Broad-billed Hummingbird: Ramsey Canyon

Broad-billed Hummingbird in Ramsey Canyon

If you are a nature enthusiast you have no further to go than Sierra Vista in Cochise County. Sierra Vista, sits in the shadow of the Huachuca Mountains and is the closest city to Ramsey Canyon, Carr Canyon, Garden Canyon, and the San Pedro Riparian Area.

Sierra Vista lays claim to the title, “The Hummingbird Capital of the U.S.” and it may very well be.

It is also home to one of the oldest Military posts dating back to the Apache Wars, Fort Huachuca. Currently Fort Huachuca’s function is Intelligence gathering. There are two worthwhile museums on the base, one dedicated to Military Intelligence gathering and the other to the history of the military in the American Southwest. While you are visiting, be sure to visit the cemetery at Ft. Huachuca. Currently, you will need a pass to get onto the base. This is good for 30 days. A passport or valid drivers license is required as well as a background check. Foreigners must be accompanied by U.S. Citizens.

While in Sierra Vista be sure to stop by the Coronado National Monument where the Coronado Expedition is said to have crossed over to what will be the United States.

If you are there on the weekend, be sure to take in a musical treat at the Arizona Folklore Preserve. A small and worthwhile venue in the heart of Ramsey Canyon.

Our Lady of the Sierras lies on the south side of Sierra Vista and is hidden up a hill from a small residential area to the west. The chapel is usually open, and the hike through the Stations of the Cross will have you thinking.

Sierra Vista itself, is not “quaint”. Like the Military Base, it is functional. Lodging and dining choices, which serve the military personnel and their families are functional. There may be a few special places to eat and stay in Sierra Vista, and we long for your suggestions. We can recommend San Pedro Bed and Breakfast in Hereford, just south of Sierra Vista. It is a bird haven as well. Beautiful setting, great breakfast.