A weekend in Bisbee is like stepping back a 100 years.
Bisbee is a great town to take in the history of the old west and to see the works of artists of today. It is a small town that has its roots in mining. Bisbee has long been known as “The Queen of the Mining Camps”.

Today Bisbee has a population of 6,300. The town is at an elevation of 5,300 feet. Bisbee is the county seat for Cochise County. The climate is pleasant all year round. The low temperature in the winter is 34 degrees and the high in the summer is 90 degrees. Bisbee is an eclectic place filled with small shops, cafes, galleries and antique shops gripping to the canyon sides surrounding the town. Bisbee is proud of its colorful history and mining saga, but its people continue to look forward to the future.

You will find a variety of attractions in the town of Bisbee. The Muheim House is a turn-of-the-century residence that has terrific views of the town. The Bisbee Mining and Historical Museum gives visitors a chance to see what mining life was like in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s through displays and photos. The Queen Mine Tour is one of the most exciting and interesting tours around.

The tour takes you down into the tunnels on a string of mining cars. The tour provides visitors hard hats and jackets, which adds to the authenticity of the experience. Bisbee has a variety of outdoor spots. Ramsey Canyon Preserve is a unique place for hiking and taking in nature. The preserve also has cabins to rent with a stream nearby to enjoy. Garden Canyon is a beautiful area filled with wildlife. Some of the animals in the canyon are unique to the area.

The Coronado National Memorial is a great place to learn about the Spanish influence and history. The memorial offers a scenic drive and hiking trails. For those who enjoy a real adventure the memorial has a natural cave to go exploring in. The San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area is home to over 100 species of breeding birds. The area is also a habitat for over 250 migrant and wintering birds. Some say that the San Pedro Riparian Conservation Area is one of the best birding spots in the country. You see some unique birds and beautiful views during your visit.

There are a lot of hotels in the Phoenix area. The trick is to find one where you want to take your shoes off and stay a while. The first that comes to mind is the JW Marriott Desert Ridge Resort and Spa. It is located on a 316-acre resort that is surrounded by the McDowell Mountains and is still only 18 miles from Phoenix Sky Harbor Airport. Hotel amenities include eight lighted tennis courts, tennis pro shop and teaching staff, Revive Spa, which offers 40 treatment rooms, a movement studio, locker rooms, steams, saunas, indoor/outdoor whirlpools, a lap pool, beauty salon, fitness center, and bistro. Wildfire Golf Club features a Nick Faldo and Arnold Palmer signature golf course, practice greens, driving range, and fully-stocked Pro Shop. Guests can also enjoy our 4.5 acres of shimmering pools, waterways, water slide, and lazy river. There are 10 restaurants on site, including Blue Sage, Ristorante Tuscany, Roys, and Meritage Steakhouse. Other services include babysitting, valet laundry, concierge services, valet parking, and complimentary parking.

You will find that all rooms are a minimum of 450 square feet and feature private patios, flat-screen TVs, safes, cordless phones, Sony Dream Machine CD player/radio/alarm clocks, weekday newspapers, STSN high-speed Internet service, separate tubs and showers, bathrobes, and turndown service.

Check out these and let me know what you think. Phoenix Hotels

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There are disagreements over the origin of the word “Arizona.”There are four Indian versions of the word. “Arizuma”is an Aztec word meaning “silver bearing.”"Ali shonak”or “Ari-son”came from the Pima Indians and means “small spring.”"Aleh-zone”also means “small spring”from the Tohono O’odham Indians. However, it is known that a Spanish missionary first used the word in print during the 1750’s.

Organized as a territory in 1863, admitted to the Union in 1912, Arizona is one of the nation’s youngest states. It is one alive with the spirit of youth, yet it is a place that has been inhabited for nearly 20,000 years. The region began with cliff dwellings and has continued on to the present with high-rise condominiums. From this early beginning, Arizona has grown.

All the towns throughout Arizona have a history. These pasts have woven together to create a colorful tapestry that makes this great state what it is today. Take a journey back in time and learn what life was like long ago.

To find out more about Arizona’s history, continue to look through Arizonan.com. You will discover more about the rich history of the Grand Canyon State.

Bouse was settled in 1906 and named Brayton for John Brayton Martin who kept the Brayton Commercial Company for the Harquahala Mine. However, when the postal application was filed in1907, postal officials picked up the applicant’s name, Thomas Bouse, and the name Brayton faded into history.

East of Bouse, 30 miles along a dirt road, is Swansea. Now a ghost town, Swansea was once a copper mining community of 750. Although the mine closed in 1924 and the town died, many remnants still exist.

