History – ON THE ROAD with Maria + Stephen

ATX: City Tour Series: 2025-2026

15/11/202515/11/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Architecture, Art, Art Museum, Cities, Coffee, Dining, Museum, Street Art and Murals, Texas, Travel

Despite having criss crossed Texas several times OTR had never managed to visit Austin (ATX). The initial reason was due to Covid 19 as we were forced to cancel a scheduled visit with friends in March 2020. So as we planned our City Tour Series for the autumn and spring of 2025/2026 we incorporated ATX as our second tour stop.The City Tour is not a road trip as we are accessing the cities via rail (see previous post) and air.

ATX is a fast growing technology center; the downtown skyline is now dominated by shimmering steel and glass high rise towers. It also appears that the architects and owners of every new building are utilizing spires, curves, cantilevers and lighting in an attempt to create the most unique and brilliant design.

Pictured directly below second from left is The Independent. At the time the building was completed in 2019 it was the tallest residential tower west of the Mississippi River. The building pictured directly below on the left is the Frost Bank Tower which was visible from the rooftop pool at the citizenM – spectacular in the evening when the spires were lit.

We arrived in the late afternoon after a direct flight from Boston. We made our way from the airport via Uber to the citizenM hotel (see previous post for our review of the brand). The hotel is located in the heart of downtown enabling us to walk to many of our destinations.

After freshening up we were quite ready for dinner and decided to start with barbecue – “fancy barbecue” – at Lamberts Downtown Barbecue. Lamberts is located in the 2nd Street District (a short walk from the hotel) in a handsome brick building constructed in 1873. The building was originally a dry goods store (The Schneider Store) which operated in the building until 1935.

**Wild Boar Ribs | Lamberts Downtown Barbecue | Austin**

We had a delightful meal – the wild boar ribs pictured above were outrageously delicious – flavored with honey and sambal! We spoke to several life long Austinites and all concurred that Lamberts is the best barbecue in town. Check ! We do not know if it is the best, but we highly recommend Lamberts.

We started our first full day in ATX with breakfast and coffee/tea at the CanteenM in the hotel. After breakfast we departed for an ambitious first day of exploration.

Our first stop was at the Mexic- Arte Museum. This museum features a small permanent collection supplemented by changing exhibitions. The Dia de los Muertos is a prominent theme. The two murals below are part of the museum’s rotating mural program. The murals are located on the outside 5th Street wall of the museum.

From the Mexic-Arte we walked north on Congress Avenue to the grounds of the state capitol. During our walk to the capitol building we found this lovely mural. The mural is painted on the south wall of the Old Bakery & Emporium. Information about the mural and the history of the building are contained in the link above.

**Mural | Generational Ties | Artist | Ruben Esquivel**

The photo of the mural below is the design we created for our upcoming Street Art Tourist book featuring mural photographs from ATX.

**Old Bakery & Emporium (photo courtesy of austintexas.gov)**

The Texas State Capitol is open to the public, and volunteers lead guided tours several times each day. After clearing security we took the forty minute tour. Our guide was originally from Rhode Island but all in on his adopted state! He was humorous and knowledgable about the history of the capitol, the operation of the state government and the history of Texas. An article containing a brief history of the building (opened May 1888) is included in this link to Authentic Texas Magazine.

As we all know everything is bigger in Texas, our guide let us know right up front that the Texas State Capitol is 15 feet taller than the U.S. Capitol. It is also the largest state capitol based on square footage and the tallest. The dome pictured below rises 300 feet from the floor making it about 100 feet taller than the Statue of Liberty. It is actually an impressive structure.

We think the state capitol is a worthwhile visit for the architecture alone. The history included in the tour is also interesting albeit the state’s subjugation of Native Americans and its slave economy were glossed over quickly. Remember, real Texans love Texas!

We decided to spend the afternoon exploring the South Congress (SoCo) area. However, before we headed across the Colorado River to SoCo we were in need of more coffee and tea and possibly a pastry or two. Houndstooth Coffee was perfectly placed on Congress just a short distance north of the bridge crossing the river. Thank you, Houndstooth.

**Colorado River | Lady Bird Lake |Austin, Texas**

SoCo has been hipster central for the locals in ATX for several years. There are many eclectic shops, restaurants, bars, street vendors and street murals. However, having said that you can see that it is definitely becoming more touristy (guilty as charged) but not giving up on its Keep Austin Weird reputation.

After poking around the neighborhood, browsing in several of the shops and capturing some mural pics, we adjourned for lunch. We did our best to stay with the hipster flow and dined at Joann’s Fine Foods which is part of the Austin Motel. Joann’s serves what the owner describes as Tex Mex Diner fare. We had a delicious lunch and enjoyed the retro decor.

We walked off our lunch literally by trekking from SoCo over to E. Cesar Chavez St. to find the mural of Selena Quintanilla-Perez. Selena was known as the Queen of Tejano Music. Tragically, she died at the age of 23.

We also consumed more coffee at Flat Track Coffee. The Selena mural just happens to be painted on the side wall of the building where Flat Track Coffee and Dogspeed Cycles are co-located. Yes – that is awesome!

From Flat Track we walked to our last stop of the day. No-we are not having a brain scan in ATX. Yes, we are being fitted for a hat at Trovador.

On Friday we took an Uber north to the Hyde Park neighborhood for fika at Terrible Love Coffee. The shop has outdoor seating only which was a tad disappointing, but we secured a shady picnic table. More importantly, our beverages were first rate! Also, if you decide to visit the shop it can be hard to find as it is located in the old boiler room of a former school complex. The retrofitted building is, however a step up as the owner originally operated out of an old horse trailer! A nice article about the owner’s journey by The Austin Chronicle is embedded in the link.

The renowned Blanton Art Museum (University of Texas) was the next target of our curious minds and needed for its air conditioning!

The Blanton has almost 100,000 square feet of gallery space so we picked our spots in regard to which collections and galleries to view. It is a recommended visit for any fine art fan. The photos below are some of the paintings we found most interesting.

**Jerry Bywaters |*Oil Field Girls* | 1940 | Oil on Board**

**Yasuo Kuniyoshi | *Waitresses from the Sparhawk* | 1924-25 | Oil on Canvas**

After concluding our visit at the museum we found ourselves hankering for another taste of barbecue. As the day was particularly hot we opted to get a ride from the museum to the Original Blacks Barbecue (Since 1932). Adding to the excitement of more barbecue was the arrival of our vehicle – an autonomous Waymo Jaguar!

After our late and tasty lunch we retreated to the hotel for a lie down and a quiet evening at the pool with cocktails from the roof top bar.

After enjoying a relaxing evening by the pool we decided that a day by the pool would be quite nice (after returning from coffee, of course). We summoned an Uber to convey us to the Houndstooth Coffee cafe located in the East Austin neighborhood of Chestnut.

After a restful afternoon by the pool we strolled down to Republic Square for dinner. We were ready for a break from barbecue and Tex-Mex and figured the highly rated Wu Chow would make for a distinctly different experience. We highly recommend Wu Chow.

Day five – first stop Houndstooth Coffee at the downtown location followed by a visit to The ContemporAry. The ContemporAry is very much what you might infer from an art museum with this name. It is a smallish museum that has a schedule of changing exhibitions. We recommend checking their website to see what exhibitions are currently on display before visiting. There were two artists on display as part of an exhibition titled The Canvas Can Do Miracles that we particularly enjoyed.

