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.
2 comments:
We've been in Arizona many times but have never gone on a mine tour. I have this mine on my list of things to do in AZ. It looks like a lot of fun.
Yes it was. We are going on another mine tour today. This one is a working mine so we can see how Copper is mined and refined.
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