Twenty miles east of Bouse, in the remote Butler Valley, is Camp Bouse. This secret Army base was built during World War II to train men with a “new” tank designed for night warfare. Camp Bouse Ninth Tank Group Memorial was recently established on Highway 72 in Bouse.

The Bouse Assay Office has been restored and opened as an information and tourist center. Founders Day is celebrated in November. The Bouse Boosters hold both a Christmas Bazaar and Spring Fever Days.

Bagdad was created in 1864, the town is approximately 104 miles northwest of Phoenix. Its history is closely tied to the copper ore responsible for its establishment. Nestled in the hills of the Aquarius Mountains, the town was named for the mining claim discovered by W.J. Pace and J.M. Murphy in 1882. A post office was established in 1910 with Henry Geisendorf as the first postmaster.

Ruins of modern-day ghost towns survive as remnants of the rich mining history in this area. Today cattle roam where prospectors once searched for fortune.

Avondale, founded around 1900 and incorporated in 1946, is named after a nearby ranch.

White Tanks Mountain Regional Park lies to the northwest and is named for its natural rock water tanks. Many unusual petroglyphs are found in the 26,000-acre park, which features hiking trails, a waterfall and scenic desert vistas.

Ash Fork started as a stage depot situated under a group of ash trees at the fork of Ash Creek. The arrival of the railroad in 1882 changed the economy of the area.

In 1883, a post office was established; in 1885, Wells Fargo built a station in the area. The Santa Fe Railway line to Phoenix connects with the main line here. Predominant economic activities are tourism, mining, and cattle ranching.

Route 66, marked with historic markers, runs the length of the town. Some of the motels, gas stations and businesses along the route have operated since the beginning of the road in 1926.

The first (1857) federally funded inter-state highway, Beale Road, is 15 miles north of town.

Arivaca, in southern Pima County about 11 miles north of Arizona’s border with Mexico, mapped by Father Eusebio Kino in1695, is in an area which contains some of the oldest mines in the United States. Arivaca, which is unincorporated, is about 56 miles southwest of Tucson. The post office was established in 1878. The locale may have been a Pima Indian village before natives revolted in 1751 against the Spanish, who were attracted by precious metals and excellent grazing land.

Mines developed by the Spaniards were worked by Indians under the direction of Tumacacori Mission padres. In 1833, the Mexican government approved a petition by brothers Tomas and Ignacio Ortiz to raise cattle and horses on 8,677 acres of land that formed the Aribac Ranch. (“La Aribac” is an Indian word meaning “small springs.”) Although boundaries for the ranch were never certain, its rights were bought by the Sonora Exploring and Mining Company in1856. This company operated mines near Arivaca and Tubac.

Also located on the ranch were reduction works for the Heintzelman Mine. Charles Poston, “the father of Arizona,” acquired the property in 1870 and later asked the U.S. government to confirm his right to 26,508 acres. The U.S. surveyor general recommended confirmation of 8,680 acres, but the U.S. Congress took no action.

Poston’s rights were obtained by the Arivaca Land and Cattle Company, which asked the U.S. Court of Private Land Claims to approve the land claim. The court refused, saying it was “impossible to identify…the land which was intended to be granted.” This decision was upheld by the U.S. Supreme Court on March 24, 1902, and the land became part of the public domain. Arivaca is now primarily a retirement and residential area. Many residents commute to Tucson and Green Valley, but there is some retail trade and service sector employment. Tourism contributes substantially to the local economy. Agriculture also plays a significant role in the economy. There are nine cattle ranches and a vegetable farm, as well as other livestock producers. The area has fine year-round for-age and grazing lands, along with an apple and pear orchard, and three large apiaries. Arivaca is home to the oldest standing adobe schoolhouse in Arizona.

Scattered throughout the surrounding scenic high desert are many places of interest including the Buenos Aires National Wildlife Refuge, the Arivaca Town site, Heintzelman Mine, the ghost town of Ruby, Oro Blanco in the Coronado National Forest, and Tumacacori Mission (30 miles southeast). Hunters come here annually for javelin, mule deer, whitetail and dove. For the fisherman, Arivaca Lake is well stocked with large-mouth bass, bluegill and catfish, as is the Pina Blanca Lake further south. Ample camping is Arivaca has a 10-acre community center, two tennis courts, two softball fields, and a new, full service library.

Apache Junction’s primary historic attraction are is the Superstition Mountains, the site of the Lost Dutchman Mine. Many people are still challenged by the thought of discovering the Lost Mine and search the mountains for its location.

The name of the mountains, of which Superstition Peak at 5,057 feet is the highest, can be attributed to the legends and stories of the near-by Pima Indians.