**Hayal Pozanti | *This Sudden Smiling | 2024 |* Oil Stick on Linen**

**Hayal Pozanti | *Veil Between Worlds* | 2023 | Oil Stick on Linen**

**Ragna Bley | *Antarctica | 2024 |* Acrylic and Oil on Linen**

**Ragna Bley | *Inter-Waver |* 2016 | Acrylic on Canvas**

***Congress Avenue Viewed from the ContemporAry Roof***

We had not taken in any live music in a city full of live music, so we decided that it was more than past time to catch some live sets. The Elephant Room was just around the corner from the hotel and had a full evening of jazz on tap. The Elephant Room is a classic basement jazz club and since it was Sunday evening the cover was only five dollars and there was no minimum drink requirement. Oh baby, who is better than us!

We took in several sets by the Chris Jones Quartet. Chris Jones is a well known bassist in the ATX area. The quartet played a number of songs composed and arranged by Chris. An excellent start to the musical portion of the ATX City Tour.

We had been crossing back and forth across Lady Bird Lake during our wanderings but not gotten down to the lake. Retro Boats ATX provided us with an easy and enjoyable way to get on the water and get a great view of the waterfront skyline. Kayak rentals are available but it was just too dang hot – if we are honest. Retro Boats rents vintage speedboats for cruising on the lake. We felt compelled to rent the 1973 Glastron GT-150, which is the same model that was used in the Bond flick “Live and Let Die”. We were not able to get airborne with the boat as Bond did in the film but we are after all not Bond – James Bond!

Ward | Steve Ward | Video

After our voyage on the lake we stopped for lunch at Jo’s and then meandered back to the citizenM for pool time and cocktail sipping. Finito!

When we planned our tour of ATX, we were not locked in on visiting the LBJ Presidential Library and Museum. However, some friends that had visited the library last year thought it was worthwhile.

The five years in which LBJ was president were tumultuous times. The Vietnam War and the Civil Rights Movement were in full swing. The museum provided an historic timeline that brought back many memories from our young adult years.

It was also eye opening to realize how much legislation LBJ was able get passed related to ensuring civil rights, reducing poverty and protecting the environment. It also became apparent how LBJ agonized about our involvement in Vietnam. If you are a history fan, the LJB Presidential Library is recommended by OTR.

After learning a lot about LBJ we were, of course, in need of coffee and tea. We visited Merit Coffee on North Lamar and then went downtown to 6th St (Dirty 6th) for some mural hunting before retiring to the hotel to freshen up for an early dinner at Jeffrey’s.

Jeffrey’s is considered by most everyone (in ATX) as the best place to dine on steak in ATX. The restaurant was opened in 1975 and is still in top form 50 years later. The only reservation we were able to obtain during our entire stay was a 1730 slot on 7 October!

The steaks are dry aged for 32 days and grilled over live oak before going into the 1200 degree broiler. Our sommelier, lead server and support team were all quite professional, knowledgable and friendly (without being overly solicitous). We highly recommend dining at Jeffrey’s when in ATX (book in advance).

The next morning we were definitely in need of burning some calories so we walked to the Seaholm District in southwest ATX. First stop – Merit Coffee’s Seaholm Cafe. The Seaholm District was previously an industrial area that has been repurposed into a mixed use urban neighborhood.

After fika we walked a bit further west to take in the Be Well murals on South Lamar Boulevard and then circled back around to visit the Central Library and view the interesting architecture in the area.

The photos below were edited from the murals above for inclusion in Street Art Tourist, Volume Nine.

The Austin Central Public Library was built in 2018. The building is situated above Lady Bird Lake and provides views of the lake and city skyline.

***Austin Central Library (Photo Courtesy of Guide to Austin Architecture)***

The open design of the Central Library creates a dramatic space and bathes much of the library in natural light. The library also boasts a rooftop garden and reading stations. Impressive!

Pictured in the photos below is the United States Courthouse. When was the last time you saw a limestone art deco U.S. Courthouse? This structure works beautifully in ATX.

Pictured below is The Independent, a luxury residential tower. The tower is know locally as the jenga tower.

Viewing architecture is inevitably a prelude to lunch. Walton’s Fancy and Staple was close by on Sixth Street so we popped in for a hearty lunch. Walton’s has been operating in ATX since 1969.

After our luncheon break we strolled back to the hotel to relax and recharge for another evening of jazz . We had made reservations at the Parker Jazz Club. The Parker, like the Elephant Room, is also a basement club but a bit more upscale in regard to the club decor and service. Saxophonist Woody Witt was the featured artist on the evening of our visit.

Woody was touring in support of his new CD (Awakening) recorded in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The quartet backing him on the tour were the same Brazilian musicians that recorded the CD with him. The quintet performed two 45 minute sets featuring a number of compositions from the new CD. An excellent night of jazz at the Parker!

Thursday – Day Nine: our last full day in ATX. We opted to spend the morning back in SoCo to hunt for more street art and try the coffee and tea at La La Land Kind Cafe. The cafe is part of a growing chain that is associated with the La La Land Foundation. The Foundation sponsors young people between the ages of 17 and 25 who are in or transitioning from foster care with training and paid internships in their cafes. Quite lovely on all counts.

After our fika break at La La Land we walked to the Bouldin Creek neighborhood, which is home to Sightseer Coffee and Sugar Mama’s Bake Shop. The building is also a mural destination with several murals by Eleanor Niz @Elenizzle. Solid!

We made our way back to the CitizenM after a fun and productive day exploring the SoCo and Bouldin Creek neighborhoods. After a brief siesta we set out for dinner and another evening of live jazz.

Taqueria de Diez also known by Austinites as D/10 opened in 2024. This tacqueria has a distinctively Mexican menu as opposed to Tex-Mex. We had a hard time finding the restaurant as the door is in an alley with just a small sign – but don’t give up – it is absolutely worth the effort. Muy delicioso! Thank you to Jeffrey at the citizenM for the tip.

Nica on 4th is a new jazz club and cocktail bar (opened 18 September) with jazz nightly from 1800 until 0100. This was the most elegant of the three jazz clubs we visited and is next door to the Parker Jazz Club. We sampled some of their craft cocktails while enjoying three sets of jazz. The first quartet of the evening consisted of one University of North Texas (UTN) alumna and three current students. UNT has a reputation as one the best collegiate jazz programs in the United States. UNT sponsored a jazz band back in the 1940s which grew into the first college degree program for jazz.

We had a great time in ATX. The city is a lively mix of big city activities and small town friendliness and accessibility. How much time you might want spend here is as always a function of your interests and energy level. The city offers a multitude of opportunities for great dining, live music, fine art, street art, interesting architecture, excellent specialty coffee as well as plenty of recreational options.

That is a wrap on our ATX City Tour. Next up is Miami in January 2026 as part of our City Tour Series.

Be seeing you!

Riding the Rails | Washington DC

08/10/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Travel

Day One: As OTR considered some shorter trips for this fall we realized that we had not visited Washington DC since our sons were just youngsters. We also thought that it would be fun to try the Amtrak NextGen Acela in lieu of driving or flying.

We boarded the Acela at Union Station in New Haven for the approximately five hour journey to Union Station in Washington DC. While the Acela is billed as high speed it can attain high speeds for just two short stretches along the crowded Northeast corridor. We could have driven in under six hours but we avoid the I95 corridor like the plague. We booked in business class which is not inexpensive but it was quite pleasant to just sit back and relax.

This was our first stay at a citizenM hotel. The company is based in the Netherlands and has 17 boutique hotels scattered around the globe. We were drawn by the proximity of the hotel to the National Mall area and The Wharf District and the very reasonable room rates.

In addition to the location, we enjoyed the very convenient (and tasty) breakfast buffet (legit specialty coffee as well) in the morning as well the roof top bar which serves excellent cocktails and affords wonderful views.

The one drawback for some guests would be the small size of the rooms. One of the ways that citizenM keeps their rates lower than other hotels in central areas is that every room is identical. We are not bothered with a smallish room (the bed is quite comfortable). Additionally, we enjoyed the tech approach that utilizes a bedside iPad to control climate, lights, curtains and media.

