December 23rd, 2024: We woke up this morning with Woody Woodpecker trying to drill his bill through the metal posts keeping a sun-reflecting roof over Independence: my eyes opened and my heart sang out, "ROAD TRIP!"
Today would be the start of a 4-State road gypsy experience … in record time, I had the duffel packed last night, tucked behind the passenger seat in Betsy; Holland hefted the stacked cooler - and off we drove :-D
We were looking forward to new adventures.
We are looking forward to a renewed relationship connection.
Christmas Cactus; Fortuna-AZ
Holland had been to Tombstone decades before today's Daytrip - this drive is purely for my pleasure. I am thankful.
Traveling down I-10, I jetted off 14 texts, and periodically received 10 back: 2 were from my Granddaughters & 1 from my NV daughter of the heart :-)
I-8 Dust Haze.
Love vibes were filling Betsy's cab.
And the Christmas Spirit was working.
Scorpions - 'Are You The One' Lyrics:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ61ACNSGIw)
Holland reached over the console to take my hand, and hold it, while talking about our projected move North. I said, "I'm glad you remember how much you can't live without me. I'm glad those 35 years you said you waited for me to show up in your life, is overriding the 23 months you've been insistent on being 'the Fighting Redmills'. Around this time 2 years ago, your words - and I quote - were, 'I love you; and I waited a long time for you. But, I’m glad I don’t have to wait any longer.'" He chuckled, and replied, "I did say that, didn't I?" Then he seriously added, "I really do love you, Baby. I'm sorry I keep hurting you." I said, "Things will eventually work out - this is 'a God-thing' … you told me that, too: and it truly is because {we} wouldn't have happened at all, unless Elohim brought it about. Marriage doesn't have to be a battlefield: things will work themselves out if you stop fighting against it, and just go with the flow."
December 21, 2022 Post~ LOVE IS IN THE AIR: (https://jeastofeden.blogspot.com/2022/12/love-is-in-air.html)
Scorpions - 'Still Loving You' Lyrics:
(https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3UVO7BMUQzQ)
I still love AZ
AZ freeways are not boring.
Snow free Tucson-AZ, this year :-D
January 8, 2024 BLOG Post~EXPECTATIONAL EXPERIENCES; Tucson-AZ: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/01/expectational-experiences-tucson-az.html)
Artful Overpasses.
I-10 Freeway-AZ
Tombstone-AZ is close …
Coming upon Tombstone, my eyes were happy when they saw trees with vibrant gold-colored leaves - so pretty, and so welcome to see against a landscape mostly dry and parched: I do love the lowland desert landscape, but I was also delighted to see evergreens and colorful deciduous trees of the high desert.
Gold & Black trees …
Black Cottonwood Tree:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Populus_trichocarpa)
AZ's complexities.
Arizona's complex and everchanging landscape reminds me of Mr. Complication, in many ways :-)
Tombstone-AZ was founded in Cochise County, which was created from part of Pima County on February 1, 1881. It is located in the southeastern portion of the State of Arizona. The area was home to Apache Indians for many years before it attracted interest for its mining possibilities in the late 1870s. The mining boom towns of the 1880s also attracted outlaws and the County briefly gained a reputation for lawlessness. Mining, farming and cattle ranching were the County’s chief industries.
The County Seat was transferred from Tombstone to Bisbee in 1929.
Tombstone-AZ History:
https://tombstonegunfights.com/history/ & https://thehistoryherald.com/articles/american-history/civil-war-american-indian-wars-pioneers-1801-1900/trouble-in-tombstone/
Tombstone, in it's heyday, was a typical desert Frontier town where life was hard - and it took hard men (and strong-willed women) to survive in it. The background of Tombstone-AZ does not make me blush. I like American History … and Tombstone, and the people that lived there, are woven into America's tapestry.
Tombstone-AZ from Fortuna-AZ; ; 4 hr 17 min (295.0 mi) via I-8 E and I-10 E
My Husband is gifting me bigtime, this 2024 Christmas Season :-)
Tombstone's Boothill-AZ; the Cemetery Entrance is through this Toll Booth; off to the side of the Boothill Gift Store.
A Surprise!
