Daytime temperatures get into the 70ºs (Fahrenheit) and the sun is shining. Soon, we’ll have a profusion of flowers – yes, it really can flower in the desert!

So, on a day when most of the country was socked in with snow, I’ll show you where I hiked.  With a jacket that I wound up taking off since I became too warm while hiking, I headed out on a trail that gave me views of downtown Phoenix, Camelback Mountain and a panorama of the whole surrounding area.

Take a look – South Mountain Park – the largest city park in the USA.   These pictures show the Javelina Canyon Trail (Easy to moderate difficulty) that you can enter from 46^th Street (south off Baseline Road).

Beginning of the trail - Javelina Canyon Trail in South Mountain Park

Camelback Mountain in the distance

The trail

Phoenix downtown (in the distance) from South Mountain Park

Trendy Kazimierz World Wine Bar calls itself a speakeasy and has its entrance around the back!

On a recent visit, we saw the epitomy of Scottsdale: an obviously well-to-do 30s-ish shopper in a trendy grocery on her cell phone the entire time we were there, discussing a friend’s dating woes while she put things in her cart.  The items in that grocery weren’t the typical things you’d find in a Safeway or more “ordinary” grocery store and price was obviously no object.

For Divas & Dogs - Trendy shop in Scottsdale 5th Avenue Shop area

Another Scottsdale scene involved about five young women, outside a bridal shop.  They were very energetically discussing how the bride-to-be looked in the dress she had chosen.

Courtyard at Borghata shopping Center

If these two encounters are any indication, the recession is definitely over – at least in Scottsdale.

Scottsdale's Fashion Center at night

In the next few weeks, we’ll visit a new, world-class musical instrument museum, “MIM,” the Musical Instrument Museum in northern Scottsdale.  We also visit two restaurants, and show you some other shopping areas in trendy, upscale Scottsdale.

A Bat Khine - gong chime from Thailand in the Musical Instrument Museum

Next week:  Everything from Eric Clapton’s guitar to how to build a piano to the wildest instruments you’ve ever seen!

Grand Canyon - just a very small part of the vast view

A trip to the Grand Canyon is a “must see” when you travel out West in the USA.  Arizona recognizes it as one of its finest attractions by designating itself the “Grand Canyon State” on license plates.Most people drive or come by bus to see nature’s show.  It is a drive from Flagstaff (80 miles) or Williams (59 miles), but can also be reached by the Grand Canyon Railway from Williams, a fun trip.

Upon arrival during the main summer tourist season, expect to park in the lot at the South Rim and use shuttle buses to get you to the viewing areas.

Mather Point is a focal point for viewing, but anywhere along the South Rim Trail is a great place to settle in for views.  (I found Mather Point to be overwhelming with tourists who were all jockeying for position to get “the” photo shot of all time.)

Grand Canyon view

Calming walking along the paved path the skirts the rim, I found spectacular views, including some views of the Colorado River ‘way down below. Close to dusk, we were edging down the South Rim trailhead, just trying to get photos from different vantage points when we were stopped by a Parks Ranger who told us we could not go any further at that time of day.  They are protective of people, since the path can be treacherous.  People do take mule rides down the trails, but late in the day, they keep people in “civilization.”

Grand Canyon with Colorado River way below

Grand Canyon at dusk

Food and Lodging

There are restaurants at the Park’s South Rim, but they are of the hewn wood and rustic variety.  There are landmarks like the El Tovar Hotel that have been around for over a century (which was refurbished a dozen years ago), as well as Bright Angel Lodge, Kachina and Thunderbird Lodges, Maswik Lodge, and Yavapai Lodge.  All of the previous have some form of dining facility.

If you are the intrepid sort and plan the strenuous hike to the Grand Canyon’s floor and need a rest stop, Phantom Ranch is the respite for those travelers.  (Reserve meals before you attempt the trip.) We did not attempt this long hike, which we understood could only be accessed by mule, hiking or river rafting.

Grand Canyon at nightfall

We recommend that you allow a day to hike around the various vantage points, take zillions of photos, and visit the various historic hotels for rest stops, food and souvenirs.

