SPRING IN BISBEE, ARIZONA

KARTCHNER CAVERNS

The road to Bisbee from Tucson passes beside Karchner Caverns, a must stop for the curious traveler. Kartchner was discovered by two spelunkers in 1974, but was kept secret from the public for 14 years until all of the pieces were in line for protection of this beautiful natural underground cathedral. Administered by the Arizona State Parks system, Kartchner has become a world showpiece on preservation techniques…including humidity preservation (one’s humidity is moderated to match that of the caves) and lent removal machines upon entering and exiting. Photography is not allowed inside—except once a year on a special tour—hence, no photos from me, except for those taken from the outside.

The cave’s Throne Room has one of the world’s longest stalactites (21- foot plus) and features brushite moonmilk formations. Kartchner is closed April 15 (get there soon…a cool treat after sending in the taxes!) to October 15 since it is a nursery roost for over a thousand cave bats.

We were treated to cave ‘kisses’ (water that drops off of the cave’s ceiling onto one’s face; a symbol of good luck) and a beautiful rendition from Adiemus: Songs of Sanctuary. The low light rope lighting stretched out along the length of the cave is long enough to go to and from Kartchner to Tucson.

Upon exiting the cave, we perused the exhibit building and then enjoyed lunch under a protected picnic bench.

BISBEE

The drive to Bisbee is quite pleasant through Arizona’s Sonoran desert zone…with a plethora of cactus, mesquite, palo verde and a host of other plants. It is a dry (and seasonally wet) land of arroyos, mountains and expansiveness. Entering Bisbee is fascinating as the road curves, drops, and then all of a sudden, houses and the Welcome to Bisbee sign appears. Bisbee is tight and narrow. I liken it to fitting a thousand pound gorilla in someone’s socks. A European-like mountain town, Bisbee makes the most of its space, which results in a labyrinth of fascinating adventure foot and bike travel. It’s best to park the car and explore its charm via boots and tennis shoes. To give you an idea about Bisbee’s location, the local high school is four stories high, each story with a ground level entry.

With fewer than 7000 residents, Bisbee has become a tourist town and home to an eclectic group of artists and artisans. Retired baby boomers and yuppies have also discovered Bisbee, along with a very vibrant gay community. Bisbee is a showcase community of old blood from its mining heyday, residents from the 60s and 70s counterculture who came here to take refuge, recent retirees and the new blood from a variety of walks of life: all living in harmony in this unique haven just miles from the Mexico border.

JOHN WAYNE AND SOME HISTORY

Bisbee was one of the Duke’s favorite haunts. He stayed often at the Copper Queen Hotel. They even have a John Wayne room named in his honor…a room at the top of the first story stairs to which, as the story is told, he could easily navigate after an evening of sluggin’ a few drinks with the locals. Many of Wayne’s Westerns were filmed in Arizona. Wayne was not one of the ‘elitist’ actors who shunned the locals or the production crew that did the grunt work on his films.

Bisbee was founded on copper, gold and silver mining in 1880 and during its mining heyday in the early 1900s, it had a population of nearly 20,000. Bisbee blue, a copper by-product, is a turquoise for which the area is also famous. The mining decline came in the 1950s and since then, the sequestered mining town has evolved as a unique tourist destination and home to a mixed bag of interesting and content residents, who live far from the main flux of urban and metropolitan society—a quieter and gentler life, if you will.

SCHOOL HOUSE INN and JANIS JOPLIN’S DEATH

Our takeoff point in exploring Bisbee was from the School House Inn along Tombstone Canyon Road, a bed and breakfast made into a charming inn by owners John and Paula Lambert. John is the former bass player for the seven-piece band (in the style of the group Chicago) Phil and the Frantics (Waylon Jennings produced their first album) and later a group called Polution. He showed me his old LPs. It was like a time warp viewing the album covers, taking me back to the 60s and 70s. John was playing the Whiskey a Go Go in Hollywood one night when Janis Joplin stopped in and listened to them. “She sat with our friend and manager Max Baer (Jethro from Beverly Hillbillies fame). Max later told us that Joplin criticized our lead female singer…he thinks out of jealousy because our singer had more range than Joplin. I remember seeing her in the back of the room. She died later that night and we were probably the last group she ever listened to.”

