This was our 2013 Jayco Flight Swift 198 RD

THIS WAS OUR 2013 JAYCO FLIGHT SWIFT 198RD, PARKED AT THE TOMBSTONE TERRITORIES RV PARK IN ARIZONA



Saturday 16 February 2019

Excursions to Tombstone and Bisbee

Where are we now
K&N RV Park, Huachuca City, AZ

One of our day trips was to the town of Bisbee, which is roughly 30 miles from our RV Park. The road we took let us through the historic town of Tombstone. 

Historic Tombstone
Reenacted shootouts on the streets
You can take a ride in any of the stagecoaches
lots of historic buildings

Further on along the highway 80 the landscape becomes very picturesque as the road leads through the Mule Mountains. Bisbee is at an elevation of 5,500 feet.

Along the way to Bisbee







The first thing you see when driving past Bisbee is the big hole or pit where the Lavender mine used to be. This gaping cavity of reddish stone and sand is about 1,000 feet deep and as per Internet info, produced 375 million tons of copper, silver and other minerals including a fair amount of gold over a span of 23 years.

Partial view of the Lavender mine pit

We walked around the fence of the pit to take a picture into the quarry and then wandered on to the part, which is left from the town of Lowell. Most of the town was indeed swallowed up by the Lavender Mine. The town of Lowell is or was Bisbee's closest neighboring town, which is pretty much boarded up, except for a few stores and the famous “Bisbee Breakfast Club Restaurant” that appeared to be busy with tourists and is known for superb breakfast beside other house specialties. Along the road you can admire old and antique cars, trucks and even a tour bus parked in front of abandoned and empty buildings. 









At the other end of the pit, opposite the Copper Queen Mine (we toured that the last time we were here) is the historic and artsy town of Bisbee. The town is built right into the mountain so many streets are elevated. We found a parking spot right in front of the Museum, where the front yard is occupied with a mining train. From there the streets are lined with artsy shops, galleries, restaurants, and antique dealers.  In one of those nice, boutique like stores, Benno found himself a new hat!




Benno asked the guy if he was a prospector on his way to dig for some gold 
Lots of steps up to the elevated town and more shops


We are used to seeing dogs that are being walked on a leash, but how about the girl taking a couple of donkeys on a leash through town?



And I think they got some pretty big flies crawling up the Museum here.


At the Copper Queen Mine you can purchase Geodes (a rock with quartz crystals in them) but they can be found right here in the desert of Arizona or its washes (Quartzsite) you just have to know what to look for!

If you find one of these Geodes, crack it open


Hope you enjoyed the tour and stay tuned for our two trips to Patagonia Lake and to the Whitewater Draw to view 20,000 sandhill cranes.

9 comments:

  1. Glad to see you are taking the time to tour the area, even if it is not the first time.
    Be Safe and Enjoy!

    It's about time.

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    1. Some towns have so much character and if the weather cooperates I find it fun to walk the streets for some sightseeing.

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  2. Love Bisbee the artsy town, then mine and of course the BBC yummy food. Even Tombstone is fun to walk the streets. love Benno's hat !

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    1. I could visit both towns again and again. So much more to discover.

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  3. Great tours! Bisbee is so unique and we didn't even get to Lowell. More reason to return.
    We love Tombstone. Like the picture of Benno and the dogs at the Historic building. Fitting? haha
    Sharp looking hat, Benno! and nice to see pictures of you too, so pretty!

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    1. Bisbee reminds me of some towns in Switzerland with the mountains as a backdrop and unique stores and cafes. Wish it were a bit warmer this time of year though.

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  4. Bisbee is a very unique town. What do you do with the dogs when you are touring such as this day?

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    1. We always take the doggies along. Where its possible we take them on a leash, otherwise when going into museums, stores etc. we leave them in the truck where they are comfy. Temps are not that hot here so the truck doesn't heat up, or we leave the windows open or run the AC, but we will not leave them not for a long time.

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    2. We did the same thing. Sometimes one of us would stay in the vehicle and the other go in and then reverse. They were always the priority.

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