We recommend the citizenM for travelers looking for a casual but friendly experience, and wish to be within walking distance of many of the central attractions (and who are, of course, okay with smaller rooms).

We walked the short distance (under ten minutes) from the hotel to the Wharf District for our first evening’s dinner in the nation’s capital. The Wharf sits along the Potomac River which provides a lovely setting for outdoor dining. With the weather so delightful throughout our stay and so close to the hotel we found ourselves back at the Wharf each evening for cocktails and dinner at one of the many excellent restaurants along the promenade and river.

Since we were on the waterfront, we felt it was appropriate to begin our dining journey enjoying local sea food at Hank’s Oyster Bar. We were not disappointed – the local oysters were quite tasty. We heartily recommend the Wharf location for fresh seafood, excellent cocktails and the outdoor dining. Hank’s operates three locations in the area. This location at the Wharf is the newest having opened in 2017.

***The Wharf (Photo courtesy of The Wharf)***

Day Two: We were fortunate to have terrific weather for our stay , allowing us to view the city by foot during our forays from the citizenM.

The National Museum of African American History (NMAAH) was our first museum visit of the trip. This was also our first visit to the NMAAH, which opened in 2016.

***National Museum of African American History & Culture (Photo courtesy of NMAAHC)***

The building’s design is quite distinctive and reflects many architectural elements from Africa. The museum is much larger than one might anticipate from the exterior as it extends three stories below ground where the history galleries are located.

We started at the lowest level of the museum (Slavery and Freedom) which chronicles the years between 1400 and 1877. The next level up covered the period between 1876 and 1968 (The Era of Segregation). The final level within the history galleries is devoted to 1968 and beyond (A Changing America).

We have previously visited a number of museums which chronicle the history of slavery, racism and the civil rights movement in the United States (Birmingham Civil Rights Museum, Rosa Parks Museum, Legacy Museum). We found the distinguishng feature of the NMAAH to be the keen focus on the many countributions made by African Americans to the development of the United States even as they lived and died as enslaved individuals. African Americans served in the Continental Army under George Washington and the Union Army during the Civil War making substantial contributions to the outcomes.

***John Hope Franklin Contemplative Court***

We spent a full four hours exploring the museum. The floors above ground have a number of community and art galleries. The photos and curators notes below are some of the art we found interesting. We think that the NMAAH is an essential part of a Washigton visit if you have not been previously.

After our museum visit we ventured north to the Union Market District in the NoMa (North of Massachusetts Avenue) neighborhood. After re-charging with a stop at Blue Bottle Coffee we toured the neighborhood. The area has served as a food market dating back to the 1870s. Today it is in the midst of a large scale gentrification although there are still a number of food wholesalers operating in the neighborhood.

After expolring the market area we went back to the citizenM to freshen up and then set out to the Wharf for dinner at the Pink Tiger. We dined al fresco, enjoying another beautiful evening and the Tiger’s Asian fusion offerings.

Day Three: The International Spy Museum was our first agenda item of the day. The museum is an independent non-profit organization which first opened in 2002. The current facility opened in 2019.

***International Spy Museum, L’Enfant, Washington DC***

The current edition of the museum is very much oriented to the use of technology and gaming – visitors can can adopt a secret code name and pursue an undercover mission as part of the tour of the museum. This museum was about a 90 minute visit for us. Fun and easy.

After successfully completing our undercover missions at the spy museum we journeyed north to the Adams Morgan neighborhood for fika at Tryst DC | Coffee House & Bar. Tryst is a fixture of the neighborhood having opened in 1998.

After our caffiene refueling mission was completed, we walked through the neighborhood taking in the colorful row houses and interesting shops. We decided to grab some additional steps by walking back to the hotel via the White House. There was not much happening outside the White House grounds other than a protest – does four people qualify as a protest? As our assistance in safeguarding the White House was not required we took the obligatory selfie and returned to the hotel for our pre -dinner lie down.

Day Four: We filed our flight plan to the Smithsonian Air and Space Museum. After our short flight and on time arrival we spent several hours exploring the museum. The Washington location houses mostly commercial and experimental aircraft with the exception of the WW 1 gallery. We were also treated to an enhanced version of the IMAX movie following the Blue Angel team from winter training through to the end of the show season. As we are aviation fans the Air and Space will always be considered an essential stop during any visit to Washington.

After earning our wings at the Air and Space we spent the afternoon at the National Art Gallery East. We visited exhibits of paintings by Modigliani, Braque, Picasso and a quick pass through the Rothko gallery (for Chris).

***Amedeo Modigliani (1884- 1920) Madame Amedee (Woman with Cigarette)***

***Capitol from Terrace, National Gallery of Art East***

We closed out Day Four enjoying a cocktail on the rooftop and the spectacular view of the Capitol and a Blood Moon.

Day Five: Since our train was departing mid afternoon we put the morning to use visiting the NGA Sculpture garden, followed by a visit to St. Dominic Catholic Church.

St. Dominic Catholic Church is under the guidance of the Order of Preachers (Dominicans). While the church was established in 1852, the land was owned by Catholic families as early as 1735.

After touring the church we returned to the citizenM to grab our luggage and head to Union Station for our return trip via the Amtrak Acella.

Be seeing you!

P.S. We observed regular patrols of National Guard soldiers in the tourist areas of downtown and en masse at Union Station. We did not observe any soldiers while we were exploring neighborhoods. The Trump posters pictured above are prominently and frequently on display outside of the downtown area of the city.

Arizona: Superior to Duncan-Copper, Cotton, Breathtaking Views and Western Hospitality

22/05/202522/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in Adventure Van Travel, Camping, Coffee, Copper Mining, The American West, Travel

***Picketpost Mountain, Route 60, Kearny, Arizona (4377′)***

This segment of our adventure took us from the Phoenix area across the Sonoran Desert towards the New Mexico border. We headed out toward Superior through a visually jarring landscape, although we were traveling just 65 miles east of Phoenix. We passed through a string of mining towns with their unearthly landscapes, the desolate San Carlos Reservation, the riparian Gila River Valley, the Pinal Mountains and finally, the most impressive Pinaleno Mountains.

SUPERIOR(FOUNDED 1882, POP. 2571, ELEV. 2,888′)

The town of Superior was the first of the mining or former mining towns on this trek. The town was formed in 1875 with the discovery of rich veins of silver resulting in the creation of the Silver King Mine. The silver market crashed within several years, but fortunately for the town folks, copper was discovered and the boom was on again. The Magma Copper Company operated from 1914 to 1996. Back to the bust portion of the program.

Today, the town with its proximity to Phoenix, beautiful scenery, bountiful hiking, rock climbing opportunities and the botanical garden is in the process of becoming discovered.

We stopped in Superior at the Circle K for fuel and firewood before heading up through the Queen Creek Canyon to look for a camping spot in the Oak Flat Recreation Area a few miles east of Superior.

The following morning we drove back down through the spectacular Queen Creek Canyon into Superior. First order of business, as always, was coffee and tea. Bellas Cafe appeared as if on cue immediately after we turned the corner on to Main Street. One of the employees we met is a musician and he and his band have played many venues in New Haven.

We fueled up and then wandered around town for a bit. Main Street and the two side streets are not yet entirely occupied, but enough so that town is lively with shops, restaurants, saloons and even a wine bar!

We met one of the artists of the mural below, he owns the building with the courtyard pictured below. He has moved to Superior from Los Angeles and is converting the building (formerly a bar/restaurant) to an art gallery. Bring on the tourists!

BOYCE THOMPSON ARBORETUM (BTA)

After exploring Superior we drove east a couple of miles to visit the BTA. The BTA was founded by Colonel William Boyce Thompson. The Colonel was at the time the owner of the Magma Copper Company in Superior and had built a winter home there in the early 1920’s, Picket Post House. In 1924, Boyce Thompson built the arboretum on 400 acres around Picket Post House. He was an interesting character (click on the link above to read more about Colonel Boyce as well as the BTA).

