Go Around the Bend: Got Me Some Bling in Bisbee, Arizona!

Several of the full-time RV'ers whose blogs we follow have sung the praises of Bisbee, so Rog wanted to check it out. Bisbee is one of those fun little towns that has had to reinvent itself. The first mining claims in the area were staked in 1877. The city of Bisbee incorporated in 1902 and by 1910 it was the largest city in the territory with over 25,000 people. During the next century, the mines produced 8 billion pounds of copper, 102 million ounces of silver and 2.8 million ounces of gold along with millions of pounds of zinc, lead and manganese. By 1974 the ore reserves had been depleted and mining operations in Bisbee ceased.

Absent the mining industry, the local housing market collapsed and hundreds of homes went on the market. The cheap real estate attracted retirees (Yes, we old folks are always looking for a bargain in the Sunshine State.) and “hippies”. Today, Bisbee is a well-known artist's community whose well preserved architectural and historic heritage also attracts tourists. That and the sunshine. 😊

Bisbee viewed from Chihuahua Hill above town.

The town reminds me of a mini San Francisco, with colorful houses situated on steep hillsides. There are super narrow, windy streets and stairs, stairs, stairs. They do an annual run called “The Bisbee 1000 – The Great Stair Climb” that winds through the city and UP (only up!) over 1000 stairs. You won’t see me signing up for that! Lol. In addition to galleries and a vibrant music scene, street art abounds – murals, sculpture and informal, funky artistic expression is encouraged.

Stairs, stairs, stairs!

Colorful houses perch on the steep hillside. Notice the painted van. Lol.

Murals decorate even more stairs, 813 to be exact.

Driving into town you can’t miss the huge open pit copper mine. Standing at the rim is an experience. It has a harsh kind of beauty and, while I know that the copper and other metals were needed, especially during the wars, it is scary to see the devastation that man can wreak on the environment. The “pit” is 4000 feet long, 5000 feet wide and 850 feet deep. Mind boggling.

Wow. Kind of leaves you speechless.

On Sunday, 3/19, we hiked up Chihuahua Hill above the town and visited the hilltop shrine. It started with just one shrine built in 1980 but has since grown and evolved as others add interesting statues & offerings. There is even a Buddhist corner and a memorial to Martin Luther King Jr. The views are outstanding too!

Hilltop shrines.

You can see the copper mine on the left and the city of Bisbee on the right.

Since we stayed just two nights in Bisbee, we mostly walked the town and poked into the shops. Tours are offered of the underground Queen Mine, but we didn’t get a chance to do that this trip. We both enjoyed the local craft beer at the Old Bisbee Brewery. I did manage to find some Bisbee bling to bring home – a lovely necklace and earrings made out of tiny polished geodes. It was a splurge, but so unique I decided to go for it. Rog wanted to bring home some bling too, but luckily the Jaguar he found wasn’t for sale. Lol.