Tom and I first experienced Bisbee, Arizona by accident. We were visiting our friends in nearby Hereford and wanted to buy a few groceries. Mapping to the nearest stores on Google was about the same distance whether we turned right or left. We randomly chose left. That led us along the Mexico border into what seemed like the middle of nowhere. If it weren’t for the dot on my Google map indicating that we were, indeed, approaching a Safeway, we would have turned around. Aside from the relatively new Safeway, there were few buildings and most of them looked old and rundown. It seemed like a ghost town and we were convinced we should have selected the store in the opposite direction.
When we returned and our friend asked where we went for groceries, we were almost embarrassed to admit that we ended up in that dead little town of Bisbee. But she responded, with excitement, “Oh! That's where we're taking you sightseeing tomorrow!” Huh?? What could there possibly be to see in Bisbee that we didn’t already see and would want to see again? Well, to put it in perspective for my Colorado friends, that’s like driving into Manitou Springs from Colorado Avenue. If you turn around before crossing highway 24, you’ll miss the best part of town! In fact, Bisbee is like Manitou Springs in many ways, including their rankings as best Hippie cities.
When Tom and I stopped at the Safeway, we couldn’t see the heart(s) of town; around the corner and up in the hills. I say hearts, plural, because the current city of Bisbee is a collection of districts. Most of these districts originated from mining camps around Bisbee and have their own, old old downtowns.
Lowell District
We started our tour with brunch at the famous Bisbee Breakfast Club in Bisbee’s Lowell District. The food was delicious… and big! Look at the size of that biscuit!
After stuffing ourselves in the restaurant, we walked down Erie Street admiring the many old buildings and vehicles.
It’s like stepping back in time.
Copper Queen Mine
As we headed from the Lowell District to the Bisbee District, we passed the Copper Queen Mine. There's no active mining now. But, it's open for tours… something I look forward to doing on a future trip! We stopped at a viewing spot at the top of the mine pit for a quick look.
Bisbee District
The Bisbee District is the original downtown Bisbee. And, if you’ve been to Manitou Springs, Colorado, you’ll notice similarities between these two “hippie” towns. The streets are lined with historic buildings and surrounded by mountains.
In the buildings you’ll enjoy fun and eclectic shops and restaurants.
You can even get some exercise running up and down the stairways scattered throughout town. It’s not quite the Manitou Incline, but it’s a start!
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