This week’s beat-the-heat overnight excursion took us on a new and unexpected route through Southern Arizona.
The fires in the north have kept us from our usual haunts, but we still wanted to escape the rising temps for a couple of days.
It seems counterintuitive (I love that word) that heading south to the border of Mexico would be cooler, but stick with me here.
The Sonoran Desert ends just south of Tucson, and the elevation starts to rise. Continue south toward the Huachuca Mountains, and voilà! Temps are about 10° cooler, and afternoon monsoon rains are more reliable.
So we packed an overnight bag and of course, a cooler with drinks and snacks and headed south on I-10.
And look! BORDER WALL!
First stop was lunch at Duke’s inside Francisco Grande Resort in Casa Grande. The GPS rerouted us due to a problem on the interstate, so we took back roads and it was unexpectedly delightful.
The road through Maricopa and on to Casa Grande is lined with cotton and alfalfa fields and such a beautiful pop of green in the desert.
After a delish meal, we caught I-8, which eventually took us back to I-10, and continued south to Sierra Vista and then to our ultimate destination—Bisbee.
Bisbee is about an hour and a half from Tucson and about three and half hours from our home north of Phoenix. It’s a long drive, so best to plan an overnight stay.
Bisbee sits at a mile-high altitude in the Mule Mountains, not far from the Mexican border. Beginning in the late 1800s, mines in the area produced millions of tons of copper, along with gold, turquoise, and the like.
As mines closed, the Victorian homes and shops were converted by “artists” (I use the term loosely) and the town became a weekend party destination.
Our travels are usually during the week, so things were a little different. But I want to share a few Bisbee facts in case you’re interested—and a few things to look out for as well.
The Time of Year and Day of the Week Matter
Bisbee is an event and party town. Many of the shops and restaurants are open only on the weekends or during the busier seasons, which tend to be spring and fall rather than winter and summer.
We found the town very quiet, with fewer options for dining and touring.
But we got in everywhere we wanted to go with no trouble.
So there’s that.
It’s not ADA Friendly
The town is built onto a mountain and is extremely hilly. Every building has stairs.
As in, lots of stairs.
And since the buildings are very old, we didn’t see too many elevators.
Stair railings were a bit hard to find too. Even in hotels.
This town requires a lot of walking.
Parking is a Challenge
Since we came into town around 3:00 on a Wednesday we had our pick of parking spaces, but that is not always the case.
Parking can be tough to find and may require parallel parking on a steep hill.
Having said that, most of the shops, hotels and restaurants are all very close to each other and easy to get to once you’ve found a space.
And…once you’ve found a space, you will need to lug your bags to your hotel and likely up several stairs to your accommodation.
Did I mention you are doing all of this while you are a mile high?
Bring a LOT of water.
Hotels
You are not going to find a Marriott or Hilton in this town. But you will find charming, renovated properties owned by real people.
We happened to quite literally run into the owner of the Bisbee Brownstone on the sidewalk. Mike was so friendly and showed us some of the renovations he and his partner, Beth, are doing on historic buildings.
We mentioned that we were looking for a place to stay, and he put us in touch with Beth, who found us the last available suite—and at a good price.
From what we could see, the other properties in town looked quite nice too, but we were very impressed with the Bisbee Brownstone.
We were actually in an apartment with a living room, full kitchen and dining area, bedroom, and bathroom.
Everything was clean, the towels and sheets were luxe, and, well, we just loved it there.
But.
You know there’s always a but.
The stairs are steep.
Luckily, we were there for only one night and had very little to lug up the flight.
Mine Tour
We signed up for the 9:00 Queen Mine Tour. Starting in September, tickets sell out quickly and the tours are full. Our tour consisted of fewer than 10 people.
The guide was knowledgeable and professional. We rode a mine train through the mountain, so there was very little walking or climbing necessary.
The temps in the mine can be quite cool, but the lowest we felt was about 60°.
No problem with just a sweatshirt.
The Underground Treasures Display is a must for rock hounds!
Because apparently no Southern Arizona road trip is complete until you’ve considered purchasing 5-million-year-old fossilized turtle poop for $6.99:
Coronado National Monument
As we meandered back home, we saw a sign for Coronado National Memorial and decided to take a detour.
And boy, were we glad we did.
The area is where the Sonoran and Chihuahuan deserts meet. We popped into the visitor center and chatted with the ranger.
Much like Montezuma Castle and Montezuma Well (which I’ve written about here), Coronado himself never actually traveled through the area named for him.
But Coronado’s arrival in what is now Mexico forever changed the culture of the region, and we can still see that influence today.
Wrap Up
This is by no means an Ultimate Guide to Bisbee, but I hope it gives you a good idea of the highlights—and a few things to know before visiting this quieter corner of Arizona.
Living in a state with so much natural beauty is a blessing to my soul. I’m afraid the Grand Canyon may overshadow all the other stunning places there are to visit.
But Arizona has so much more to offer.
Thank you for spending time with me this weekend.
God bless you and yours.