While in the Area…

We were impressed with the Grand Canyon, but if you are in the Southwest, we also highly recommend a side trip to Bryce Canyon and Zion National Park in Southern Utah.  Canyonlands is also vast and amazing, as well as Arches National Park. (See our other blogs on these national parks.  Just enter the name in the “search” box.)

Our favorite? – I’ve been twice – is Bryce Canyon.

http://www.nps.gov/grca/

A few miles and up the hillside – a very steep hillside/mountain – from Clarkdale and Cottonwood, Arizona is the historic town of Jerome, Arizona.  The fact that residents pride themselves on their probable insanity is based on the location of the former mental asylum and the fact that the town is perched precariously on hillsides.  Ironically, you drive through “Deception Gulch” to reach Jerome.

Sign in shop window - the mental state of Jerome

Is this insane?  Well, in any case, it’s fun to explore and find out!

On the day we visited, Jerome was a vision in the mist like the fictional Brigadoon of musical comedy fame.  We landed in the main section of town, elevation 5,246 feet, as the rain came gently down.  From one direction, we could see the red rocks of Sedona in the distance as the weather varied from sunny to rainy to hail with snow threatening, or all of the above at the same time!

Heading first to the Jerome Grand Hotel, a former mental hospital, with its The Asylum, an award-winning restaurant, we began our exploration of the town. Perched way up high with a great view of the valley, the Jerome Grand Hotel is up a one lane road that passes some B & B’s on its way and relies on driver courtesy to prevent accidents.

Jerome Grand Hotel - a former mental institution - thus The Asylum Restaurant

Jerome Grand Hotel lobby

It was mid-morning and no one was dining in The Asylum, but we’ve heard and read repeatedly that the restaurant is terrific, but a bit pricey, and worth every penny.

We looked around and talked with hotel guests who told us how much they loved the hotel and the view.  One guest was in town to hear a group performing in a pub in the town below. www.jeromegrandhotel.com

View from Jerome

Jerome bills itself – “From a roaring copper mining boom town of 15,000 people…To Arizona’s largest ghost town…And now, Arizona’s coolest art colony.”  The remnants of its past are everywhere with some very colorful reminders, like the bordello that is now a very artsy shop.

The buildings are mostly a century or more old with every building precariously perched on the hillsides.  (Yes, it is a trend.)  We really wonder how they have managed to keep from sliding into the valley!  And, of course, many of the houses and locations are reputed to have ghosts.  We didn’t stop to find out!

At the edge of town is the Gold King Mine and Ghost Town, a tourist location that we drove through and left quickly.  To reach this replica of the old town, you pass through a dump of old vehicles and other refuse that my husband said would have fascinated his dad, a fan of old machinery.

What we found of major interest were the many craft shops, especially the Jerome Artists’ Cooperative that seemed to have every imaginable craft represented.  You name it – fabric art, photography, pottery, wood, paintings, glass, jewelry, knitted items, glass, copper… All of the items were of superior craftsmanship and some were particularly clever. www.jeromeartistscoop.com

One of the great shops on Main Street in Jerome - Skyfire

We also spent some time wandering about other shops like Nellie Bly II where they had more kaleidoscopes than I have ever seen in one place, made from varying components like wood, glass and ceramic.  Madame Belgian Jennie Bauters was the original founder of the site, which went through two incarnation as a brothel, but finally became a hotel and then the shops it now houses.

Some of the fabulous work in the Jerome Artists' Coop - Glass by Fred Reinhardt, Wooden works by Blake O'Neil

The artists and craftspeople of Jerome do offer some of the best -crafted items in such a concentrated place I have seen.  We chatted with David Hall, a potter who has been in Jerome since 1972, who has a shop at the very edge of a row of stores.  His work is finely crafted and he also features other artists, as well. www.madeinjerome.com

David Hall, long-time resident Jerome potter

A day in Jerome exploring the shops goes by quickly.  Bring your plastic, because you’ll want to purchase keepsakes and gifts!

Note: parking is in demand and hard to find.  Jerome can be a bit challenging to navigate if you are physically challenged.