Abraham Hyman Emanuel was an Easterner who made his fortune in gold and silver mines and mining towns of the American West. He also served as the Tombstone's Mayor from 1896 to 1900. During that era Jews worked as miners, merchants, bankers, grocers, gunsmiths and owned a restaurant. There were enough Jews in Tombstone in 1881 to organize the Tombstone Hebrew Association. Such groups conducted High Holy Day services and established a burial ground.
Abraham H. Emanuel & other Jewish presences in Tombstone-AZ:
https://www.jmaw.org/abraham-emanuel-jewish-tombstone/ & https://www.jewishpress.com/sections/features/features-on-jewish-world/wyatt-earps-mezuzah/2015/09/24/
I paid my $6, walked through the shop's doorway, and out into the dusty plots areas. As I walked the footbaths between grave markers (some barely showing through the cactus and ocotillo that sprung up through the rocky plots), I noticed that none of the heroes of the shooting at the O.K. Corral are buried in Tombstone.
I (((finally))) made it to Tombstone's Boothill, in AZ :-D
Boothill Cemetery only hosts the remains of braggart losers as memories of the battle; Billy Clanton, and Tom and Frank McLaury as well as other social pariahs … but it also commemorates the less jaded dreamers, who arrived in Tombstone with hope in their hearts for a profitable restart backed by mining gains and ownership deeds to lands and businesses. Some found prosperity. Others had their dreams destroyed by heartless outlaws, shady characters, greedy proprietors, and heavy-handed medical treatments that took their lives rather than offering healing touches; and in some cases - violence and mistaken accusations, which led to their untimely deaths.
However, the Names of Old West Legends that made Tombstone a legendary remembrance in the AZ high desert … are buried elsewhere :-(
Most of those buried in this cemetery I have never heard of, and the Jewish section was complete surprise. But I did research on the picketed names that interested me - and that research is posted with the headstone pictures I took while walking the footpaths.
That said, Tombstone-AZ is a cool place to visit; and I am glad my husband gifted me today with experiencing it. It has long been on my Bucket List & was the first thing I mentioned when we started planning our Road Gypsy Life.
Huge Prickly Pear Cactus; Boothill Cemetery, Tombstone-AZ
John “Three-Fingered Jack” Patterson, also known as Jack Dunlop, in a gunfight during the Fairbank train robbery on February 15, 1900.
The robbery: A gang of outlaws attempted to rob a Wells Fargo express car at the Fairbank, Arizona train depot. The gang detached the car containing the money and opened the safe with dynamite.
The gunfight: Jeff Davis Milton was working as a guard on the train and shot buckshot into Dunlop, killing him. Milton was also wounded in the right arm, but the gang fled.
Dunlop fell from his horse and was abandoned by his bandit friends, who left him there to die. He lay where he fell, for 14 hours, before being found by a posse. He was taken to Tombstone … where he lived long enough to inform on those who left him to die; he died on February 24, 1900.
Milton was a lawman in the Old West who served for over 50 years. He was born in Sylvania, Florida in 1861 and worked as a cowboy in Texas before joining the Texas Rangers. He later became a U.S. Deputy Marshal in New Mexico and held various law enforcement positions in Arizona. He retired in Tombstone, Arizona in 1932 and died in 1947.
Notation: Jeff Davis Milton: (https://thoughtsfromafar.blog/2021/09/27/one-bad-ass/)
There isn't much information about Indian Bill buried in the Tombstone Cemetery - other than generalized info (internet and paper mentions) that he was buried there.
"Old Man Clanton" = Newman Hayes Clanton was a gold prospector, a confederate soldier, freighter & rancher. He, with his sons … threw in with the McLaury Brothers; and became a cattle rustling outlaw. He - with several other men, were ambushed on a rustled cattle and stolen horses drive by mexicans: all but 1 man were killed.
Old Man Clanton: (https://tombstonechamber.com/BootHillGraveyard/tour-the-graveyard/row-2/old-man-clanton/)
O.K. Corral Sum Up
The Throwdown & Shootout at the O.K. Corral, was a rebel-minded shootout between the Cowboys Gang, the Earp Brothers, & "Doc". The Cowboys rode into Tombstone, itching for a fight … and they got one: 3 men were killed, 3 were wounded.
The Cowboys Gang: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/clanton-gang/ & https://pamelanowak.com/2024/02/01/the-cowboys-of-tombstone/)
Billy Clanton was the youngest of the Clanton sons; the Clanton's established a cattle rustling and horse stealing outlaw operation that pretty much controlled all of Arizona's Pima & Cochise County (today's Ajo-AZ, Tucson-AZ, and Bisbee-AZ areas). The Cowboys were a loosely organized gang of outlaws who committed crimes such as: Cattle rustling, Stage robberies, Attacking Mexican pack trains, and Murdering and Raping innocent people.
