flagstaff. We visited Wupatki National Monument first. These pueblos were first built around 1100 shortly after the eruption of Sunset Crater Volcano. No one knows exactly why this area was abandoned around 1250.

 

WUPATKI PUEBLO

This pueblo is accessed by a short path behind the Visitor Center.

This is the largest pueblo ruins on the National Monument Land.

It consisted of about 100 rooms.

This is the Ball court.

This site also contains a geological blowhole, from which wind escapes from a cave system

 

CITADEL PUEBLO

Further down the parkway is the Citadel Pueblo. The Citadel Ruin must have looked mighty formidable perched high upon this mesa.

The builders made use of every inch of the little mesa by erecting the outside walls right on the edge of the cliffs.

 

LOMAKI PUEBLO

The word Lomaki is "Beautiful House" in the Hopi language.

This multi room pueblo sits on the edge of a crevice.

We came across this collared lizard on our hike.

 

BOX CANYON DWELLINGS 

 

WUKOKI PUEBLO

This "Big House" is built on the top of a large sandstone outcropping.

 

SUNSET CRATER VOLCANO NATIONAL MONUMENT

Sunset Crater is a large cinder cone just northeast of Flagstaff. This is the newest of a string of volcanos with its last eruption about 1085. We visited here 28 years ago and noticed that there was a lot more vegetation on the rim now.

We took the Lava Flow Trail

This is called a squeeze tube, where clay consistency lava was squeezed up through cracks.

Rabbit Bush was blooming everywhere on the cinders.