Come back later this week for the Jerome restaurant we chose for lunch.

For instance, want to see an old 1950s style diner?Dot’s Diner and Shady Dell

Dot’s Diner is just the experience you’ll want to have. The red and white exterior nestled next to the Shady Dell Trailer Park is a real step back in time!

Dot's Diner - a real original

Admittedly, the prices are not circa 1950, but the menu is a short, but evocative, diner menu.  Hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese and shakes, malteds, and floats are your lunch fare.

Breakfast, with options that had patrons chowing down at lunchtime, had pancakes and egg offerings.  Want the “good stuff” – real maple syrup?  That’s extra, but authentic.  The menu listings had fun names like, “Two chicks on a raft” (eggs on English muffins) and “Allison on a Raft.”  What’s Allison on a raft? – We just had to ask.  It seems that a local celebrity is vegetarian and the tofu scramble is named after her.

Dot's Diner - small, but fun

The patrons in the 10-seat diner (all seats are at the counter) were really enjoying themselves.  The small place is also conducive to conversations.  We asked about Bisbee and another customer, as well as Charlene, our waitress, was glad to provide information.

Dot retired a few years back, but the diner is in good hands, as Charlene is a welcoming, friendly presence.  The diner was originally located in Los Angeles, but, in 1996, was trucked to its current location next door to the Shady Dell Trailer Park, another retro experience.

Shady Dell offers visitors the chance to stay in an authentic 1940s-1950s trailer, like a 1949 Airstream with décor reflecting that era.  Possibly like stepping back into an old “I Love Lucy” episode, you almost expect someone to show up in a poodle skirt.

Shady Dell Trailer Park - an old-fashioned experience - see the old trailer to the left

Since all of the 11 vintage trailers were occupied, we had to console ourselves with just seeing the office, with its vintage Coca Cola machine and other collector’s items.

Shady Dell office and some of the memorabilia

Dot’s Diner is open for breakfast and lunch only on Fridays through Tuesdays.

http://www.theshadydell.com/Dots_Diner.html

Bisbee Breakfast Club

Renovated from an old Rexall Drug Store and a Waters Department Store, the Bisbee Breakfast Club is located in a small commercial area just past the mine and around the bend.  Not exclusive, since anyone can eat there, but definitely a foodie experience worth having since the atmosphere is focused on good food.  No one should leave hungry!

With a very large menu, but also only open for breakfast and lunch, the Bisbee Breakfast Club is another great choice in Bisbee.  Prices are very reasonable and the food is served in voluminous quantities.

Bisbee Breakfast Club

The place was hopping on a Sunday at noon. Since it was so busy, we did have to wait a few minutes to be seated and to receive our food, but the five or so staffers who provided the food to the wait staff were amazing to watch.  So, finally we were seated at the counter and got great entertainment value. We watched the orchestration of the grill’s speedy service.

I kept eyeing my neighbors’ plates, which included the lunch special of a steak with onion sauce and other fixings.  I ordered the Sonoran burger (burger with guacamole, chilis, and melted Swiss) with fries  – lots and lots of fries.  It was messy, but I finished every mouthful!  My husband had another burger version.  We traded onion rings – really good and crispy onion rings – and thought about how we would need to walk off the calories – but oh, so good!  Prices were very reasonable, too.  I don’t think anything was over $8 on the menu.

They also are closed in the middle of the week, but open Monday 7-3 for breakfast and lunch, Thursday-Sunday 7-2 for breakfast with lunch starting at 11 AM.

Join the Club!

http://www.bisbeebreakfastclub.com/

Come back later this week for our stay in the Copper Queen Hotel – is it haunted?

Bisbee - terraced into the hillside

The first thing noticeable driving in is the array of buildings terraced into the hills.  They are a holdover from the early mining days, with a few newer homes scattered about.

The Copper Queen Hotel sits majestically, centered in the terraced historic part of town.  Some old mining equipment sits in front of the museum, which fronts Main Street.  Bisbee has some narrow, one-way streets that are an adventure to explore, with the vintage architecture adapted as shops, restaurants, and hotels.