Billy would be caught in crossfire bullets instigated by his brother Ike … who fled and callously left his brother to die in his stead. Obviously there was no loyalty spared between Clanton family members.
Billy Clanton: (https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/2266/billy-clanton)
The McLaury Brothers had moved to Arizona with the decision to go into the cattle business, and eventually have their own ranch. Along the way they became friends with the Clanton's and enmeshed themselves with the Cowboy Gang's cross-border black market that was thriving there. Emboldened by the Cowboy's extensive territorial grip, the McLaury's started throwing their weight around, and threatening Wyatt Earp - who was a Deputy U.S. Marshal, and Virgil Earp, who was City Marshal in Tombstone, Arizona. The McLaury brothers repeatedly threatened the Earp's because they interfered with the Cowboys' illegal activities.
The arrogant swaggering led to the shootout at the O.K. Corral, where Tom & Frank died - along with Billy Clanton, who died in heavy crossfire as he watched his brother flee in abandonment.
Tom McLaury & Frank McLaury: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/mclaury-brothers/)
There were five Earp Brothers … but Wyatt is the most talked about. Wyatt Earp a legendary figure of the Old American West: he was an saloonkeeper, gambler, lawman, gunslinger, confidence man - and friend of legendary notables such as: James & Bat Masterson, Doc Holliday, Buffalo Bill, and the 26th President of the United States, Theodore Roosevelt.
Wyatt Earp & Earp Brothers: (https://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/wyatt-earp-life/ & https://bignosekatestombstone.com/history/the-earp-brothers/)
John Henry Holliday better known as Doc Holliday, was an American dentist, gambler, and gunfighter who was a close friend, associate, and deputized sideman of lawman Wyatt Earp.
"Doc" Holliday:
(https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-docholliday/)
Notation: The O.K. Corral: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/O.K._Corral_(building))
Judge Charles Lindley was one of the ablest members of the Judicial Bar in Old West California. Due to overwork, his health was undermined; and he died in Tombstone-AZ
Margarita also known as "the Painted Lady" was a tall, dark, slim-figured dancer employed at the Birdcage, who was engaged in a bitter tug-of-war with Gertie - a feisty, petite woman with long, golden hair known as "Gold Dollar" who danced at the Crystal Palace. The contention between the two was for the affections of a small-time gambler named Billy Milgreen. The story goes that one night Gertie found Margarita sitting on Billy's lap, and in a fit of jealous anger she removed a double-edged stiletto knife hidden in her garter and chiseled Margarita's heart from her chest.
The Birdcage Theatre served to entertain silver miners in the late 1800s. The theatre hosted a variety of entertainers, was a saloon and poker parlor, and also doubled as a brothel. The New York Times once called the former gambling hall, saloon and brothel, "the roughest, bawdiest, and most wicked night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast." The walls are riddled with over 140 bullet holes and at least twenty-seven deaths have resulted from shootouts, stabbings, and suicide. The most infamous murder involves “Painted Lady” Margarita.
The Birdcage Theatre: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Cage_Theatre)
The Crystal Palace heralded as “finest saloon in the territory”, had humble beginnings forged in 1879 as the Golden Eagle Brewery, and has been a solid Tombstone, AZ fixture on the historic corner of 5th and Allen Streets; at one time boasting a fountain and a gold fish pond, as well as an upstairs office that belonged to Virgil Earp. Following the gruesome incident between Margarita and Gold Dollar, it burned to the ground in May of 1882 - and was rebuilt and reopened in July of 1882. Starting In 1883, financial troubles hit Tombstone hard. Mines began flooding, workers were laid off, those who did have jobs had their wages cut. The saloon would continue to operate, soldiering on until the middle of 1892. Some attempts were made to re-open, but very little happened until 1915 when prohibition began in the state of Arizona. With prohibition, the saloon had to change. Its new owner, Joe Norcross, turned it into the Crystal Palace Theatre. The upstairs portion of the building was removed, but the heart of the saloon was still beating. As years passed, it would also be used as a warehouse and even a Greyhound bus station. In 1963, a company named Historic Tombstone Adventures was formed with the goal of preserving and restoring the history of Tombstone, and its first priority was to renovate the Crystal Palace Saloon. They used photos from the time to meticulously re-create the interior and exterior, though they could only manage a false front second floor. Today, the Crystal Palace Saloon looks very much like the extravagant saloon Ben Wehrfritz created in 1882.
