We’ve gone as far west as we’re going to go this year. It’s time to start heading back. We’re not taking the direct route. Instead, (with a nod to Supertramp) we’ll take the long way home by way of, well, we’ll figure that out as we go along.
Plamosa Road
During our trip west, we saw a lot of positive posts from others about boondocking on Plamosa Road. On our long way home, we thought we should see what the hubbub is all about. Plamosa Road runs north and south between Bouse and Quartzite. There is a lot of BLM land to camp on along the 20 mile route. The amount of RVs and campers increases the closer you get to Quartzite so we opted to stay further north. We were not disappointed.
There are plenty of trails for OHVs and mountain bikers. The surrounding mountains and hills are great for hiking even though there are no marked or maintained trails. And the scenery is stunning no matter which way you face your chairs. One of the benefits of the cool, damp weather up until this point is how green everything is. Best of all, there is plenty of room to spread out, creating a peaceful and quiet camping experience. The sunrises and sunsets are spectacular. We thoroughly enjoyed our stay here. It’s on our list for a return visit.
A Stop for a Visit
On our long way home, we stopped to visit family and for me to take a golf trip. A benefit of this stop is the close proximity of the baseball spring training around the Phoenix area. We got to see the Cubs took on the KC Royals at Sloan Park, aka Wrigleyville West.
Cathy also took a day trip to the Boyce Thompson Arboretum. The Arboretum is the oldest and largest botanical garden in the state of Arizona. Founded in 1924 as a desert plant research facility and “living museum”, the arboretum is located in the Sonoran Desert along Queen Creek and beneath the volcanic remnant of Picketpost Mountain, an hour’s drive east from Phoenix.
Continuing our trip home
After a short hiatus, we’re back on the road. Our next stop is Bisbee, AZ., located in the Mule Mountains in southern Arizona. Bisbee started like a lot of other mountain towns – centered on mining. In the late 1800’s, Army scouts were searching the area for renegade Apaches. What they found was evidence of lead, copper, and possibly silver. The first claims were in what is now the town of Bisbee. Bisbee remained a vibrant mining town until the mid-70s. Since then, it has morphed into a ‘culturally rich community that includes an active and varied population.’ Bisbee has a welcoming spirit and offers visitors a rich mix of art, music, history, architecture, outdoor activities, dining and nightlife.
The Copper Queen Hotel
Constructed in 1902, the Copper Queen Hotel is Arizona’s longest continuously operated hotel. The Phelps Dodge Mining Company built the hotel to host potential investors for the area copper mines. No two rooms are the same. As you can imagine, a hotel this old has a few stories to tell. In addition, at least three ghosts supposedly live in the hotel. Some say that there may be as many as sixteen ghosts roaming around the building. Another interesting story is that John Wayne threw Lee Marvin through the window of the bar, thinking he had disrespected a woman. The lobby is much the same as when the hotel first opened. Go up to the third floor balcony to get a good view of the town. If you like traveling around and staying at old, grand hotels, put this one on your list.
Copper Queen Mine Tours
One of the most popular things to do in Bisbee is to take a tour of the old Copper Queen Mine. The mining operations in Bisbee produced a large portion of all the copper in the US. This particular mine opened in 1915 and continued producing copper until operations ceased in 1975. You wear a hard hat and get a miner’s lamp and ride an original mine train 1500 feet underground. During two stops along the way, a knowledgeable guide will describe what a miner’s life was like underground. If you only have a short time in Bisbee, put this at the top of your to do list.
Erie Street
Another quick and easy thing to do is stroll along Erie St. Erie Street looks like it was abandoned in a hurry and forgotten for half a century. Rusting cars, trucks, and an old Greyhound bus sit deserted along the street as if their passengers had suddenly vanished (or worse). Erie Street is most of what is left of Lowell, Arizona, a mining town incorporated into Bisbee in the early 1900s. Much of the town’s residential area was demolished to widen the Lavender Pit, an open-pit copper mine. Losing most of its residents caused the commercial district to struggle, and many businesses failed as a result.
Lavender Pit
And speaking of the Lavender Pit, there is an overlook just before you get to Erie St. heading out of Bisbee. Some think the pit is named for the color of some of the rocks. It’s actually named after Harrison Lavender, an executive of the Phelps Dodge Corporation. He conceived and carried out his open pit mining plan to make the previously unprofitable low-grade copper bearing rock of the area into commercial copper ore. The Lavender Pit opened in 1950 and operations ceased in 1974. Fun fact – turquoise was a by-product of this mining process and ‘Bisbee Blue’ is amongst the finest turquoise found anywhere in the world.
A Unique Fun(?) Run
There are plenty of other things to do and see in Bisbee. There are events and festivals at all times of the year. One of the most unique events is the Bisbee 1000 The Great Stair Climb. Since Bisbee is situated on the surrounding canyon walls, there is no shortage of staircases. The 4.5-mile course through the most scenic parts of Old Bisbee features nine staircases (over 1000 total steps) connected by winding roads. While I’m sure it’s great for your heart, it gets a big bucketful of ‘nope’ from me.
Historical Sunset Tour
A great way to see and experience the quirky, strange, uncommon, weird, and eccentric aspects of Bisbee is to take a guided tour. There are several tour companies to chose from. We went with the Lavendar Jeep Tour Company. They offer several different tours at different price points. We took the historical sunset tour. We drove through the winding, narrow streets of Old Bisbee, seeing the unique houses, the local artisans works, including the many murals that decorate many walls and sides of buildings. There’s even a row of old Sears and Roebuck houses. I highly recommend taking one of these tours to get a perspective of Bisbee you can’t get on you own.
After touring the town, we drove up into the surrounding hills to witness an amazing sunset.
Continuing The Long Way Home
We continue our trek back east with some upcoming stops in New Mexico, Oklahoma, Georgia, and who knows where. Stay tuned to find out where we end up next. If you have been to any of these places, We would be interested in your take. Just leave a comment.
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