We stayed in the History Room 111 (all rooms are theme rooms with décor and antiques connected with the school house’s history)…filled with history books, including the series “This Fabulous Century” and wall décor such as the Declaration of Independence and a portrait of President Kennedy. I toured Music Room 109, an inviting room with a double bed, above which were eleven framed sheet music posters, including Fleurs D’Amour by Reginald De Koven.

These affable, kind folks are dream owners for a b&b. I call them the perfect hosts… and they make a mean ‘good mornin’ quiche breakfast, too. During our breakfast in their ‘I feel good, gone to heaven’ courtyard, we overheard a conversation from a guest at a nearby table, talking about an encounter with a jumping cholla cactus the day before. “On the spot, I took out my tweezers and scissors, cut and plucked out each one,” she said. The other person at her table mentioned that a credit card scraping was another method if one is in a predicament, but without scissors and tweezers…another little gem of knowledge for my travel dictionary (which I could have used years ago in Texas after a backcountry ‘mornin’ duty’ experience with a prickly pear!). Another guest was talking about the ghost that he encountered at the famous downtown Copper Queen Hotel, saying that it scared him so bad that he would never stay there again (personally, I would welcome an encounter…that is, I think I would). Later that evening we would take a ghost walk tour…and I did have an audible ‘ghost’ encounter.

The courtyard has a large, umbrella like oak tree in the middle with one large chime hanging from a branch, surrounded by a cornucopia of potted plants. There is a barbecue and fireplace built into the patio wall and English ivy fills a nearby white wooden fence. It is quiet and charming…the sounds of birds abundant and the chime occasionally adding a sweet melody to the perfect southwest morning air. Hummingbirds (upwards to 30) arrive in June and spend the summers here. I could easily spend a day at the School House courtyard, reading and relaxing…but the streets of Bisbee are too inviting, and our time was too short, for such.

The average Bisbee April temp is 79 and May 88…so put on your walkin’ shoes, sunscreen, pack a bottle of water, wear appropriate clothing for the temps at hand and then take an exploratory stroll. The mornings are perfect for such…as are the evenings, but for me, I like to make it a half-day or all day outing—which is what Lynette and I did…and following were our stops along the way:

*High Desert Market and Café: just down the street from the School House Inn, here is where we made our first stop, ordered an espresso and a sumptuous carrot cake slice with lemon frosting (we knew that we would walk off the calories!), and took a seat under an umbrella at a Mexican lime green table. This colorful market/café is a great place to eat, drink, shop and be merry. Their desserts are to die (actually, preferably, years after consuming many) for and by looking at what others were having for lunch, the main menu food was deadly delicious as well.

*Leaving Tombstone Canyon, we took to the side streets, exploring higher ground. Bisbee is known as a city of steps. When walking here, you get a great cardio-vascular workout. The higher ‘steps’, alleys and tight streets of Bisbee are great to explore for the views, architecture, gardens, yard sculptures and the recycled art displays. A must walk is Clawson Street, just up from the High Desert Market. I’ll let the photos attest for this in this story. And if you’re really into stair climbing, attend Bisbee’s 1000 Stair Climbing event in October.

*Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum and the Copper Queen Mine Tour. Though I’m not a mining aficionado, I recommend a visit to both of these places to learn about Bisbee’s history and the importance of mining in our country’s history.

*Bisbee’s art deco courthouse and Victorian homes. Pack a camera.

After the ghost walk, we have a nightcap at the Copper Queen’s patio and then make our way back to the School House Inn. The sleep is peaceful, not haunting. The following day, we travel to Naco, USA and cross the border (via foot) to Naco, Mexico. We purchase a bottle of damiana—the secret ingredient in the world’s best margarita—for future toasts to Bisbee and other adventures.

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: www.discoverbisbee.com, www.bisbeearizona.com, www.schoolhouseinnbb.com, www.copperqueenhotel.com. Recommended Reading: “Going Back to Bisbee” by Richard Shelton (U of Arizona Press). www.amazonbooks.com