The Crystal Palace Saloon: (https://www.crystalpalacesaloon.com/gallery)
The gunslinger Frank “Buckskin” Leslie shoots the “The Kid” Billy Claiborne in front of the Oriental Saloon, where Leslie tended bar.
Billy Claiborne – Member of the Clanton Gang: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/billy-claibourne/)
Frank Leslie:
(https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-frankleslie/)
Oriental Saloon Gunfight in Tombstone, Arizona: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/oriental-gunfight/)
Jewish Plots Section of Boothill-AZ~Placing a stone on a Jewish gravesite is a way to show respect to the deceased and to let others know that the grave has been visited; there is no Commandment concerning this, it is simply a courtesy.
There isn't much information about Jewish people in Tombstone-AZ, but here's some information about the Jewish community in Arizona and a Jewish gunslinger who lived in Tombstone.
The first organized Jewish community in Arizona was formed in Tombstone during the mining boom of 1881, with Samuel Blace as president.
Jim Levy was a Jewish gunslinger who lived in Tombstone and other towns in the West. Levy was born in Ireland in 1842 and became a professional gambler and gunslinger after surviving a duel in 1871. He survived an estimated 16 shootouts before being shot and killed in Tucson in 1882.
Josephine Marcus, the wife of Wyatt Earp, was the daughter of Jewish immigrants from Prussia. Josephine ran away from home as a teenager to join a traveling acting troupe. She moved to Tombstone in 1880 as the fiancée of Johnny Behan, an Arizona businessman and aspiring politician. She later transferred her affections to Wyatt Earp, who was a political rival to Behan.
Jim Levy:
(https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-jimlevy/)
Josephine Sarah "Sadie" Earp: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Josephine_Earp)
The Historical Jewish Cemetery at Boothill, Tombstone, Arizona:
(https://swja.arizona.edu/content/tombstone-cemetery-call-action#:~:text=Boothill%20Graveyard%20in%20historic%20Tombstone,and%20infamous%20are%20buried%20here.)
Notation: John Harris Behan: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Johnny_Behan)
John Heath was a Bisbee saloon operator, who also dabbled in rustling, robbery, and at one time was a deputy sheriff. Jailed following a mine safe heist that quickly went murderously sideways … he was forcibly taken from the county jail and lynched from a nearby telephone pole a short distance from the Court House, by a Bisbee mob.
John Heath and the Bisbee Massacre: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-johnheath/)
Inside this ornamental fencing, there is a marker simply stating "Mrs. Stumpf". Joseph & Flora Stumpf were born in Bavaria, Germany; they immigrated to America - and eventually married, settling in Tombstone-AZ, where they hoped to raise their young son and daughter while they opened & operated the American Bakery on March 15, 1879. But in 1884, 54 yo Flora died, when an attending doctor administered too much chloroform during childbirth. She left behind her 56 yo husband, 9 yo daughter Emma, & 6 yo son, Frances.
Following his wife's death, Joseph Stumpf later became a rancher and cattleman.
Below, is a recipe sampling of what the Stumpf's offered from their bakery located at 215 5th Street (between Fremont & Allen), where they supplied Tombstone’s families with breads, pies, and assorted cakes.
BUTTERMILK BREAD LOAF ~ Makes 1 Loaf
¼ cup buttermilk * ¼ cup butter, melted * 2 eggs, lightly beaten * ¼ cup water * 2 tablespoons sugar * 2¼ teaspoons yeast * 1 teaspoon salt * 3 to 3½ cups flour * 2 teaspoons butter, melted
In a large bowl, combine the buttermilk, butter, eggs, water, and sugar. Combine the yeast, salt, and 3 cups of the flour and add to the buttermilk mixture. Mix well and add enough flour to form a soft but not sticky dough. Knead on a floured surface for about 10 minutes. You will know that you have kneaded enough when you press a finger in the dough and it bounces back. Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, turn to coat the surface, and cover with a towel or plastic wrap. Allow the dough to double in size in a warm place, about 1 hour.