The BTA covers 372 acres with collections of desert plants from around the world. The collections from diverse desert locations provided us with the opportunity to see desert plants not naturally found in the United States-quite interesting. The arboretum also has five miles of hiking trails which gave us the opportunity to hike up a trail which provided views of the canyon and surrounding mountains. If you ever find yourself in Superior we recommend a visit to the BTA (not so much in the summer). After we finished our visit at BTA we stopped back in Superior for lunch at the Silver King Smokehouse and Saloon.

MIAMI(FOUNDED 1876, POP. 1528, ELEV. 3402′)

From Superior we continued east on U.S. Highway 60 which is still intact in Arizona ( Highway 60 at one point ran from Los Angeles, California to Virginia Beach, Virginia) with a plan to find camping east of Globe in the Pinal Mountains.

***Miami Copper Mine and Town of Miami, Arizona***
***(Photos above and below courtesy of Arizona Memory Project)***

We were not planning on stopping in Miami (this link has an excellent photo gallery of Miami and the smelter) but we were dumbfounded by the size of the mining operations and how the town itself is jammed onto the hills at the base of the mine and across the other side of U.S. 60. So, we found ourselves driving back and forth through town to take in the (to us) surreal scenery. This mine is one of five open pit copper mines in Arizona operated by Freeport-McMoRan (more on that later).

GLOBE(FOUNDED 1876, POP. 7179, ELEV. 3510′)

Globe is one of the communities along our route east which is in the category of former mining towns. The Old Dominion Mining Company produced copper here for 50 years. The mine had weathered a violent strike in 1917 and reopened in 1919 but only lasted another twelve years as the mine was in poor repair and the shafts were filling with water.

After a slow cruise through downtown Globe (and finding nothing open) we navigated to FR 112 to find a camping spot in the Pinal Mountains.

FR 112, Pinal Mountains, Globe, Arizona

Since we could see that Pinal Peak (7800′) was still covered in snow, we had no illusions that we would make it all the way to the peak. We had pulled off into a layby as the road is a single lane and there was a vehicle coming down (downhill has right of way). He reported through the open passenger window of his mud spattered pickup that conditions at the top were too muddy for our tires We took his word at face value and camped in the layby. No fools, us!

We awoke to a beautiful morning and began the trek back down the mountain to travel east to the town of Safford. If you watch the video below to the end you will see a herd of Javalina crossing the road.

Once we reached pavement we followed Highway 70 east through the San Carlos Reservation and then traveled along the Gila River to Safford.

SAN CARLOS RESERVATION (FOUNDED 1871, POP. 10,000′)

The San Carlos Reservation was established in 1871 and is home to the San Carlos Apache Tribe. The original inhabitants of the reservation were the Chiricahua Apache tribe; they were joined by members of other tribes soon after. The federal government closed the Camp Verde Reservation in 1875 and force marched the Yavapai 180 miles to the San Carlos Reservation. Of the 1400 marched to San Carlos, 375 died en route to their new “home”. Over time the reservation became a consolidation point for a number of different Apache speaking tribes. To make room for the new residents the federal government thoughtfully transported the original Chiricahua Apaches to Florida in 1886.

***Apaches Waiting for Rations at San Carlos Reservation (Photos above and below courtesy of Arizona Memory Project)***

Today approximately 10,000 of 16,000 tribal members live on the reservation. The reservation was federally recognized in 1934 and encompasses 1.8 million acres (3000 sq. miles). About thirty percent of the members live in San Carlos and the remainder in several other tiny settlements along Highway 70.

Economically, the San Carlos members seem to be worse off than many other reservations. There is, of course, a casino (two in fact) but beyond that there is little industry other than revenue generated from recreation and wildlife permits and a handful of small Peridot mines (open to tribal members only). 49% of the population lives below the poverty line and 36% of working age members are unemployed.

safford(pop. 10,700, elev. 2920′)

Safford was by far the biggest town by population on our route, with almost 11,000 people. The portion of Highway 70 in Safford is lined with the usual “civi town” suspects – fast food chains, Walmart, Home Depot, etc. Fortunately, one block off of the 70, Main Street is intact with local retailers, restaurants and, most importantly, coffee (Ginaveve’s). During our walk around town we also happened upon the local insurance agency, where the big red umbrella is prominently on display.

Agriculture is the primary industry in Safford. The main crop is cotton, which was introduced into the area by Mormon settlers during the 1870s. You are probably familiar with Pima cotton which comes from the fertile soil in the Gila Valley. Latter Day Saints remain influential in the area – about one third of the population is LDS.

From an employment standpoint, many of the residents work in the two mines north of town; the nearby state and federal prisons are also significant employers.

The main attraction for us in stopping in Safford was the opportunity to drive the Swift Trail which winds up over 7000 feet through the Pinaleno Mountains to Mount Graham (10,696′). The trail is paved for the first 22 miles and dirt the final 13 miles.

***Swift Trail, Coronado National Forest, Safford Arizona***

Climbing Swift Trail

The upper elevations of the Pinaleno Mountains are heavily pine forested. So, when Mormon farmers arrived in the late 1800, the trail was built as a wagon route for lumber needed by the farmers and later for the mining operations that were opened in the early 1900s.

The views were as breathtaking as advertised! The drive itself was fun as we navigated the seemingly unending switchbacks that lead around the mountains and eventually up to the top. Once at the top we could see why the Western Apache considered Mount Graham (Dzil Nchaa Si’an) a sacred place. As is often the case, the Native Americans were removed and placed on reservations so that our extraction of natural resources could continue unabated. Fortunately, for all of us, this land is now protected as part of the Coronado National Forest.

***Sulphur Springs Valley – Winchester Mountains***

Descending Swift Trail

After descending the trail we camped at the base, which afforded us an evening soaking in panoramic views of the snowcapped mountain range – mesmerizing – nature never disappoints!

In the morning we grabbed coffee and tea at Ginaveve’s and set out to hike along the Gila River within the Gila Box Riparian National Conservation Area. The Gila is a 649 mile long tributary of the Colorado and flows all year through the section within the conversation area creating this green strip through the desert. Below this area the Gila and its tributaries are damed several times. By the time the river reaches the Phoenix area it is usually just a dry wash.

After hiking along several sections of the Gila, we returned to the Beast and made our way back to Highway 70 (The Old West Highway) to make the short drive east to Duncan. The Gila River loops north from where we hiked but we rejoined the river in Duncan. Duncan sits within the Duncan Valley and is another agricultural hub in an otherwise barren land. Duncan, like Safford, is a cotton producer. Cattle ranching and copper mining (about 40 miles north is the largest open pit copper mine in North America) are also found in and around Duncan-three of the Five Cs of Arizona – Copper, Cotton and Cattle – the other two being climate and citrus.

DUNCAn(FOUNDED 1883, POP. 879, elev. 3400′)

We had read about the Simpson Hotel and it sounded charming (it is – subject to liking cats- which we do) and the location in Duncan was perfect for kicking off our final segment in Arizona (Coronado Trail Scenic Road). The link to the hotel website (above) is a treasure trove of interesting information and worth a look.

The original hotel opened in 1914 as the Hotel Hobbs. Subsequently, the property was owned and operated by several different families. The current innkeepers, Clayton Jarvis and Deborah Mendelsohn began renovations in January of 2006 and opened in May of 2007 after 18 months of demolition and renovation. Deborah and Clayton are wonderful hosts adding to the charm of this classic territorial building’s exterior and art gallery interior. Clayton is an accomplished artist and has a studio in the courtyard behind the hotel. We completed our stay with a pizza pie to go from Humble Pie which conveniently sits about 200 feet up Main Street from the Simpson.