Americana on Main Street - notice copper colored hills

Head down Main Street and your authentic experience is less like Disney and more like really seeing the world of the early 1900s.  Travel a bit further and you’ll pass several colorful shops with pottery, crafts, hats, and an artisan chocolate shop.

Chocolate - exceptional chocolate made here

Chocoláte is a small shop with chocolate made on the premises from fair trade cocoa beans.  The flavors, of which they offer samples, are rich, complex and delightful.  Although pricing is not in the Hershey – or even Ghirardelli – price range, they are a special splurge well worth trying.  We purchased bars and truffles, which were packaged attractively. (spiritedchocolate.com)

We poked in and out of several shops with gorgeous pottery, both functional and decorative.  Finally, we decided on a multi-hued, red Native American bowl that we couldn’t resist.  Gorgeous!

Ya’ gotta eat –

If we had been inclined to eat five meals a day, we could have indulged with irresistible aromas wafting from doorways we passed.  Everything from an old-fashioned 1950s diner to grilles and restaurants harkening back to the early 1900s gave us lots of options.

Copper Queen lobby - entrance to a more gracious experience

Angela’s at the Copper Queen Hotel

For dinner, we decided to try the Copper Queen’s new incarnation, Angela’s, now an Italian restaurant after many years of being Winchester’s, with traditional favorites.  Angela’s was a new venture, with signs stilling covering the old Winchester signs.

Copper Queen Hotel & Restaurant - the sign

Adam, general manager of the Copper Queen Hotel, alerted us that the restaurant was having a challenge with their chef taken ill the day before.  The owner gamely had stepped into the kitchen to handle cooking.

We entered the old-fashioned dining room and were treated to attentive service and an unhurried dining experience.  The meal began with warm rolls and Caesar salads with real flavor.  Choosing Italian menu options, Chicken Marsala and Mediterranean Grilled Salmon, we sat back to enjoy our dinner.

Portions were generous, the accompaniments were flavorful, and the wait staff made certain we lacked for nothing.  The only less-than-perfect part of the meal was the watery sauces.  They tasted good, but were not thick as expected.  We were later told that this was the owner’s first effort at making this menu and he was a little shaky on sauce-making.  He did well for a first-time effort.

And, the piece de resistance was the bread pudding.  We shared the most enormous serving of bread pudding!  I had five mouthfuls and could not eat another morsel – rich, very sweet and tender, it was amazing!  My husband finished the rest, as it was very hard to leave any.

Come back later this week for some quirky dining experiences in Bisbee – and the possibility of seeing ghosts!  We’ll also take the mine tour – deep within the old Copper Queen Mine.

As you drive into Bisbee from the north, you enter through a tunnel, as if you are going back in time.  To an extent, you are.  The town is nestled into a hillside and the feel is of the 1950s – or before.Bisbee was an old mining town.  When the mines closed, the town became a refuge for hippies back in the 1960s.  The crafty – as in “artsy-craftsy” friends of the hippies showed up, so Bisbee became a unique craft center and, consequently, a Mecca for tourism.

Unique Bisbee - their own historic manhole cover

Bisbee has settled down a great deal since its heady miner days when there were 50 establishments serving liquor in town.  The population of 20,000 in 1910 is down to around 6,000, with the census showing a somewhat mature age skew.

Bisbee now

The old mine, the architecture, and the hillsides create an almost surreal environment.

One of the most noticeable things about Bisbee – The natives are friendly!  Actually, it seems that most people in Bisbee are transplants.  While there, we met a woman who moved in after the mines closed. She spoke about the town and how tourism is a major center of employment, as well as the county government, which is located in Bisbee.  It is clear that without the tourism, Bisbee would probably be a ghost town. As it is, Bisbee claims to be the home of many ghosts.  (More on that next week.)

For such a small population, we found people drawn to stay. Our waitress at Dot’s Diner (review coming up next week) came to Bisbee for a visit and has stayed for two years.

Louis, a gentleman from New York City, retired to Bisbee for its climate.  He also discovered a welcoming community where everyone was willing to include you and be friendly.  He was just returning from a trip to Germany and seemed right at home in another favorite regular’s hangout, The Bisbee Breakfast Club.