Remove the dough from the bowl and roll into a rectangular shape on a floured surface. Starting at the shortest end, roll the dough up like a jelly roll. Tuck the ends under and place in a greased 9-inch loaf pan. Allow this to rise under a towel in a warm place until doubled. Once the dough has risen again, brush the top with the melted butter and bake at 375°F for 30 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and cool on a cake rack.
Fred White was Tombstone-AZ’s First Marshal … and his death, labeled “Homicide by Misadventure” or, in other words, an accident; is one of the matches lit that inadvertently led to the Okay Corral wildfire.
Fred White – Tombstone’s First Marshal: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-fredwhite/)
Notation: “Curly Bill” Brocius: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/curly-bill-brocius/)
47 yo George Johnson innocently bought a stolen horse, and paid with his life.
George Johnson: (https://tombstonechamber.com/BootHillGraveyard/tour-the-graveyard/row-5/george-johnson/)
Mrs. Ah Lum, known as China Mary, was a pretty woman born in China and settled in Tombstone-AZ where she was given the highest level of respect for a town in the frontier. She was an important mediating link between ethnic groups - her capacity lay somewhere between a local politician, adjudicator, & translator; and when Mary saw opportunity, she exploited it, as many successful business-minded people do: she controlled several frontier industries … and corned a monopoly control of Asian business, including the all-important laundry business. Some of the Chinese residents of Tombstone believed she had Tong affiliations that helped her keep an iron-grip on her Tombstone realm.
China Mary - The Woman Who Ran "The Town Too Tough To Die": (https://www.historyandwomen.com/2020/06/china-mary-woman-who-ran-town-too-tough.html)
Notation: Tong Organization: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tong_(organization))
Tombstone's Butterfield Stage Stop is directly across from the Boothill Cemetery Gift Shop-AZ
Butterfield Stage Stop in Tombstone-AZ; The history of the Butterfield Trail and the Emigrant Trail are intertwined. It was the purpose of awarding the contract to the Overland Mail Company, on September 16, 1857; not only for a land route to deliver mail from the East to the West coast, but to aid emigrant travel to settle the West. Averaging around 100 miles per day, drivers were able to reach San Francisco in 25 days or less. Butterfield Overland service lasted less than three years before it was disrupted by the Civil War and ultimately replaced by telegraph lines and more direct routes farther north.
John Butterfield & the Overland Mail Company: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/we-butterfield/)
Leaving the cemetery, we drove down the road a pace to visit Old Town Tombstone, which has been kept pretty much original as it was when rebuilt in the Old West Era. Tombstone, Arizona experienced two major fires in the early1880's: the first on June 22, 1881 started in the Arcade Saloon when a cigar ignited a barrel of whiskey. This fire destroyed 66 businesses in the eastern half of the business district. The second fire on May 25, 1882 started in a Chinese laundry on Fifth Street and destroyed the Grand Hotel and the Tivoli Saloon. It then jumped to Fremont Street, destroying over 100 businesses and most of the business district.
The fires were caused by poor building practices and fire protection, which were common in boomtowns (boomtowns were build hastily and usually built poorly because Boomtowns usually became ghost towns when mines played out). Each time fires ravaged the 1880's Tombstone, the town rebuilt itself within six months.
Wyatt Earp (who wasn't a marshal at Tombstone; he was deputized by his brother Virgil at the time of the famous gunfight) owned a share of the gaming tables in the Oriental. The original building burned down in an 1881 fire, but the Oriental was rebuilt quickly – just in time to be threatened by a larger fire in 1882.
There is still a running debate concerning Wyatt Earp's home in Tombstone … and there is a house advertised as his for vacation rentals - but, according to Old Tombstone maps showing ownership plot layouts, Wyatt's original house was located in Old Town Tombstone. Unless it miraculously survived the raging Tombstone fire that blazed through Old Town Tombstone, & was uprooted and moved to be placed where "it" sits today, there is no way the Tombstone rental is the original. Wyatt's original house most likely went up in flames, along with his saloon.
Accurate & 95% Original Structured Downtown Old Tombstone-AZ, where Old West Legends mingled with common folk - who just wanted a chance to better their lives and stretch their wings in wide open spaces: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone,_Arizona)
The high altitude was stressing our lungs, so we just did a simple drive-through along streets we could access with Betsy.