This is our post covering the Superior to Duncan segment of OTR 11.0, our penultimate segment in Arizona. We hope you found it interesting.

Be seeing you!

Apache Trail to Mogollon Rim-Desert to Pine Forests

05/05/202507/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Adventure Van Travel, Architecture, Camping, Coffee, Scenic Drive, Travel

The Apache Trail begins in Apache Junction, Arizona on the eastern edge of Phoenix and winds northeastward to the Roosevelt Dam. The trail begins as a two lane paved highway (SR 88) and becomes dirt at mile 22 (which is when the fun begins)! The scenery along the route is legendary and with good reason. This byway takes you up and over peaks and down deep into canyons providing massively gorgeous views of the Superstition Mountains and two lakes along the way.

Our first stop was at Canyon Lake, one of four reservoirs created by damming the once mighty Salt River. The Mormon Lake Dam was completed in 1925 and was the third lake to be created by damming the river. It is the smallest of the lakes at 950 acres. The average depth of Canyon Lake is 130 feet (no kayaking for us – we prefer knee deep). All of the reservoirs created by the Salt River Project are recreational – allowing boating, water sports and fishing.

***Mormon Flat Bridge (built 1924), SR88, Willow Creek***

At pavement’s end, we began the exciting drive down to the Fish Creek Canyon bottom. It is incredible to think that this was once a stagecoach route (we saw several sites where cars went over the side – maybe the stagecoach was actually safer)! We have included two videos below to provide a sense of the drive down.

After following the Lewis and Pranty Creek for several miles, the road angles in a more northerly direction and we began to climb out of the canyon and got our first views of Apache Lake.

Apache Lake is the second largest of the four lakes created by damming. The lake was created by the completion of the Horse Mesa Dam. The dam (660 foot long and 300 feet high) is a hydroelectric generating station capable of producing 129 megawatts of electricity. The energy from here helps power the Phoenix metropolitan area.

***Downstream View – Horse Mesa Dam*** ***(Photo courtesy of Mark Durben)***

The final dam along the Apache Trail is the Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam named after (two guesses only please) a former president. The original dam was completed in 1911, after six years of construction. While it also generates electricity (since the 1996 modernization) it’s primary purpose was to contain water for irrigation in what was arid desert.

Theodore Roosevelt Lake Dam

The dam created the largest lake in Arizona. The resulting lake is over 20 miles long and can store as much as 2.9 million acre-feet of water (one acre foot of water equals 325,000 gallons). We didn’t do the math but we are pretty sure it is a lot of water!

The Theodore Roosevelt (that name again) Bridge is a beauty. The bridge was completed in 1990. The bridge is the longest single span bridge in North America at 1080 feet. Before the bridge was completed, the only way north was to drive over the dam (sorry we missed that experience).

***Theodore Roosevelt Lake – Sierra Ancha*** ***Mountains***

After crossing the bridge we followed the western shore of the lake north on SR 188. We found a lovely spot to camp on the beach and enjoyed a cool but beautiful evening. Our site allowed a panoramic view of the Sierra Ancha across the lake to our east and the snow capped Mazatzal Mountains to our west. Quite spectacular, if we’re honest!

In the morning we broke camp and traveled further north looking for coffee before venturing up to the Mogollon Rim. Along the way we drove through our favorite named community of this trip – Punkin Center – which is one of a handful of census designated places in the Tonto Basin. We couldn’t find a population statistic anywhere or any obvious reason for it’s existence, but how can you not like a place called Punkin Center where the main attraction is the bar!

***Punkin Center Bar, Punkin Center, Arizona***

We found coffee at Common Grounds in Payson. Our barista and her younger brother requested a tour of the Beast and while we were chatting provided us with a number of hiking opportunities nearby. Thank you!

Payson (population 16,000) was founded by gold miners in the early 1880s, but it is timber and cattle that sustained this area. During prohibition the town’s extremely remote location fostered the manufacture of moonshine with 30-40 stills scattered around the area. The moonshine from Payson was known as “Payson Dew“.

***(Photo courtesy of Northern Gila County Historical Society)***

Payson sits at an elevation of 5,000 feet and offers a multitude of recreational opportunities in the surrounding Tonto National Forest, making it a popular spot for Phoenicians during the summer months.

In addition to a coffee stop, Payson was our starting point for accessing the Mogollon (mug-e-YOHN) Rim which forms the southern edge of the massive Colorado Plateau.

Our timing in exploring central and northern Arizona was once again accompanied by a snow storm in the mountains. Mother Nature obviously didn’t get the memo that we were coming! After checking with the Forest Service and confirming that the Rim Road was open albeit a bit muddy, we fired up the Beast.

The Mogollon Rim (MR) is 200 miles long, extending from Flagstaff to the New Mexico border.The elevation ranges between 7000 and 8000 feet above sea level. The MR is an escarpment which delineates the pine forests and the Sonoran Desert to the south. It was fascinating to see how the landscape changed so rapidly as we climbed from the desert floor into higher elevation – desert vegetation to pine forests in just a matter of a couple thousand feet of elevation gain.

We spent the afternoon taking in the views from the MR and eventually turned around to begin our descent. As often happens after an afternoon of taking in beautiful views and scenery we found ourselves feeling a bit peckish. We stopped at That Brewery in Pine for a late lunch/early dinner or what we call it when we are on the road – a lundin.

After our delish burgers and cocktails we got on the road southward and began to look for a camping spot between Pine and Phoenix. Our ride was interrupted by an Arizona State Trooper who claimed we did not have a license plate. We do, of course, have a license plate – the trooper just did not know where to look on the van. Okay, our bad, our firewood bag had shifted downward and obscured the plate. After a friendly verbal and written warning (and rehanging the bag) we were again on our way south.

***Log Corral Canyon***, ***Tonto National Forest***

We found a secluded spot to camp not to far off our route south to Phoenix. One of the delightful parts of traveling in the west is that there are almost endless opportunities for secluded and scenic camping that require no fees or reservations. As an example, the Log Corral Canyon where we camped that evening is within the Tonto National Forest which stretches from the MR to the Sonoran Desert (2.9 million acres).

In the morning we returned to Phoenix for two nights and some additional bike riding (and excellent coffee at Peixeto (pay-shay-tow).

After our second stay in Phoenix we again set out for northern Arizona. Our first stop was the town of Prescott (press-kit). We had never visited but had read many wonderful reviews of the town and a number of Arizonians we met during this trip had also highly recommended we go.

Our secondary motivation for visiting Prescott was to stay at the Hassayampa Inn. The inn opened in 1927 to provide lodging for the growing number of tourists who had discovered the charms of this former mining and logging town. The inn was designed by our favorite hotel architect Henry Trost. The bottom right photo shows the original and still operational elevator.

By the time we arrived at the hotel it was snowing ( Prescott elevation 5300 feet). We were tucked in nice and cosy at the inn, so a bit of snow was not a concern for us as we had booked two nights. Excellent restaurant, outstanding cocktails in front of the fireplace in the beautiful Trost lobby and fantastic coffee a short walk down the street. Yippee Ki Aye!

***Merchant Coffee, Prescott, Arizona***

However, our plans to continue north hit a snag when we learned the road north was closed due the weather and that Sedona and Flagstaff were a mess. Flagstaff had received over 20 inches of snow and the temperatures were remaining bitterly cold. Not why we had come to Arizona! Once again, time to revise our itinerary – ah, life on the road.

Realizing that exiting Arizona to the north was not meant to be, we decided to head to Southeastern Arizona where the forecasted weather looked delightful (see photo below).

***Pickpocket Mountain, Route 60, Kearny, Arizona***

Be seeing you!