We found Bisbee friendly.  Wandering into the “fiber guild,” housed in the basement of the YWCA, a group of weavers regularly congregate from their membership of 80!  There had to be at least 20 looms in the large room.  Some of the inventive and recycled fabrics used in the weaving include old jeans, sheets, and other worn out materials.  There were also some really gorgeous knitted hats, gloves and other items for sale, but, since we live in Arizona, our need for those are minimal.

We stayed overnight at the Copper Queen Hotel, a stately old reminder of how hotels used to be.  Service was courteous – rather old-fashioned these days, too, in these times of diffident service – and the rooms were definitely evocative of the early 1900s when the hotel was built to serve the upscale mine management.

A day or two in Bisbee to take the underground Copper Queen Mine Tour and shop, shop, shop were fun diversions.  The very unusual thing about Bisbee – I don’t remember a single chain store in the entire town!  (Finding a gas station was a bit of a challenge until a friendly local told us where to find the Circle K – possibly the only chain in town.)

So, if you’re looking for a unique, old-fashioned experience, join us next week while we explore the food, the mines, the shops and the experience of Bisbee, Arizona.

Whether we would even remember this out-of-the-way town in southeastern Arizona near the border of Mexico is debatable had it not been for one small incident, a mere few seconds, that has gone down in history.  Depending upon your perspective, it was either justice or murder, but, in either case, it put Tombstone, Arizona in the history books and in the movies.

A spectacularly brief gunfight near the O.K. Corral etched the names of Wyatt, Virgil and Morgan Earp, Doc Holliday, the Clantons and the McLaurys into a very strange place in history.  To this day, the question still is debated as to whether the Earps and Doc Holliday, who were cleared of all charges, actually committed murder or were just upholding the law.

Numerous movies have taken on the subject … Wyatt Earp, Tombstone, Gunfight at the O.K. Corral, and even the TV show, Star Trek. And in the best of Hollywood tradition, the production companies of the aforementioned never set foot in the real Tombstone to film a single scene.

The O.K. Corral

Today the O.K. Corral doesn’t look like much from the outside.  Actually, you can’t even see the place the gunfight took place unless you buy a ticket to watch the re-enactment inside an enclosed area.  (According to all accounts, the gunfight never took place there at all, but nearby.)

The infamous O.K. Corral

What is certain is that on October 26, 1881 the “good guys” and the “bad guys” (you choose which group is which) met at a narrow vacant lot in the vicinity of the stables and began shooting, culminating in a 30-second battle that spilled out into Fremont Street, which is now Arizona Highway 80.

One block to the south is Allen Street which is also paved, but is closed to traffic on the weekends.  Stagecoaches ramble down the street carrying tourists while re-enactors play out skits in the street.  For several blocks, the buildings have been reconstructed or preserved to an 1860s western town look.  At the opposite end of the three historic preservation blocks is the infamous Bird Cage Theatre.

As I walked out the door from the large gift shop at the O.K. Corral, I happened to run into the Billy Clanton re-enactor who wasn’t too happy that several of us were leaving the premises.

“What’s a matter, you don’t like gunfights?” He paused. “We’re gonna kill some people in a few minutes!”

With that, I decided to keep walking …

With the blaring exception of the Bank of America, shops and restaurants line the three historic blocks.

One of the quirkily-named saloons - Big Nose Kate's

Golden Eagle Brewery, 1879, Tombstone

Bird Cage Theatre

Although not always called the Bird Cage, it was a saloon, a theatre, a gambling hall, and a brothel.  Hours: 24 hours – 365 days a year.  This went on for eight years.

The poker room in the basement hosted such celebrities as Doc Holliday, Diamond Jim Brady, and Bat Masterson.  Just like Las Vegas, the game was open 24 hours a day.

Closed in 1889, it opened again in 1934 as a tourist attraction and has been until this day.

And, oh yes, the place is haunted!

The authentic Bird Cage Theatre

Boot Hill

As you enter Tombstone from the north on Arizona 80 you pass two motels on the right and almost immediately encounter Boot Hill cemetery on the left at the top of the hill.