Wyatt Earp's Tombstone House (according to Old Tombstone Maps) was behind this building, in Old Town, Tombstone-AZ
Actual location of Wyatt Earp's Tombstone House: (https://www.wyattearpexplorers.com/wyatts-house.html#:~:text=One%20of%20these%20photos%2C%20taken,South%20side%20of%20Fremont%20Street.&text=James%20Howard%20chose%20to%20have,his%20loan%20to%20Wyatt%20Earp.)
Old West style Stage Coach.
Old West style Stage Coach; a necessary mode of travel in the Old West Era, this coach runs around $10 for adults/$5 for children/free for kids under 6 for a 20-minute narrated tour of Historic Old Tombstone.
The Goodenough Silver Mine was Tombstone's major silver producer. The claim was filed in 1878, production began in 1879. The Tombstone mines produced 32 million troy ounces (1,000 metric tons) of silver, more than any other mining district in Arizona. In 1883, writer Patrick Hamilton estimated that during the first four years of activity the mines produced about USD $25,000,000 (approximately $657 million today). By the end of 1893, all silver production in Tombstone was halted and the mines abandoned.
The Good Enough Mine & Trolley Tour: (https://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/15150#google_vignette & https://tombstonechamber.com/directory/good-enough-mine-trolley-tours/)
Courthouse
The stately 2-story Tombstone Courthouse, was designed in the Victorian style, was constructed of red brick in 1882. The courthouse served as a county facility until 1931 when the county seat was moved to Bisbee-AZ.
Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tombstone_Courthouse_State_Historic_Park)
Spring Buggy
A Horse-Pull Spring Buggy: In England, where the term seems to have originated late in the 18th century, the buggy held only one person and commonly had two wheels. By the mid-19th century the light-weight vehicle had evolved to include two extra wheels - and room for 1 more passenger. Later, a folding leather top was added: it was the Model T Ford of its day, and it continued to be widely used for 10 or 15 years into the 20th century. In fact, the first Ford vehicle was very closely modeled after this horse drawn buggy.
Henry Ford’s Quadricycle: (https://corporate.ford.com/articles/history/henry-fords-greatest-innovation-the-quadricycle.html)
1908 Ford Model S Roadster.
This is one of the last Ford vehicle models made prior to the introduction of the classic Model T: (https://www.stlouiscarmuseum.com/vehicles/491/1908-ford-model-s)
On towards Bisbee-AZ
Holland had never been to Bisbee - I thought he had because he talks about it so much; but, today he said this was his first trip there, too. I like that.
I like that we are making "First Time Memories" together :-D
Holland has had relatives that lived in Bisbee, but he never visited them because he was on the road so much between jobs throughout the years: he did visit Tombstone … but it was 50 or 60 miles out of the way, and with mileage and fuel expenses always on his mind, he always turned around back towards the freeway that would cut mileage, and give him more bang for buck when it came to fuel costs. Bisbee would have been 70 miles or more from I-10, and to him that meant travel time lost and $$$ he couldn't afford with rent, groceries, and job-related expenses in the forefront of his thoughts. Jetting back and forth between jobs, he rarely left major roadways: vacations were rarely penciled in. I'm glad he is taking the time now to enjoy some of Life's simple pleasures - like an occasional back road jaunt with his wife ;-)
.JPG)
Christmas Red hillsides ;-)
They have lots of iron oxide in them which gives them their red color.
Bisbee is 11 miles from the U.S.A./Mexico border: laying 5,300 feet in elevation in SE Arizona. Neither of us had ever been to Bisbee before, so we were expecting Bisbee to be just another dry, dusty, high-desert town … we in for a (((WOW!))) surprise when it came into view! Bisbee is a glorious, colorful, mile-high city tucked in a nestling embrace of Mule Mountains. It is the southernmost mile-high city in America.
Bisbee-AZ from Tombstone-AZ; 25 min (23.2 mi) via AZ-80 E
Lovely Bisbee-AZ
Bisbee-AZ:
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisbee,_Arizona)
The red hill with the white letter "B" overlooking Bisbee-AZ, is called Chihuahua Hill.
The vintage architecture made my eyes very happy :-D
OH! The buildings!!
I like the curvy, smooth, elegant polished look of the 1930's Streamline Moderne Art Deco structure, too.
Streamline Moderne: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Streamline_Moderne#:~:text=Streamline%20Moderne%20is%20an%20international,lines%2C%20and%20sometimes%20nautical%20elements.)
