It will soon be time for another delightful Day Trip to the Ghost Towns of Cochise County.This season (Fall 2016 – Winter 2017) we offer two different Ghost Town Tours.
Ghost Town Tour I:
Wednesday, October 12, 2016
and
Saturday, January 14, 2017
Our first stop will be the ghost town of Pearce.This was once a silver and gold mining boom town founded by Jimmy Pearce in 1895. We will see some ruins, of course, but also the mountain where millions in valuable ore was extracted and the foundation of the 80-stamp mill that pounded the ore to dust all day and night. Here too is the old Post Office and the general store.
Here the Commonwealth Mine became one of Arizona’s major silver producers. Over 1,000,000 tons of ore were produced from 1895 to 1942. There are about 20 miles of underground workings. The mine produced about $8 million worth of silver and $2.5 million in gold at a time when silver was priced around 50 cents an ounce, and gold was $20 an ounce.
A friendly ghost will give us tour of the Old Pearce Cemetery where many colorful characters are buried. We will also visit Marcia’s Garden, a quaint little shop where Marcia makes soaps and lotions from her small herd of Nubian Dairy Goats. When we first added Marcia’s Garden to your itinerary we thought perhaps only the women would find this interesting. But we soon realized that the gentlemen enjoy it as much as the ladies.
Ms. Karen feeds the goats at Marcia’s Garden. This is a quaint little shop in Pearce that specializes in goats’ milk products.
Our second stop will be Golden Rule Vineyards where we will do a little wine tasting in a pleasant rural setting. Next will enjoy lunch & libation at the Rock Saloon set among the huge boulders in beautiful Texas Canyon.
Lunch & Libations at Rock Saloon on the Triangle T Ranch in beautiful Texas Canyon.
Our final stop before heading back to Tucson will be the Amerind Museum and Art Gallery. Here is one of the finest private collections of Native American artifacts in the world. A knowledgeable docent will give our group a private tour.
Assembly: Costco Parking Lot at I-10 & Kino Parkway at 8:00 AM. Arrive back about 6 PM.
Price: $135 per person. This price is all-inclusive, including comfortable, safe transportation in a large touring coach that accommodates 52 passengers; wine tasting at Golden Rule Vineyards; lunch & libations at Rock Saloon on Triangle T Ranch; snacks, bottled water & guide services. Itinerary and price subject to change without notice.
Please make your reservations for October 12, 2016 no later than October 5, 2016 and reservations for January 14, 2017 no later than January 11, 2017.
Book online now! For more information, contact Jim Gressinger: Jim@SouthernArizonaGuide.com. Or call Jim at 520-820-2710.
Ghost Town Tour II
Wednesday, November 16, 2016
and
Wednesday February 15, 2017
Our other Ghost Town Tour takes us to the ghost town of Gleeson. Here we will meet Joe Bono whose father and uncle owned the store and saloon. Joe will open the door to the saloon so you can see the once magnificent mural on the wall that cannot be saved.
The Gleeson Jail was built in 1910. The prior jail had been a chain wrapped around a big old cottonwood tree to which the convict was attached via leg irons.
Our next stop will be Big Nose Kate’s Saloon in Tombstone. While exploring the “Town Too Tough To Die” we will enjoy lunch & libations while listening to Western entertainment. Following lunch, Dr. Jay will give us an entertaining and educational walking tour of Tombstone as it was in the 1880’s. For all of its legendary violence, you will be amazed at how sophisticated this rough & ready boom town really was.
Dr. Jay’s Tombstone Walking Tour is the best way to experience “The Town Too Tough To Die”.
Of course we will visit the most famous cemetery of the Old West, Boothill Graveyard. The story of this graveyard is most interesting and we can pay our respects to the famous and infamous who are buried here.
Our last stop before heading back to Tucson will be the ghost town of Fairbank. This is as close to Tombstone as the railroad came during its heyday. Knowledgeable docents from the Friends of San Pedro River and Bureau of Land Management will lead us on a tour. Some buildings have been restored or are in the process of being restored.
Copper Mine, Gleeson, AZ
Assembly: Costco Parking Lot at I-10 & Kino Parkway at 8:00 AM. Arrive back about 6 PM.
Price: $135 per person. This price is all-inclusive, including comfortable, safe transportation in a large touring coach that accommodates 52 passengers; lunch, entertainment, & libations at Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, Best Cowboy Bar in America; snacks, bottled water & guide services.
Reservations: Space is limited. Please make your reservations for November 16, 2016 no later than November 9, 2016 and for February 15, 2017 no later than February 8, 2017.
Book online now! For more information, contact Jim Gressinger: Jim@SouthernArizonaGuide.com. Or call Jim at 520-820-2710.
