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On to Bisbee Arizona,
once home to some of the richest copper mines in the world, now making its fortune on tourism!! Having lived for years in Arizona we had heard countless times about the small southeastern Arizona town of Bisbee. How it was a must see and about all the mining history of the area. But after seeing Oatman countless times and spending many hours in Jerome, who wants to drive all the way across the state for just another played out mining settlement?? Well...As it turned out, we were glad we did. Located 24 miles south of Tombstone, Bisbee is a must see if you are in the area. This is not just another run down mining town attempting to make it by emptying the wallets of hapless tourists. Although it is that and more, this place has a character that surpasses most hamlets of similar origins. True, it is home to an ever proliferating number of gallerys and gift shops but it also is home to some very unique architecture made necessary by the economy of its birth, mining!! Homes and businesses built along steep avenues that would challenge a mountain goat. Businesses in the old section of town ranging from antique stores (lots of them), new age art galleries and of all things a little store no more than 100 sq.ft. Specializing in mustard. If you are tired of Frenchs check this store out at KillerBeeGuy.com. Along with the gift stores and gallerys is the ever present history of mining. Both open pit and shaft mines take up many times the area of the town itself. One even offering more courageous visitors the opportunity to enter the mine on a guided tour. After spending an hour or two walking through antique stores and the local museum we headed off to the Queen Mine for a look see. Teri had made it well known that she had no intention of going 1,500 feet into an old copper mine but was reassured that we were only going to look around a bit before heading back to Tombstone. As you will see from the pictures, she was swept away by curiosity and just could not leave the area without experiencing claustrophobia first hand. Next>>> Carlsbad Caverns National Park Back |
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