I'm sure my construction-minded man's silent "oh!'s" & "ah!'s" matched my exuberant vocal exclamations: the mining city's streets, alleys, and building styles were closely modeled after European mountain towns - tight streets, hidden alleyways, decorative building accents, stairs that went up-up-up the steep mountainsides hugging the city's hub … visions of quaint mountainous European communities I have seen in movies - and WA's Bavarian-themed Leavenworth, high in the Chelan County region of the Cascade Mountains were running through my thoughts as we drove through Bisbee ;-)
I got some good video of the beautiful architecture … but they were too long to post to this Blog: anything over 43 secs. won't pass Blogger's stringent upload allowance :-(
These vids are the right length … but not as impressive. I hadn't realized I'd gone over the allotted Blogger Vid requirements on the other vid's until putting this post together; sorry. All I can say is if you have a chance to visit Bisbee-AZ - DO IT - your eyes will be very happy ;-)
Bisbee-AZ tight streets & alleyway layouts are European in design.
At the top of Bisbee's Main Street, sat the colossal St. Patrick's Roman Catholic Church: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Patrick%27s_Roman_Catholic_Church_(Bisbee,_Arizona))
Main Street, Bisbee-AZ
After leaving the Town of Bisbee-AZ, we drove a little bit further down the road to take a peek at one of Holland's Bucket List {checks}: I did try to get pictures of the open-pit "Lavender Mine" … but it was surrounded by cyclone fencing, which makes decent pictures impossible; and the viewing holes were waaaay over my short-statured head. The open pit is massive in diameter, as well as depth, and heights and I are not on friendly terms. I was nervous leaning against the fencing as the extreme depth was making me dizzy looking into it … but I did stick my video phone through the hole, hoping for a few acceptable shots, and that was a dismal failure - I am a short woman, 2" below the 5'4" average female height. My short legs and arms were not adequate enough to make leaning precariously against the cyclone worth it.
I snagged an internet pic to post ;-)
Oh, my …!!
Depth & scope of the cavernous open pit.
Copper Queen Mine; Bisbee-AZ
6 ft. tall Viewing Holes; pretty worthless for short people, like me.
Internet picture of the Lavender Pit Mine: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lavender_Pit#:~:text=The%20pit%20covers%20an%20area,the%20southeastern%20Mule%20Mountains%20area.)
MEOW
Bisbee's Queen Mine was one of the richest copper mines in history. The mine opened in 1877 and eventually closed when Phelps Dodge discontinued mining operations in Bisbee in the mid-1970's. The Queen Mine opened once again as a tour for visitors in 1976, nearly 100 years after the mine originally opened.
The Copper Queen Mine:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Copper_Queen_Mine
The Lavender Open-pit Mine at Bisbee-AZ is 4,000 feet wide = roughly 6 city blocks (north to south); short of 1 mile wide; 5,000 feet long = 1 mile in length; and 850 feet deep at it's maximum = about a quarter of a mile in depth.
IT'S MASSIVELY IMPRESSIVE - even for this height-dizzy-scaredy cat ;-)
Leaving Bisbee, we made tracks for New Mexico by nightfall. Along the route, we passed through the Ghost Town of Apache, which is located in Cochise County in the State of Arizona.
A forlorn, abandoned, stone building; and a Stone Tower Monument are the only noteworthy things there.
We pulled over to see what the stone tower was about. When I read the plaque, I was excited … and saddened, at the same time.
Apache-AZ from Bisbee-AZ; 1 hr 6 min (64.9 mi) via AZ-80 E
Abandoned stone building.
Apache-AZ … a few feet from the abandoned stone building, we came upon a stone tower, and pulled over to check it out.
Stone Tower Monument; Plaque of monumental Historical significance.
On September 4, 1886, Geronimo surrendered to General Nelson A. Miles on a bluff overlooking Skeleton Canyon; Skeleton Canyon is a ravine in the Peloncillo Mountains that straddles the Arizona-New Mexico border. The surrender site is marked by a cairn of rocks and a stone monument on U.S. 80.
Geronimo Campaign:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Geronimo_Campaign
Geronimo was a leader and medicine man of the Bedonkohe Apache: a band of the Chiricahua Apache tribe, a nomadic group of people who lived in the southwestern United States and northern Mexico. The name Bedonkohe means "In Front of the End People". His birth name was Goyahkla, which means "The One Who Yawns". He earned the nickname "Geronimo" after distinguishing himself in raids against the Mexicans.
