After gathering the family, sunscreen, cameras, and sunglasses, me and my family piled into our Excursion and at roughly two p.m. we started off.
One of my favorite things about Arizona (especially southern) is that you constantly have mountain ranges around and are able to see for miles at a time. You couldn't help but notice that the weather was lovely.
After about forty-five minutes of driving and a border guard security check, we had a pit stop in Sunizona, Arizona, which was basically a gas station and a few houses in the middle of nowhere. (You come across a lot of this in Arizona.) Upon leaving the gas station, Mustang Mall, we headed even farther south to Douglas, Arizona, the border town. I pulled out my laptop so me and my brother could enjoy some tunes on the way. Yes, iPods are easier, but I had a car charger and what we wanted to listen to wasn't on either of our iPods.
A short while later we found ourselves on the outskirts of Douglas with a International Douglas Airport that wasn't really in service anymore. A few private owners had hangers and a US Correctional Facility was there now. Nevertheless, old hangers and buildings were still standing. My dad, being the pilot and air-plane junkie, had to stop and explore, much to my delight. We drove around the area for a few minutes and I was allowed to get out and snap some pictures, along with one of my sisters.
Here's my favorite shot of the lot:
Upon leaving the airport we drove into Douglas. Being so close to the border, I saw many cars with Mexico license plates. Naturally, since we were so close, Dad wanted to drive along the border, of which, was five minutes away. Although I have been to Mexico, it still was an exciting/weird feeling knowing that another country was less than twenty feet from me again.
Border shots:
Storm clouds had started to roll in as we got into Douglas. Due to the fact that the weather was turning sour and we had two other towns to go see before the day was out, we briefly drove through historic downtown Douglas before heading out towards Bisbee.
Bisbee is an old mining town. While most of the mining has since been shut down, a lot of history was left behind in small museums and standing structures. Dad saw a sign for the airport there and decided to take the ten minute drive to it. We didn't go in this time, but just looked from the road before taking a u-turn. When we changed direction, these awesome structures met us on the hillside.
Cool, huh?
As we drove back into Bisbee, me and my family mutually agreed that we were hungry for an early dinner, so we drove around till we found something we all agreed on.
Bisbee Breakfast Club
Pricing: $
Specialty: All American; mostly sandwiches and fun desserts
Atmosphere: Casual-Hip
Location: Bisbee, Arizona
With a simple outside, we were surprised by the fun interior that awaited us! It was like finding a geode. It combined so many elements, such as an Asian feel, yet it had brick walls, then part of it was like a diner. It was such a feast for the eyes!
I decided on a burger called the Gooey Louie. A burger topped with sautéed onions, mushrooms, along with bacon, melted Swiss cheese and Pat’s Jim Beam BBQ sauce. Pricing was reasonable and the taste was worth every dollar. Messy, but good. The onion rings were almost to die for.
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What is super cool about where we ate is the fact that we were right next to this huge mine that is no longer in service. There was the parking lot, then this huge hole that went down multiple stories, into the earth. The only thing keeping us from it was a tall fence. Dad parked our car facing the fence and we got to snap some photos before and after our early dinner.
See those buildings to the left? That is where Bisbee Breakfast Club is. Meaning, we finished and drove all the way around on our way to the newer side of Bisbee. We talked with some of the locals and apparently the government is trying to fill the mine in within the next fifty years.
Moving on from there, we drove around the new downtown for Bisbee. It reminded me so much of Manitou Springs in Colorado from my trip up there this past August. The layout was very similar and a lot of it was built onto the hillsides. (You can see some examples in the video at the end of this entry.) Some of the architecture there I really fell in love with.
Realizing it was getting late, we headed out for our last stop, Tombstone. We wanted to be there before sunset so we could at least see some of it. As we rolled into Tombstone we made a quick pit stop before heading down the town's main drag. Which brings me to my next point. . .
When the idea was first presented to me about creating this blog, I wondered how I could put this as a tip without sounding completely odd and/or rude. Alas, the answer provided itself on this first trip to be recorded for my blog!
Always carry at least one roll of toilet paper in your car for trips.
I cannot stress this enough. I don't care if you say "oh, it's not that long of a road trip." Trust me, it can be a real lifesaver! I've been traveling most of my life, and this is one of the first things I really learned for road trips. Sure enough the public restrooms where we stopped at in Tombstone were out of toilet paper. So yes, always have T.P. handy in your car.
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Soon we were walking down main street in Tombstone. It was neat to see so many people in costume and there was even someone filming a small-scale movie. Sadly, we had arrived pretty late in the afternoon so shops were starting to close. Nevertheless we did stop in quite a few and explored them! Dad's favorite was The Christian Cowboy. Outside of carrying Christian products, they also had a wide range of miniature train sets. Dad spent a lot of time hanging out and talking with the owner and eventually came out with a train set of his own. I wandered into a few costume shops before I found one with a wide display of beautiful masks. I finally decided on one and purchased it. It's shaped like a crescent moon, black, with intricate glitter designs and black peacock feathers. I wish I had a picture to show you, but I don't!
Seeing as the sun was fading fast, we made a beeline for Boothill Graveyard across town. This is the graveyard that housed all but one of the men who died that fateful day, along with others from different time periods.
Although the loss of life is sad, it was great to be surrounded by so much history! I love exploring sites and knowing the history surrounding them. Beats playing video games any day of the week.
We stayed there till closing, reading tombstones and taking in the beautiful sunset. After piling into the car we headed to Benson, which housed the freeway home.
Video:
Here's my little challenge for you! Have the weekend off? Great! I want you to plan a mini-vacation. I want you to take your spouse, family, hamster, your pet rock, or even your mother-in-law and head somewhere. Somewhere classifies as a location at least forty-five minutes from where you live. I don't want you thinking you can drive to the neighborhood park and get away with it. You're cheating yourself.
If you have the day free: I suggest going to check out a national historic landmark in the vicinity. Don't just check out the landmark, but make a day out of it as well! Have lunch at a mom and pop place and, if you're around early enough (depending on what time they're held), check out a local farmer's market.
If you have the weekend free: See if there is any national or state parks in your area. Another option is asking your friends where a good place is nearby that would be great for getting away. I'm not saying you have to go camping to have a great time, but national parks do offer a lot of relaxation time without most distractions. (Besides, there's always cabin rentals!) It's also cheaper than paying for hotels over the weekend, but, if you're into city-life, I'd say go for it!
Happy adventures!
Sarah