Although donations are appreciated and there is a well-stocked gift shop, there is no admission charge to see the famous and infamous as they lie buried below some remarkable markers.  One of the more famous for its blunt portrayal of just what happened to the deceased is for Les Moore.

Les Moore, t'ain't no more

“Here lies Lester Moore – four slugs from a .44

No Les, No More”

Now that’s about as accurate as anyone could get for a memorial.  Good, bad or indifferent, at least we know what happened!

Of course, those who didn’t survive the OK Corral are also on hand along with about 300 others, some with no markers.

Although there are about 25 cemeteries named Boot Hill in the United States, this has become the most famous.

Tombstone is approximately 70 miles southeast of downtown Tucson on Arizona 80.

http://www.tombstonechamber.com/

http://www.ok-corral.com/

http://tombstonebirdcage.com/

Actually, Saguaro National Park is two parks – located about an hour away from each other.  Saguaro National Park West  (Tucson Mountain District) – and Saguaro National Park East – or the Rincon Mountain District offer two different views of cacti.

Of the two parks, we preferred the West version.  For sheer thrills just getting to the Saguaro Park West is a daredevil ride down the mountain, with curving, narrow roads and a fabulous view of mountains in the distance.  The driver, however, should be concentrating on the road.  It is that hairy a drive.

Once at Saguaro West, there is a modern visitor center and amenities (there is no food at this or the Saguaro National Park East.)  In the immediate area, they have spectacular views with saguaro and other Arizona flora and fauna on view.  Park Rangers give talks and there are exhibits on display.  One fascinating exhibit we saw was of a “boot” that is formed as a bird invades the saguaro.  In response to the bird, the saguaro forms a hard coating around the chamber, which can serve as a refuge for the birds.  When the cactus eventually dies, those “boots” have been picked up people.  Symbiosis at its finest! (Two living things working together.)

What’s a saguaro?

Saguaro

(pronounced – sah-wha-ro) It’s the image you see of Arizona – other than the Grand Canyon –that straight-looking cactus with arms reaching toward the sky. The large ones that you see are very old, as they only grow about an inch a year for the first eight years.  Typically, they live for as long as 125-200 years.  And, there are some interesting variations with rarer saguaro that have crests and curvy arms.

A hillside of saguaro - notice the one with arms waving

(Information courtesy of Saguaro National Park Web site. http://www.nps.gov/sagu/planyourvisit/upload/The%20Saguaro%20Cactus.pdf )

Flowers bloom, really showy, gorgeous white flowers, after about 35 years. As a custom, Native Americans removed the buds before they flowered and brewed them into a rich, intoxicating drink for their harvest feasts.

Saguaro on a slope

We have seen saguaro north of Phoenix and as far west as California.  They also grow in Mexico.  However, they do not grow everywhere.  So, a sight of them is exciting – especially a whole hillside of them.

Back to the Parks…

Given a full day and children with a good attention span, visiting Saguaro National Park West, Old Tucson Studios (in the vicinity and detailed on Monday, January 25) and Sonoran Desert Museum (also in the vicinity, but we won’t be discussing this right away) might be possible.  But, start early and expect to spend some time at each location.  Bring snacks, as only Old Tucson Studios and Sonoran Desert Museum have food.

Saguaro National Park East is an hour away from the Eastern version.  We found it to be flat and less interesting geographically, however you can see mountains in the distance.

Hiking trails are available at both locations.  Views are memorable. The visitors centers have exhibits and friendly National Park Rangers who will answer questions.

Saguaro National Park East and West –

Admission – $10 for a car-load of people.  The receipt you receive for your admission is good for a week at either of the two Saguaro National Parks, just show it to gain admission to the other park.

Saguaro silhouetted at sunset

The Parks open at 7 AM until sunset, but the visitor centers are only open from 9 AM until 5 PM. daily.  Especially in the summer, we recommend an early visit as it gets very hot by late morning!

There are picnic tables on a first come-first-serve basis.

http://www.nps.gov/sagu/index.htm