Bisbee, Arizona

Bisbee, Arizona - May 20 - 22, 2024:

Twinkles and I are off on a short RV trip to get away for a couple of days, not especially well thought out as there is nothing special going on in Bisbee.  Also Twinkles has a foot issue which is eliminating any serious hiking, but just walking up and down the hills and stairs of Bisbee will be enough.  That being said, Bisbee is always an interesting place to visit.  We stay at the Queen Mine RV Park adjacent to the Queen Mine underground Tour and overlooking the Lavender mining pit.  It’s quite a remarkable view !We are easily able to walk from the RV park to downtown, very convenient and there is inexpensive bus if needed to get around the local area.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bisbee,_Arizona

I set the parking brake and chocked the wheels

Bisbee has an artistic vibe with many many colorful murals.

Bisbee views are special

This mural is always a work in progress

We have lunch both days at Le Cornucopia, a local favorite that has won best lunch in Bisbee for many years !  We also spent time in the coffee shop which also has a folksey vibe to it.  Another Bisbee treasure is the Bisbee Library which is quite remarkable and has won several awards.  It has a great outside sitting area overlooking Main street that is unique.

Many historical books and photos

A beautiful stained glass window

View from the outside deck

We also visited a couple of antique store shop looking for an old wooden basket for the front of the RV to hold stuff.  I saw many in the shops being used for display, but none for sale.  The old baskets with good product names have become collectors items and can be pricey.

We also revisited the highly regarded Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum that is a Smithsonian Museum affiliate with great exhibits !

The railroad came to town in the mid 1800's

Also a trolley car system

George Warren started it all but ended up a loser

A sad story

The Lavender Pit swallowed up part of the town

On Tuesday evening, we had hoped to get pizza at the Screaming Bansee but unfortunately it was closed and instead went to a nearby Mexican restaurant that was a disappointment. Walking back we hear music coming from the Bisbee Grand Hotel lounge.  We stop in to see a group of locals, old guys who were jamming away, very improvisational, several instruments, all original songs (no covers) and all pretty weird.  I can’t say it was good, but it was interesting and it was the only live music to be found in midweek. 

Much to my surprise, Sue is interested in stopping at the St Elmo Bar afterwards, one of the few remaining places that truly deserves to be called a “Dive Bar”.  It is almost always populated by a few weird characters, sometimes a little scary, some times kind of fun.  This is a place that seems to transcend all age, ethnic and gender groups, a real melting pot.  They were playing music that Sue and I could jointly agree on, very unusual.   

We attempted a short but steep hike at the end of OK Street on an unmarked trail that I have taken a few times in past years that leads to a group of hilltop shrines.  Twinkles wasn’t up to the challenge of this rocky steep trail, I went on for a while, but lost my way, the trail is hard to follow and never made it there, maybe another time. 

On the rocky trail

There was a serious building fire recently on Main Street which did serious damage to one beautiful old building, they have bracing beams installed from the street to the building walls for support which closes one lane of traffic.  It appears that the building is repairable, but at considerable cost.

It could have been far worse

That’s all for now,  but stay tuned as I am going shortly on another 1-2 week solo van trip somewhere north, away from the approaching excessive Tucson heat.