An Arizona “Believe it or Not”

Here’s something funny … as you drive south from Phoenix, Arizona actually gets cooler. You lose a few degrees in Tucson, and then as you head toward

Sunset over the open-pit mine.

Tombstone and Bisbee, things get even cooler. And rainy. Southern AZ, after all, is the state’s prime grape-growing region for those getting-more-famous Arizona wines. I’m not a big wine fan myself, but aficionados say good things. Personally, I’d rather make mead out of locally grown honey and some prickly pear fruits (thanks to Stash on that last hike for the clever idea).

Anyway, I’ve lived here nearly 30 years and never went to Tombstone and Bisbee until this past October. I can’t say either blew me away. There’s some great scenery in Bisbee, and Tombstone oozes Old West kitsch, which can be fun in

Old West kitsch in the form of a scorpion plush animal.

certain limited doses. This is where Wyatt Earp and his boys slugged it out during a bloody 30-second gunfight at the OK Corral. You can’t actually see the corral without paying an admission charge, which is really pretty lame.

Down in Bisbee, we walked around some of the shops, including one where some crazy guy picked up a bunch of cow bones and turned it into a radio-controlled contraption. We didn’t stick around for the tour of the Copper Queen mine, which might have actually been fun. Otherwise, Bisbee is mostly a bunch of touristy shops and some funky old buildings. The locals’ houses really took the

Everyone needs a radio-controlled cow skeleton!

prize for individual coolness, though. The colors and decorations would drive just about any homeowners association stooge in apoplexy (and good riddance, really).

Some Arizona residents love Bisbee’s ultra-relaxed pace. But it was just a little too forced for me, and there were too many overly loud Harley riders around to spoil the mood. The afternoon rain was wonderful, though!

As you continue down the road from old town in Bisbee proper, everything gets less charming and a bit more barren. Now, if I had some time and some idiotic friends with me, there’s a good chance some exploring in old mine adits would’ve been in order. If that’s your bag, look into it.

one of them funky ol' buildings

My favorite attraction is the town bicycle shop, The Bisbee Bicycle Brothel. Its t-shirt features a topless 1920s babe astride a high-wheeler. Sarah picked one up and loves wearing it.

A beautiful sunset.

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