Ts-iuk-shan

12/04/202512/04/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Adventure Van Travel, Art, Bike Trails, Scenic Drive, Street Art and Murals, The American West, Travel

***La Guitarrista by IGNACIO, Rialto Theater, Downtown Tucson***

From the Tumacacori Mission we made the hour drive to Tucson – first stop Presta Coffee – excellent Cortados! Always fun to return to one of your favorites!

Tucson’s origins date back to the 1770s when the Spanish built a presidio here to stop the westward movement of the French from the Gulf of Mexico (yes-Mexico!). At that time Tucson was the northern frontier of New Spain and there was a well- established line of missions throughout the area dating back to the early 1700s and the work of Padre Kino and the Jesuits ( see previous post: Tumacacori National Historical Park).

Hotel Mccoy

A s we have accumulated more time on the road we have come to appreciate smaller and more unique hotel accommodations when we are not camping in the Beast.

The Hotel McCoy in Tucson (there are three in total – the other locations are in Texas and Washington) is a renovated mid-century motor court hotel. Logistically, we were drawn by its proximity to downtown and the light rail. More importantly, we like to see older properties renovated and brought back to life, as the McCoy has done in Tucson. Additionally, any accommodation that promotes local art, live music, coffee, beer and wine has our attention. The murals pictured below are a sample of the murals on the exterior walls. Fine art is on display in all the rooms and lobby/bar area.

We enjoyed our stay for all of the reasons we have mentioned above; in addition, all of the hotel staff were quite friendly and focused on meeting our needs.

barrio viejo

The barrio represents one of the best examples of the Sonoran Adobe architecture utilized by Spanish and Mexican settlers. Most of the buildings and dwellings were constructed between 1860 and 1900. Unfortunately, a significant portion of the barrio was demolished under the guise of urban renewal. Thankfully, the community was able to halt the demolition of the entire neighborhood and what exists today is protected as a National Historic District.

The barrio that exists today is quite handsome. It is also quite gentrified and no longer home to the working class Mexicans that lived here for many decades. In our opinion, this neighborhood is absolutely worth spending time to explore. Also, several of the corner buildings are occupied by excellent restaurants (more on that later).

Downtown – Congress & Broadway

The downtown entertainment and shopping district is packed into several blocks on Congress and Broadway. The district is anchored by the Congress Hotel, a local landmark. The hotel opened in 1919 and closed in 1934 as a result of a major fire. The hotel reopened in 1940 albeit with just 40 rooms in lieu of the original 80 rooms. The hotel presents live music seven nights a week in multiple venues. Jazz is on tap every evening. Photos below courtesy of the hotel.

Street murals are all around town with a significant concentration downtown. Some of our favorites are pictured below.

We mentioned the light rail earlier in the post. The Sun Link routes allow people to travel from the west end at the Mercado (near our hotel) through downtown, the Fourth Avenue District and out to the university in the east end. Quite convenient and FREE! We really appreciate not having to take the van into downtown areas in larger cities.

***Sun Link Streetcar, Downtown Tucson*** (***Photo courtesy of Sun Link)***

Fourth Avenue – Boho

Fourth Street is regarded as the Boho or Hippie area of Tucson and appropriately so. The district is just north of downtown and full of all sorts of small shops-vintage clothing, art, home decor, vinyl and plenty of eateries and bars. The area is also home to a fair number of murals (we have photos of a couple below). It is a fun neighborhood to explore on foot and pop into the shops (and maybe a bar or two).

Redington Pass

After several days touring around town using the light rail we fired up the Beast to take an afternoon road trip to the Redington Pass which is east of Tucson in the Coronado National Forest. The road (Forest Road 371) climbs up and over the pass between the Santa Catalina and Rincon Mountains and then descends into the San Pedro River Valley.

The pavement ends at mile marker three as the rough dirt road begins the winding climb to the pass.

Redington Road

We stopped at the pass to take in the distant views. Recreational target shooting is legal in this area of the Coronado National Forest and we took advantage of the opportunity before proceeding down into the San Pedro River Valley. This area is also cattle country. The Bellota Ranch (bay-OH-ta) has been here since 1875. It was founded by the Redfield brothers, who had migrated from New York. The ranch is no longer owned by the Redfield family but it is still operational as a cattle ranch (plenty of evidence of that scattered everywhere!).

As we proceeded down the west side of the mountain we entered into a zone filled with Saguaro cacti and green farm fields further off in the heart of the river valley. Quite beautiful!

***North Redington Road, Galiuro Mountains and Wilderness in the Background***

Once down onto the valley floor we follow the road north before making a right turn onto East Redfield Canyon Road. The road takes us past what appeared to be a small abandoned settlement (it was at one time) but upon further investigation all that remains is the Carlink Ranch. The family farm and ranch was established in 1884 and is now under the care of the sixth generation of the Smallhouse family. The Carlink sells cattle, cacti and wood. The independent spirit of the West lives on!

https://carlinkranch.com/

From the Carlink we traveled north along the San Pedro Valley River to San Manuel and then passed to the north of Mt. Lemmon and finally headed south back to Tucson and a well earned dinner (and perhaps a cocktail).

Bicycling

Tucson has many miles of bike trails. We threw a figurative dart at the board and opted for the Rillito River Path. This section of the path follows the bank of the river for a bit over 23 miles. Perfect bicycling weather – 75F, sunny, no wind and no humidity!

https://www.alltrails.com/trail/us/arizona/rillito-river-path

fika & food

Tucson as a city of almost 550,000 has plenty of excellent dining options from taco trucks to full on fine dining. And, of course, many specialty coffee shops to sample.

Our all around favorite on this visit was the Coronet which consists of a cafe, a fine dining restaurant and the Nightjar Craft Cocktail Bar. The Coronet is located approximately one mile from our hotel in an absolutely gorgeous 160 year old Spanish style building in the Barrio Viejo. As you might infer from the sheer number of photos from the Coronet this was our “go to” eatery while in Tucson. We enjoyed breakfast, lunch and dinner at the Coronet (not on the same day!).

We also recommend the Five Points Market and Restaurant. The restaurant sits at a five way intersection which joins multiple barrios. It has a very simple interior but the food is excellent. They also have small but excellent wine list well matched to their dinner offerings.

For drinks and small plates we recommend the Crisol Bar. The Crisol is also located in the Barrio Viejo and co-located with the Exo Roast Company. Very convenient!! We did not partake but the Crisol is locally well known to be the place to go if you are mezcal aficionado. Para todo mal, mezcal… y para todo bien tambien. When things are bad, mezcal… and when good, the same.

There are many great attractions in Tucson that we have not covered in this post primarily because we have visited them on previous visits to Tucson. We have listed our top recommendations below.

Saguaro National Park
Sabino Canyon Recreation Area
Pima Air and Space Museum
San Xavier del Bac Mission
Mt Lemmon
Tucson Museum Of Art

We will post next on our time in the King of Arizona National Wildlife Refuge which is located about 40 miles north of the Yuma Army Proving Ground in the Northern Sonoran Desert. Yes, back to the desert!

Be seeing you!

P.S. Ts-iuk-shan is the Tohono O’odham name for Signal Mountain in Tucson. Tucson is a bastardization of the name given by the original inhabitants.

El Camino del Diablo – The Devil’s Road

07/04/202502/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Adventure Van Travel, Camping, Overlanding, Scenic Drive, The American West, Travel

***El Camino del Diablo, Sonoran Desert, Arizona***

We departed Tucson (future post) on a southwesterly course heading for Ajo Townsite. The journey took us through the large and mostly desolate Tohono O’Odham Nation. The reservation is about the size of Connecticut with an on reservation population of approximately 9000 members. There are 28,000 enrolled members of the tribe. The Tohono O’odham Nation sits on both sides of the U.S./Mexico border.