When Geronimo was captured on September 4, 1886, he was the last Native American leader to formally surrender to the U.S. military. He spent the last 23 years of his life as a prisoner of war; Nelson A. Miles formally took possession of Geronimo, and promised Geronimo and his people that they would be able to return to Arizona after an ambiguous time of exile in Florida. He became the last Native American leader to formally surrender to the U.S. Army. The Chiricahua Apache were taken from the West as prisoners of war for 27 years. After this period, they were given a choice to either take allotments of land in Oklahoma or live on the Mescalero Reservation in New Mexico; 183 people, elected to go to New Mexico, while 78 remained in Oklahoma. Their descendants still reside in these places.
Apache – The Fiercest Warriors in the Southwest: (https://www.legendsofamerica.com/na-apache/)
Skeleton Canyon-AZ: (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Skeleton_Canyon)
Notation: Meet the Geronimo's: Descendants Talk About Living With the Legacy:
https://ictnews.org/archive/meet-the-geronimos-descendants-talk-about-living-with-the-legacy
A bit further down the highway, passing through Rodeo-NM, we were 4,124 ft in elevation; it doesn't feel like/look like high elevation terrain - but our lungs felt it, and started acting up. Dust hung in the air, and that complication combined with thin air, was making sucking in quality air intake difficult.
Rodeo-NM from Apache-AZ; 12 min (11.7 mi) via AZ-80 E
Rodeo-NM was once a cow town hub - there isn't much there, now; but the Travel Center is pretty up to date.
Rodeo Station Plaque-NM
Rodeo Station-AZ:
https://www.hmdb.org/m.asp?m=34856 & https://www.newmexico.org/places-to-visit/regions/southwest/rodeo/
We ended up back on I-10, which would lead us to white sand dunes, and the birthplace of sci-fi roots in America ;-)
Traveling I-10, toward Las Cruces - where we hope to see white sand, tomorrow.
Passing through Lordsburg-NM, we could see the environment was tinged with dusty grit; and the freeway lanes (both sides of the roadway) were posted with dustout warnings: this went on for miles, about 1 mile apart.
Lordsburg-NM from Rodeo-NM; 47 min (47.6 mi) via NM-80 N and I-10 E
Posted Sand Storm Warning; Lordsburg-NM
Sunset-NM
We were starting to look for an inviting Inn to rest our tired bodies, and relax our stressed lungs, overnight. Holland has traveled this freeway most of his life, and said Deming-NM would be the best bet.
So, we aimed Betsy's nose in that direction.
Deming-NM from Lordsburg; 54m (61.1 mi) via I-10 E
Christmas lights lit up the night along the way; Elohim has been faithful to grant most of my heart's desires: Christmas Lights is one of them ;-)
Deming-NM is an hour west of Las Cruces-NM, and two hours from El Paso-TX. It was about 1800 that the Americans entered Southwest New Mexico. Deming's first years were hard ones, with the usual problems of a small Western town. It had such a bad reputation that some outlaws rounded up in Arizona were given one way tickets to Deming. Back in 1850 it was a Butterfield Stage Trail stop.
Deming-NM has a thriving business and agricultural community - Border Foods', world's largest Chile processing plant is here; Deming is home to a Border Patrol Training Center … and several movies ('Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull" and " 1998 Gas Food Lodging") were filmed in the area.
Deming-NM:
https://www.cityofdeming.org/visitors/index.php
We found a Motel 6 and secured a room for the night: it worked fine for me, but Holland felt like Gulliver in the land of the Lilliputians.
We are still laughing over that incident ;-)
Festive Main Street, Deming-NM
Deming, overnight.
SMALL commode! I don't know what Motel 6 was thinking to install an Elementary School sized commode in and adult motel room - WTH. I don't think it was even 18" off the floor. No joke!
This the was the 1st round of Holland's Holiday Gifting to me.
This trip was fun.
This trip was enjoyable.
This trip was a good way for us to reconnect.
(To be continued …)
**12-22-24 Blog Post~LEARNING NEW THINGS; Fortuna-AZ: (https://roadgypsiesvalandholland.blogspot.com/2024/12/learning-new-things-fortuna-az.html)
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