May 12, 2017
We drove all day on Friday, May 12th, a very uneventful drive – which we love! We arrived in downtown Bisbee around 4pm, gaining 1 hour crossing into Arizona – now we are in the twilight zone…LOL
We settled into a spot, which was fairly small, so after 2 nights we moved into the next-door camp spot when it was vacated. Now I think I will even have enough room to do my morning Yoga. I am even going to join a yoga group while we are here for the month.
We have found that Bisbee has so much going on almost every weekend! This weekend, which we caught the tail end of, there was a Sidewalk Art Festival. We walked downtown on Saturday and saw numerous artists with their portable easels painting different parts of this historic, scenic city. Some of the artists were even camped next to us in the only campground in town. On Sunday, Mother’s Day, everyone moved out, so there are just a few campers left here… mostly “Monthies” – those campers who rent by the month…
On Sunday, Mother’s Day, Patti and I treated each other to a Mother’s day lunch at Santiago’s Mexican Restaurant, just down the hill. Patti and I walked down so that we could each have a super sized Margarita with our meal, and no one would have to be the designated driver. We had shrimp fajitas’, fresh made guacamole and refried beans, with our Margaritas. Everything was scrumptious! After our meal, we rolled outside and sat in the shade, ‘people watching’. We then walked back up to our “motel on wheels”, our stomachs full to the brim and our hearts happy.
On May 15th, we heard many, many sirens coming past us, roaring up through Tombstone Canyon toward St. David and Benson, AZ. As it turns out, there is a fire just over the hill from us and it seems like fire departments from all around (Bisbee, Douglas, Sierra Vista and probably Tombstone too) responded to the emergency. As of 7PM structures in Bisbee, just over the hill from our campsite, have burned. No further word is available as yet. There were 3 different planes / one huge Forest Service + 2 smaller planes that kept circling the area (found out the next day, they were planes spewing ‘flame retardant’ on the fire). We listened and watched the planes as they kept a close eye on the progress of the fire. As the sky turns dark, the smoke seems to be going out as well as the fire. We certainly HOPE SO! We also hope no loss of life was incurred! It doesn’t look like we will have to hook up Gypsy and Rosalita to be ready to make a quick get-away.
Patti and I took a drive up Tombstone Canyon the next day, or I should say we tried to drive up… the road was (and is) still closed for ‘mop-up’ and fire investigation as to the cause of the fire. In all, 8 homes were completely destroyed: 3 of which were owned by the same family.
On Saturday, the 20th, the ”Howlin’ Prowl – Vintage Motorcycle and Chopper Roundup” is the happening event… for more information go to: oldshitrules.com (go figure)! This event should prove to be a loud and a good time for all, even us up on the mine precipice at our RV campsite.
Some mornings are just too special to remain in bed after 6AM, and this morning was just such a marvel. I left for an early morning walk-about tour of the city, wandering through the winding back alley streets, up on to Castle Rock or just seeing the city in different light dramas.
On this special walk I got to see the fine city of Bisbee’s pothole repair efforts… a bag (or three) of sand put in the hole and the cars flatten it down. Not much labor, not much cost, ingenious!!!
Many of the alley streets are not wide enough for our truck to drive up, so it’s wonderful to traverse the streets on foot. Several times now I start down one of these old narrow streets and wind up in areas I would never had found in the truck.
One such street was where I came across a wall that had been built by a resident. Recessed in the wall were tiles of different colors and themes, glass of all colors, even Mickie and Minnie Mouse… and a memorial to the “Mason of the Wall”. This is how I like to explore a town, on foot just moseying around – AND this is a very safe town to stroll through by oneself.
Just up the street from the Mason’s Wall, was a Koi pond and Mermaid Castle, which (on the entry gate) bears the name of Phelps Dodge as the proprietor (owner of the Lavender Mine – Queen Mine). There was a “for sale” sign close by but it was hard to tell just which building the sign belongs to.
Memorial Day will prove to be yet another exciting time here (May 25th – 29th). The Gem Show is happening (the 27th & 28th), the traveling Vietnam Memorial will be here for the weekend, along with (anticipated) large numbers of Vets… The Mexican Sonoran Festival will happen on Saturday May 27th, bringing about 70 craft vendors from our South of the Border friends… plus several other events and of course, street musicians. The city is closing off Main Street to all vehicles, (there will be shuttles from the ‘not so old’ part of Bisbee, down by Safeway) so I imagine it will be like the Pearl Street Mall, in Boulder, CO – just a bit smaller.
Since Patti and I will be here till the beginning of June, I thought I’d make several posts here in Bisbee, instead of one giant post…
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