First week in Arizona

Written on December 29, 2014

Our week-long stopover in Benson, Arizona was filled with joy from the very beginning. While checking into the campground, The Saguaro SKP Park, Julie was asked if we had one of those huge windows in the back of our 5^th wheel. When Julie said yes we did, the lady assigned us to a terraced site, with our rear window facing the Dragoon Mountains (ie: Julie happy, means Jim happy). It was a gorgeous view.  Our campground had a few of the majestic Saguaro Cactus that the owners had transplanted to their lots. The natural growing range ends about 40 miles west of Benson, so it was quite a thrill for me to see my first one up close and personal in the campground.

The Dragoon Mountains outside of Benson, Arizona

Such stunning views out our back window of our Montana

Looking down on the SKP Park from a nearby hillside

Stunning sunset on the Dragoons

I love the clouds!

While in Benson we took a little trip east into the Dragoon Mountains (Texas Canyon) which we had driven through on our way to Benson and the awesome Amerind (American Indian) Museum. The landscape out here continues to amaze and excite me. Julie is thrilled to be back into the mountains again. Across west Texas and most of southern New Mexico the terrain had been flat, flat, flat, with an occasional flat place. Southwestern New Mexico and now Arizona have given us a pleasant new perspective. Lots of mountains and valleys for us to enjoy. Watching the clouds gather over and around the mountains is breathtaking at times.

The Amerind Museum, a stunning collection of American Indian artifacts

I love this one big cloud!!!

Texas Canyon

Texas Canyon Rock Formations

Later in the week I found a cool place on the web to explore, Gammons' Gulch. This is a little town made up of buildings and cowboy things collected and built by one man, Jay Gammons, in a little gulch that he happened by one day and saw as an empty plot of land for sale out in the middle of nowhere, so he bought it! Jay has been in a few movies (bit parts, his most famous role was the little boy marching and beating the drum in a parade at the very beginning of the movie “Rio Bravo” staring John Wayne. He had lots of John Wayne stories and pics since Jay's father was John Wayne's body guard while he was in Arizona filming his westerns. Gammons Gulch is a one man operation (if you don't count the wife, dog, three cats, a cow roaming through the set once in a while and the Javalinas each night raiding the cat food on the porch). The Gulch is occasionally rented to film producers to make old westerns, and any other films supposedly in a small western town. When not being used for filming, Jay gives guided tours of the property (you have to call ahead to make arrangements since it is a “one man” operation and sometimes he has to go to town to get supplies! There is a charge though – if you liked the tour you are asked to put some money in a jar located in the saloon on your way out, if you didn't enjoy it then just exit – no hard feelings!!

Jim and Jay

The bar of course...

town necessities back then

Jay entertaining us with his really good banjo playing

Stars who have filmed here at Gammons Gulch

More stars, and he had stories about each

John Wayne and Jay's Dad,  John's body guard and film extra

We filled another fun day taking a trip to Tombstone and then on to Bisbee with Al and Carol Stevens.

Tombstone, home of the famous “Gunfight at the OK Corral”, of which many full length movies have been made, along with countless mentions in other vignettes, actually took a total of (best guess estimates) 39 seconds. It was a typical tourist magnet. Good for a walk around, look at the cute stuff, watch the “locals” dressed as cowboys and cowgirls trying to sell you something as they walked up and down the wooden sidewalks. Kind of disappointing after all the hype we had heard “back east”!! According to those who have been to Tombstone previously, it wasn't like this. The town must be struggling.

Boothill

Stagecoach, festive for the holidays

Gunslinger

in Tombstone

locals in Tombstone

After our brief stop in Tombstone we headed on south to Bisbee, AZ stopping about 10 miles north of the border. Bisbee is one of the coolest towns around. Built in the side of the hills with Main St. the canyon floor, no matter where you are going it is uphill!! Bisbee was built because of the big mines nearby.  We drove to and looked down into the Lavender Pit Copper Mine, just outside of town.  

Downtown shops, narrow streets

You can't even imagine the excitement of driving on the side roads up to and among these houses, where there were any.

huff puff, huff puff

Bisbee has found a way to control their rain water to protect their town.

The Lavender Pit Copper Mine outside Bisbee, Az

Our friends Carol and Al took us to a funky little trailer park, also on the edge of town, Shady Acres.  A gentleman has collected a lot of vintage trailers and after restoring them,  rents them out in his unique little park.

Shady Acres

A few vintage rentals

A step back in time

Burgers and Fries anyone - with a milkshake of course!