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A Three Day Trip to Southeastern Arizona

Road From Portal Into The Chiricahua Mountains. Excellent Campgrounds, Birdwatching.

This Scenic Backroad Trip just grazes what there is to see and do in Southeastern Arizona. To do it right, we might live there for a few years. Mind you, this country is still as Old West as you can get. Read on for our initial adventure to one of the hinterlands of Arizona.

Tucson To Bisbee To Dragoon – A Scenic, Historic Back Road

For me, the most interesting backroads are those that traverse scenic countryside, of course. But more so, I look for many points of interest, usually historic sites, along the way. I hate long, monotonous drives. I appreciate local, esoteric histories. This means that I tend to meander, stop and chat with the natives, take photos, buy the occasional souvenir or piece of art, and rest overnight at a B&B before wondering toward home. Taking the backroads from Tucson to Bisbee to Dragoon is an overnighter – maybe two, or more. Where you overnight is up to you. There are so many excellent options. Here are my suggestions. 1. Tucson (A) to Sonoita & Elgin (B) . I-10 to exit 281. South on Hwy 83 to Sonoita. This is Wine Country. Stop at a few wineries, do a little wine tasting, buy a couple of bottles for later. 2. From Sonoita, head … Continue reading

Road Trip – Day 1; Ghost Towns, Slaughter Ranch, & Portal

Above is the route Ms. Karen & I took on a three-day weekend to Southeastern Arizona. This is a wonderful place for children and adults. Tons of hiking, picnicking, camping, fishing, bird and critter watching. And lots of Native American and Pioneer history.

Road Trip – Day 2/Morning: Faraway Ranch In Chiricahua National Monument

Cliffs Above Road From Portal To Chiricahua National Monument

Day One
This is a continuation of my post about our April 2012 tour of Southeast Arizona. On day-one, we visited the ghost towns of Pearce, Courtland, and Gleeson east of Tombstone with a short side trip to Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks. Then we continued south to the Slaughter Ranch east of Douglas, then north, ending the first day at Portal Peak Lodge in Portal, AZ. Here we eat in the cafe, slept in a small room, and most importantly, acquired a 25¢ map that showed the back road over the mountain.

Road Trip – Day 2 – Evening; Coronado Vineyards & Historic Simpson Hotel

Days One/Recap This is a continuation of my post about our April 2012 three-day tour of Southeast Arizona. On day-one, we visited the ghost towns of Pearce, Courtland, and Gleason east of Tombstone with a short side trip to Rattlesnake Crafts & Rocks. Then we continued south to the Slaughter Ranch east of Douglas, then [...]

Road Trip – Day 3- Morning; Clifton, Morenci’, & Black Hills Country Byway

On the third and final day of our Southeastern Arizona adventure, we started early. Deborah Mendelsohn, our Simpson Hotel B&B innkeeper in Duncan, had prepared a delicious take-along breakfast for us the night before. Normally, we would have slept in and enjoyed breakfast with her and the other guests, but we had a lot of [...]

3 Great Southern Arizona Getaways & 3 Staycation Ideas For Tucson Locals

Two & three-day getaway mini-vacations for Tucson locals around Southern Arizona. Tucsonans know that 7 months out of the year we live in paradise. We seldom have a desire to leave town between October and April. So these recommended getaways & staycations are geared toward the hot summer months, May through September.

Southern Arizona mini-vacations are only a bit complicated because you folks in Sierra Vista may want to spend a few days in Tucson to see a play or concert or enjoy our terrific museums. By contrast, you Tucsonans may want a weekend in and near Sierra Vista to hike Ramsey Canyon or explore the San Pedro River Valley.

Muleshoe Ranch Preserve: Great Southern Arizona Bird Watching

Muleshoe Ranch, a preserve of the Nature Conservancy, is one of the five best conservation areas for bird watching in Southern Arizona. Over 200 species of birds either live here year-round or pause here along the streams on their seasonal migration.