Travels with Twinkles

Globe, AZ - Silver City, NM - Truth or Consequences, NM

June 1-4, 2023:

On the road again ! I’m on route 77 traveling through Tucson passing through Oro Valley, Catalina, Oracle, Mammoth, Winkleman with a destination of Globe, Arizona. I explored a bit in Mammoth, AZ to find an artistic and historic town park commemorating their mining heritage. There was also also a beautiful old hispanic Blue Front Inn and many old decaying adobe buildings and signs, all favorites of mine. The town sits in a lush green riparian valley of the San Pedro River with beautiful distant mountain views.

Route 77 overall is an interesting beautiful Arizona ride. I exited the highway in Dudleyville, AZ just to see the location of a popular song by a recently departed Tucson songwriter and character. it’s a poverty level town at best, as expressed in the song.

Looks like a fun place

I thought it really cool to give credit to the wives and mothers

This town has history

Beautiful town park

Self Portrait ?

I arrive in Globe, Arizona, which I am very familiar with, perhaps too many visits here ? Globe however looks as good, if not better, than I remember, it. It seems to have survived the pandemic well. After a walking tour and a beer at the Drift Inn, also looking better than ever, I ride to the nearby depressed mining town of Miami, AZ. My first time there a dozen years ago and I thought there was hope for this town. The downtown area has many old buildings with potential for restoration and it showed signs of improvement. Sadly virtually not much has happened since then and it has declined even further to the point that many of the buildings are now past the point of preservation.

Globe mural with an angry looking Indian woman

Drift Inn sign is great !

Interior of the Drift Inn with its hand painted wall mural, one of the oldest bars in AZ

Another good mural

Let your dreams set sail

Seems like good advise

The Lizard climbed right out od that hole ?

This area is scheduled for historic revival

After leaving Globe I traveled southeast to the huge mining area adjacent to the town of Morenci, AZ with centuries of mining history. I've been here before and the road that goes north from here, through the mine has out of of worldly views. I skipped it on this day and instead stopped at the old railroad station, now a visitors center and then explored the old steam engine and jail cell in the mountain side.

Retired steam engine

Hard to break out of this jail

View of the railroad station

View from the old steel bridge over the river

I made a stop in the town of Pima, AZ at the Eastern Arizona Museum which had much history on the early Mormon settlers of this area.

A collection of carving donated to the museum

Many great portraits of early settlers

Naiche appears as a very handsome man even in surrender

I’m back behind the wheel to Silver City, New Mexico. It seems that I've been going away from my intended northerly direction, as I head south towards Silver City, but sometimes you need to go back to move forward, right ? Silver City is the ultimate cool town but seriously lacking in nightlife. I’m waiting for someone to reopen the Buffalo Bar, without turning it into yet another shitty brewpub, if you get my drift.

Buffalo Bar is still waiting

Silver City mural on the side of the Little Toad Brew Pub

The restored Gila Theater

Tending fashions in Solver City ?

The Big Pink Store has cool stuff

I found my way back to a past favorite hike, the Dragon fly trail a few miles outside of Silver City. I also took a side trip to the historic town of Pinos Altos where the Buckhorn Saloon is located. I was surprised it was closed at noon on a Saturday, seems to be a dinner only kind of place.

View along the Dragonfly Trail

The trails namesake is this ancient petroglyph that amazingly has not been ruined

The Opera House next door is advertising a concert for next weekend, one that I probably would have liked. My planning so far has been terrible, last weekend was a Blues festival in Silver City, this week nothing. I did take in two bands on Friday and Saturday night at the Little Toad Creek Brewery, who were good, but not good enough to stay long. It's really the only night spot I’m Silver City, kind of sad considering the artsy creative element in this town.

I depart Sunday morning for a drive on route 152 up across the intimidating Black Range on the Gila National Forest with a destination of Truth or Consequences, NM. Along the route, but get side tracked by a road sign reminding me of the nearby Mattocks Ruins site. The museum is closed but the site is open for a self guided tour. This was a huge Membres culture pueblo complex that existed for about 1,000 years in various stages, it's hard to comprehend today.

A roadside view of the huge Mine

Entrance to the Members Culture Heritage Site

Archeology of the site shows how extensive this culture was

After archeological digging everything was backfilled to cover and protect

Each area had a model of the compound that once existed in the field beyond

I make several stops along the road through the Gila National Forest, taking in the great views.

I arrive in Hillsboro in time for lunch at the excellent Hillsboro General Store Cafe. Hillsboro was a prominent town back in the glory days of mining, but when the mines closed, it nearly became a ghost town. You get an idea of the towns former size, or lawlessness when you see the ruins of the jail, it’s massive.

The remains of the original town jail

The Hillsboro General Store Cafe

Front View

A house mural down the street

It’s another 30 miles to my next stop in Truth of Consequences, NM. I believe that New Mexico has more colorful and interesting places that any state in the US. Truth of Consequences, or as the locals refer to as T & C is definitely one of them. It’s name based on an old TV show helps, then there is the hot springs, the Rio Grande River, the Spanish and Mexican culture, the legendary Apache Indians, etc, etc. I’ve been here years ago and I have to say it’s looking somewhat improved, there is a growing arts colony in the downtown and the downward spiral seems diminished. I did an hot tub hour at the Riverbend Hot Springs that was absolutely great, highly recommended ! I also visited the one and only brew pub on Broadway called Truth or Consequences Brewing which appears to be be doing very well, not much competition.