Bisbee Arizona.

Our trip today is to Bisbee an old mining town just north of the Mexican border.  The mines have all closed now and the town has moved over to tourism, and its doing a good job of it. There are no tacky recreation mining/shoot out shows, a lot of antique shops some wonderful buildings, restaurants pubs and interesting sights.

Some of the interesting buildings around the town.

Some of the other interesting sights around the town.  Love this old pickup truck.

Great sign, out side one of the bars in town.

 There are a lot of old, well maintained buildings in town. Old buildings abound in Europe so we are used to seeing them, how great to see a town looking after its heritage.

These painted walls are where the farmers market is held, must be really jolly place during the market.

Bisbee is or was a mining town so will finish with some mining photos.  The train which ran in a mine is outside the Mining Museum, a lovely old building which was the main office building of The Phelps-Dodge Mining Company.

The Sacramento Open Cast Pit.

The Lavender Pit.

These open cast mines do make a mess of the countryside.

On our way back to Benson you have to go through St. David, by the Arizona Road Depot, and look they have taken the snow ploughs off the trucks, winter must be over.  Today the temperature was 24c.  

The Amerind Museum and Texas Canyon Rocks.

The Amerind Museum lies in the heart of Texas Canyon and all its rock formations. The museum and art gallery are really worth a visit. the museum part explains the history of The Apache and all the different branches of that group of indians. The coming of the Spanish and Anglo/Americans and the effect on the Indians. Basket making how they made rugs and the european influence on weaving, sounds boring, but we found it very interesting. No photos, not allowed, sorry, same for the art gallery which of course is mostly local scenes, paintings and sculpture.  The lack of pics of the inside I hope will be compensated by the pics of outside, I just hope you like rocks, there is no shortage of them in Texas Canyon.

 The first three photos were taken yesterday on our way to Cochise Stronghold, you have to drive through Texas Canyon to get to the Dragoon Mountains, yesterday was bright and sunny, today on our visit to The Amerind Centre it was a hazy day, so not quite as good a light.

You pass by the Texas Canyon Cemetery on your way into the Amerind, its a wonderful setting for a Cemetery, very peaceful. 

 Around the Amerind Centre they have made a huge picnic area, the road weaves around all these huge rocks.

I took a close up of one of the rocks? they are not like a piece of stone, limestone or granite more like tiny stones glued together with sand.  

 Hazy day out, But very interesting, to find out how the native Americans lived and thrived in this desert landscape.

Life at Valley Vista RV Park.

Another lazy day at the Valley Vista Park.  Campfire night, hot dogs and marshmallows, Ruth here testing for the heat, OK Colin get cooking!

 How about this for a fully loaded dog.

Our Friends CJ and Terry cooking their hot dogs.

We think this is a Bewick's Wren, the people here call it a Cactus Wren, perhaps its the same bird, again our iBird app doesn't list a Cactus Wren.

Curved-billed Thrasher, we have a lot of these wondering around the park looking for crumbs.

A couple of Collared Doves watching over us.

 

Up the road aways at St. David there is a large Arizona Transport road depot, and just look 2 snow plows ready to roll, we have been here for nearly 3 weeks, the daytime temperatures have never been below 20c. Best to be ready I guess.  To be fair this time last year they did have snow for a day or two. 

 Now whats that evil looking thing? 

I thought the Hornets in Southern France were big but this is a monster, wouldn't want to get stung by it thats for sure.

Cochise Stronghold.

 Today we are heading into the Dragoon Mountains, to Cochise Stronghold, The hiding place of The Chiricahue Apache Chief, who with his band of Indians held off the US Cavalry for 12 years.  When you get into his stronghold you can see why they never captured him, he retired undefeated in 1872 and sadly died 2 years later from they think abdominal cancer. Makes you wonder if all the dreadful things that happened to the Chiricahue after his death would have been quite as bad if he had lived for a few more years.

The road leading into the Canyon.

                                                                               

This family lived in the canyon for quite a number of years, they have now handed back some of their land to The Chiricahue Apaches.

The canyon is a series of open spaces flanked by rocky hills on all sides.

 

Not sure if the Cavalry ever followed the Apache into these canyons, if the they did their losses must have been awful.

 What an amazing place to hide.

 

From what i've read the Cavalry knew the Apache were in here, getting them to come out was a different matter.

 Cochise would come out on raiding parties but they were never able to catch him.

 

Looking back into the canyon.

 The Dragoon Mountains from Highway 191.

Holy Trinity Benedictine Monastery, St. David, AZ

Today we are going on a nature trail walk at a Benedictine Monastery a few miles from Benson at St. David.

Our Lady Of Guadalupe Church in the grounds of the Monastery.

 Spirit Lake, fed by a artesian well .

                                                                                     

Ring-necked Ducks females above and the male below

The trail winds round the little lake and then through this gate and on to the San Pedro River. The river actually has some water in it, just stagnant ponds with a trickle of water flowing between them. They really need some rain here.

 Two shots of a Field Sparrow, according to my ibirds app it dosn't go as far west as Arizona but here it is.

 Arriving back at the Monastery and Spirit Lake, with an American Coot floating by.

 

Back in the Monastery compound we came across a couple of peacocks strolling around.

 We passed a very pleasant couple of hours wandering around this place, quiet and peaceful, the peacock is sitting on the fence of the meditation garden.