Ajo has been the site of copper mining since the 1840’s. Copper has been extracted by Native American, Spanish and Euro-Americans. By the early 1900’s the production of copper in Ajo caught the attention of Phelps Dodge, the largest copper mining company in the United States. Phelps purchased the mine in 1921 and continued to operate the mine until 1985. During those years the mine employed several thousand people and the town boomed. An employee strike in 1983 ultimately led to the permanent closure of the mine in 1985 . Today, all that remains is a very large pit just outside of the town center.

The town’s attractive square and architecture was built by Phelps Dodge to make working and living in town more appealing. The year round population in Ajo is 3300. The town has become a popular snowbird destination during the winter due to the delightful weather. There is also a small artist colony living and working here.

The photos below are two notable murals that have been painted in Ajo since our last visit.

We decided to camp and relax for several days in an area of the desert south of Ajo known as Darby Well.

On our second day of camping at Darby Well we drove south on Route 85 to visit the Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument (OPCNM). After stopping at the visitor center and speaking with the rangers we opted to drive the Ajo Mountain Loop as the best way to take in the OPCNM in an afternoon.

Ajo Mountain Road, Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument

The Ajo Mountain Loop is a 21 mile road which provides a great sample of the variety of terrain and vegetation in the monument. The loop starts on the desert floor and winds up into the Ajo Mountains. We took a short hike into the Estes Canyon (photos below -note the arch in the photo directly below).

OPCNM does not receive many visitors relative to other National Monuments and National Parks. The remote location, extreme weather (heat) and proximity to the Mexico border are all contributing factors.

https://www.nationalparkstraveler.org/2017/09/organ-pipe-cactus-sonoran-desert-treasure

https://www.nps.gov/orpi/planyourvisit/basicinfo.htm

After several days camping in the Darby Well and our visit to OPCNM we decided we were ready to tackle the El Camino. The El Camino is a 142 mile trail through the Southern Sonoran Desert. It starts south of Ajo from the Darby Well Road and then follows an east/west route through a portion of the Organ Pipe Cactus NM, the Cabeza Prieta NWR and finally the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range.

This overland adventure does come with risks. One of the risks is captured in the photo directly above. The other risks are inherent in any extended overland trip – adequate fuel and water, mechanical breakdown, flat tire and, finally, getting stuck in sand or mud. Fortunately, other than a damaged bike carrier and the obligatory addition of more desert pinstriping we did not have any issues.

Our first stop was at the Bates Well Ranch which was owned and operated by the Gray family from 1935 until 1976. The operation consisted of 15 cattle ranches and line camps across the Southern Sonoran Desert.

The ranch is inside the boundaries of the OPCNM. The National Monument was established in 1937 but the Gray family was allowed to continue to ranch the land (many national parks consist of land appropriated from private owners). The National Park Service does not allow cattle grazing but in this case made an exception. Harry Gray, the last member of the family made maximum use of the “exception” raising cattle on the ranch until his death in 1976.

The one advantage of the ranch property becoming public land is that is protected and overseen by the park service. Much of the property is intact and provides a great example of a frontier ranch.

We pushed on from the Bates Well past the Camp Grip Border Patrol Outpost where we could see four border patrollers on a hill scanning southward with their binoculars while the electronic gear above them whirred away.

The next section of the trail brought us into the Pinta Sands. The Sands area was undoubtedly the most enjoyable segment of the trip from a pure driving perspective. Soft sand —deep but not too deep—smooth riding and higher speeds!

Prietza National Wildlife Refuge, El Camino del Diablo

From the Pinta Sands we transitioned to a dramatically rougher environment as we began transiting through the Pinacate Lava Flow. We decided that this area would be good for camping as it was reasonably level and provided a 360 degree view of the surrounding mountains and unobstructed views for stargazing.

Pinacate Volcanic Field

On day two, we continued west until we arrived at the site of the Tule Well. In the 1840s many Mexicans from the state of Sonora were traveling north to work the gold diggings on the Colorado River. One of them decided to dig a well (by hand) and to sell the water to his fellow countrymen as they traveled north. Some accounts claim that the well digger was killed by a traveler who refused to pay for the water. The well fell into disuse between the 1860s and 1890s as this route was all but abandoned due the frequency of deaths from dehydration.

After visiting the Tule Well and the Circle 8 Gravesite we continued west towards the Tinjas Atlas Mountains. We were hoping to follow a trail that would lead us to the remains of the Fortuna Mine. As you can see from the video below this area has numerous narrow washes. Ultimately, we were foiled by a wash too deep and steep for the Beast.

Tinjas Atlas

We worked our way back until we found a route that took us in a northeasterly direction to the town of Wellton. This route took us through the Barry M. Goldwater Air Force Range. It is most advisable to stay on the road if you choose this route as it is an active military gunnery and bombing range! Fortunately, we had obtained the necessary permit and pass to transit through the range.

We exited the desert in Wellton driving through the encroaching housing subdivisions spreading east from Yuma. We spent the evening in Yuma; in the morning , we decided to head back out into the Sonoran Desert and visit the Fortuna Mine using a route from Yuma. The road out from Yuma was extremely rough and rocky but were committed to going out to the mine as part of our completion of the El Camino del Diablo.

As so often appears to be the case, gold was discovered accidentally – in this case by three men looking for stray cattle in the foothills of the Gila Mountains in 1894. They filed land claims and gold was mined here from 1896 to 1904. The story of Fortuna is similar to many of the old west mining scenarios – boom and then quickly bust. The mine was productive – producing 125,000 ounces of recorded gold during its short run. The vertical shafts are still visible (photo below). The remnants of the town that quickly blossomed above the mine are still accessible by foot.

One other item that we wanted to share relates to the photo below. Periodically as we crossed the desert we would see blue flags placed within sight of the trail. The blue flags are on 30 foot high poles so that they are visible from a great distance. At each of these sites there is a 55 gallon drum of potable water. These drums are placed and maintained by an organization called Humane Borders. The organization has obtained permission to place the water drums along the border (the El Camino is within sight of the border for much of the route). You may read about the Humane Borders organization in the article linked below.

https://www.humaneborders.org/

Our two day journey across El Camino del Diablo was an exciting adventure. This is a trip we have wanted to do for some time and we recognized that in the context of our OTR story arc this was the time to make the crossing. There is a point where the physical rigors of this trip would be beyond our capability.

After resting for a couple days in Yuma we will be heading north to explore the Northern Sonoran Desert and the KOFA National Wildlife Refuge.

Be seeing you!

Tumacacori National Historical Park (TNHP)

29/03/202502/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in National Park, Travel

After our trek through the Coronado Monument and the San Rafael Valley (see previous post) we were ready for a city segment. While on our way north to Tucson we stopped at the THNP. This mission dates back to the late 1600s, and was one of 20 established by Padre Kino, a Jesuit missionary. Padre Kino is revered by the church for his work with the indigenous people of the Pima Alta (O’odham, Apache, Yaqui). There are other historians who have a different view of the work of Padre Kino and his fellow Jesuits. In this article we are not going to delve into the debate over the forced conversion of indigenous people to Catholicism. We have included links below regarding this topic.

https://news.diocesetucson.org/news/who-is-padre-kino

https://www.tucsonlocalmedia.com/news/november-1751-father-kino-and-the-pima-revolts/article_3f70584c-638f-11e4-b1fd-cfb0a4d8bc5e.html

While the mission church is the centerpiece of the mission architecturally, it is important to remember that the mission was a self-sufficient community with approximately 200 people living within the mission wallls.

***Tumacacori Mission (Photo courtesy of NPS)***

The photo above gives a sense of the mission with the church and the remains of storage buildings, cemetary, living quarters and kilns within the walls and fruit orchards outside.

