Southern Arizona
February 11/12, 2006
I had been working in Phoenix, Arizona, since February 6 and I had the weekend off, so I decided to go to an area of Arizona where I hadn't spent much time before. I headed down to the southern part of the state, near Bisbeee, to explore the Chiricahua National Monument and whatever else I discovered in the area.
Casa de San Pedro Bed and Breakfast Inn
Casa de San Pedro,Southeast Arizona's Premier Lodging for Birding and Outdoor Adventures!
, is a very nice place to stay.
Proprietors Patrick and Karl do an excellent job, and the breakfasts are exceptional.
I found this B&B on the Internet and booked it for two nights.
It is oriented for bird watchers, but if you're not a bird watcher (which I'm not) you will still find it very inviting and relaxing.
This is the first view you get of the casa as you arrive.
The first morning, before heading out, I decided to explore the area near the B&B. I walked out behind the building and over to an area controlled by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management) where there is a trail you can follow. This is a view of the casa from the trail.
Casa de San Pedro
As I approached the gate, I saw something moving nearby. This is a photo of a deer that I saw as I approached the gate. There were several of them there together, at least five of them.
Deer
That white speck in the sky is one of three tethered radar-array baloons used by the border patrol to monitor the border. This one is close to Casa de San Pedro.
Then I went through the gate and followed the trail that led down to the river. Here is a view of the San Pedro River, a short walk from the Inn.
San Pedro River
And here you can see some of the debris that is carried by the river during heavy rains when the river swells to a much larger size.
White Water Draw
At breakfast, there was a guide there who leads people on bird watching trips. He talked about a place called White Water Draw where you can see the Sand Hill Cranes. They migrate to this area in the winter, eat corn in nearby corn fields and go to the draw to drink. As the draw was along our route to the Chiricahua National Monument, I decided to stop there on the way.
In this photo you can see some of the Sand Hill Cranes and you can also see a hawk flying over them.
And this is a view of some of the cranes in the air.
Chiricahua National Monument
The Chiricahua Apache referred to this area as the "Land of Standing-Up Rock."
During the 1860's and 1870's, the Chiricahua Mountains provided a refuge for the Apache tribe who, led by the famous chiefs Cochise and Geronimo, carried out the last major series of attacks on white settlers before finally being defeated in 1886.
The weather in Phoenix all week was beautiful, with temperatures in the 80's.
The elevation in Phoenix is 1000 feet above sea level, and the elevation at the B&B is 4250 feet.
So even though it is much further south, the temperature was a little cooler.
The elevation in the Chiricahua mountians was over a mile above sea level, and it was also quite windy.
So I had to wear my jacket several times while I was there.
This is a photo of the Organ Pipe Formation.
In this photo is Cochise Head - it looks like the face of Cochise lying down on his back.
A balanced rock formation.
Another balanced rock formation.
A hanging rock along the Echo Canyon Loop Trail
A view of the Chiricahua Mountains Wilderness.
Bisbee, Arizona
A view of the town of Old Bisbee.
And the Lavender Pit at the copper mine in Bisbee, named after Harrison M. Lavender.
Coronado National Memorial
Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's 1540-42 expedition to find the seven cities of gold entered what is now the United States in the valley east of Coronado National Memorial. This National Park Service memorial commemerates the Spanish Entrada, interprets the significance of historical events, and interprets the natural environment in this area where the Sonoran and Chihuhuan deserts meet.
This is a view along the road leading toward the memorial.
This is a view from Montezuma Pass looking back down toward the visitor center showing portions of the road leading up to the pass. You can see the San Pedro Valley in the distance.
In this view, the twin towns of Nogales, AZ and Nogales, Mexico demark the border. The US/Mexican border slants off to the left in this photo.
Most of what you can see in this photo is Mexico, except for the foreground.
Elgin, AZ
These are photos of one of three wineries I stopped at in Elgin.
This photo was taken from the roof of the winery, showing some of the grape vines.
And this is a view of the winery from the road.