The church that stands within the mission grounds today was commissioned by Franciscan missionaries who had replaced the Jesuits by Spanish authorities who believed they had become too powerful. The Franciscans wanted a much larger church. They began work on a grand design in 1800. In 1820 they dedicated the new church, although over the 20 years of construction the design was changed due budget constraints. The new church, while larger than the orignal, was smaller and less ornate than the original design. Nonetheless, a beautiful structure in our opinion.

Masses were conducted in Latin, but in recognition of the diversity of parishioners, readings and other parts of the mass were conducted in Spanish and O’odham. The O’odham, who were the victims signifcant physical violence from the Spanish settlers who were forcing their removal from their land, were not satisfied with this concession.

Finally, in 1751 the O’odham revolted under the leadership of Luis Oacpicagigua. The revolt was not long lived and the O’odham surrendered in early 1752. The O’odham cannily blamed the rebellion on the Jesuits (who were in much disfavor in Spain at that time) and the colonial governor promptly pardoned all of the O’odham who had participated in the rebellion.

The aftermath of the revolt, as well as the impact of Apache raids on the mission, led to its abandonment. Unfortunately, neglect and vandalism took its toll on the church. Fortunately, President Roosevelt declared the site a national monument in 1908 allowing for the preservation of the monument and no further vandalism or looting.

If you are a history buff, then we think that a two- to three-hour stop here will be worth your while. The self guided tour is well curated and the park staff were knowledgeable and helpful. There are also guided tours available several times a day.

Next is Tucson — comfy bed, hot showers, heated pool — the whole shebang!

Be seeing you!

https://www.nps.gov/tuma/planyourvisit/index.htm

Over the Mountain and Across the Valley

24/03/202502/05/2025 by Maria+Stephen, posted in 4WD Drive, Adventure Van Travel, Scenic Drive, The American West, Travel

As we departed Bisbee (see previous post) we decided to make a quick detour to the border to check out the small town of Naco.

Naco, Arizona is a census designated place with a population of 1176. Naco, Sonora, the sister city (pop. 6064), is immediately on the other side of the border. While the border was finalized by the Gadsden Treaty of 1853, the two Nacos functioned as a single community regarding everyday living. Recently, Naco, Sonora was also very popular with United States citizens who could easily cross the border and purchase prescription drugs and other items (see Pancho Villa post) . Additionally, the younger drinking age in Mexico (18 vs. 21 Arizona) saw many teens crossing over for an evening of drinking.

The situation changed dramatically during the 1990’s as routes for smuggling migrants and drugs moved to this area after other parts of the border were more effectively sealed. The reverse flow of the smuggling business is the movement of large quantities of weapons south from the U.S. into Mexico for use by drug cartels (shameful).

The increase in smuggling coupled with 9/11 resulted in much tighter security. Residents were no longer able to cross back and forth across the border as freely. The completion of a new border fence in 2017 (pictured above) made the separation of the two towns very real. The residents of Naco, Arizona were not apprised of the new fence – they literally woke up one morning to the sound of construction equipment rolling into town.

***United States Border Station, Naco, Arizona***

Many residents claim that this event was the beginning of the end for Naco from a business perspective. An additional factor is that the port of entry restricted its operating hours – moving from 24 hours per day to closing at 10:00 PM – sending more traffic to Douglas where the port of entry is 24/7. Today, there is just one remaining business in Naco.

The last business standing in Naco is not unsurprisingly a bar! But not just any bar it is the Gay 90’s Bar as in the 1890s! The bar, which serves food, has pool tables and live music, has been in business since 1931. Why anyone would open a bar during prohibition does not make sense on surface of the issue, but there is probably more to the story than we will ever know. More importantly, they are still in business despite all the turmoil and hard times.

After our brief and somewhat depressing stop in Naco, we cotinued west across beautiful grasslands and entered the Coronado National Memorial. We had visited the Memorial in 2019 to explore the Coronado Cave but did not continue up to the pass. The photographs below are from our caving adventure in 2019. The entrance to the cave is a half mile hike up the south slope of Montezuma Peak and definitely worth the trip. The cave is 600 feet long with lots of small spurs.

Back tothe present — we wound our way up the canyon road of the 7640 foot high Montezuma Peak and stopped at the pass to take in the views back to the east and west to the immense (330 square miles) San Rafael Valley.

Montezuma Canyon Road

***View West from Montezuma Pass — San Rafael Valley — Huachuca Mountains to the North***

The road beyond the pass heading west is best suited to 4WD, high clearance vehicles as it becomes progressively more rutted and rocky.

Montezuma Canyon Road

From the pass we continued down the road admiring the views of the valley below. It is hard for us to fathom that the majority of the valley’s 90,000 acres is privately owned by a handful of ranchers. But then again, the valley has been home to cattle ranching for 175 years!

The largest ranch in the valley was owned and operated by the Sharp family from 1903 to 1999. The ranch, The San Rafael Ranch, lies in the center of the valley and consisted of 22,000 acres. The state acquired the land and designated it as natural area in order to protect what is considered the finest stand of grassland in the state. Sadly, when the state purchased the land and designated it as a natural area, it closed access to the ranch house and all of the property (although the state allows the remaining ranchers to graze their cattle on the land). The other interesting historical note is that the property that comprised the ranch was the last remaining intact Spanish Land Grant (well, we think it is interesting).

***San Rafael Ranch House (Photo courtesy of SouthernArizonaGuide.com)***

Being very cognizant of the fact that we were traveling through a fragile area, we carefully followed an established track which took us out through the grasslands. The video below provides some perspective of the experience of riding through the grasslands with the mountains ahead of us — quite spectacular!

San Rafael Valley

After our jaunt through the grass we returned to the road to complete our crossing of the valley.

***Patagonia Mountains*** ***Left — Canelo Hills Right***

At the end of the drive across the valley, we arrived at the border town of Lochiel. The town was originally named La Noria by Mexican settlers. It was renamed Lochiel (Low—Keel) in 1885 by rancher Colin Cameron in honor of his Scottish ancestors.

Lochiel is often described as a ghost town but it appears there a handful of inhabitants. Our research comes up with ten people. We don’t think anyone really knows and historical records indicate that the population peaked at 400 when the mine in nearby Patagonia was in full operation. We can’t warrant that anyone actually lives there because while we saw several dwellings that appeared to be inhabited we did not see any people while in Lochiel. In fact, we only saw one person during our ride across the valley — a man in a pick up truck — who we let pass us by as he was traveling at a much higher rate of speed than we could or would on the rough and winding road.

We visited the red schoolhouse pictured above. It is an adobe structure and operated as a classic one room schoolhouse for all of the children in town. The schoolhouse began operation in 1892 and closed in 1972 in response to declining enrollment. The remaining kids were bussed to school in Patagonia. Today the school is maintained by the Patagonia Museum.

There is also small church in Lochiel. We could not visit the church as the fence around the church is gated and locked. It appears to be of adobe construction as well. The fence directly behind the church is the border fence with Mexico. We unfortunately could not find any history regarding the church.

***Lochiel Church (Photo courtesy of Wikimedia)***

We mentioned that Lochiel is a border town. The border fence here is just a chain link fence with some barbed wire on top. Quite a contrast from the other sections of the border we have seen on this trip. Years ago, from the 1960s until 1983 there was a port of entry in Lochiel. It was operated by Customs Inspector Helen Mills during the 60s and 70s and then Custom Inspector Mike Daniels until closing in 1983. We found some fantastic photos (below) of Helen and the port of entry from an article in Tucson.com

Well, that is our report on our experience overlanding through the Coronado Memorial NM and the San Rafael Valley. This trip really helped us to envision a different time in our country.

From Lochiel we drove north and camped in the Patagonia Mountains for an evening. Our next segment will take us to Mission San Jose’ de Tumaca’cori north of Nogales and then on up to Tucson for a city segment.

Be seeing you!