You know what they say - "life is what happens when you're busy making other plans"... and we're proving that daily with our adventures. We've arrived in Bisbee, Arizona, and are staying with our friends, Jim and Sarah - and though there are jobs pending in Boston, Georgia and Florida, we've decided to take a stand here in this wacky, funky, historic former copper mining town and artist's colony. We're assuming, of course, that once we finally move here, something else will come up... but meanwhile we'd like to see if we can supplement our retirement income with photography and writing - it's a dream for us, and I'm thinking that you're never too old or broke to follow your bliss!
Bisbee is in Southern Arizona, almost to the Mexico border, at 5,000 feet in elevation. Listed in the National Register of Historic Places, it was founded as a copper, gold, and silver mining town in 1880, and named in honor of Judge DeWitt Bisbee, one of the financial backers of the adjacent Copper Queen Mine. During World War I, demand for copper made Bisbee a boom town, and in 1929, the county seat was moved here from Tombstone (home of the famous OK Corral!) Bisbee is still the county seat of Cochise County... Is anybody out there old enough to remember the TV series "Sheriff of Cochise"? That was one of my favorite programs as a child (when my life's ambition was to be a cowgirl - go figure) and it was filmed right here in Bisbee.
Phelps Dodge Corporation closed the mines in the 70's, but not before developing Bisbee as a company town. Thanks to P-D there are some nice parks and public areas in Bisbee, in addition to the historic downtown area, which is lined with galleries, shops and restaurants, addition to the wonderful public Library and minor league baseball field.
Bisbee is currently best-known as a tourist attraction and a community of artists and eccentrics, with a year-round climate that's probably the best in Arizona - not too hot in the summer, not too cold in the winter. And of course, there's the famous Bisbee Blue turquoise, one of the more palatable byproducts of copper mining.
We found a great rental house in which to enjoy our experiment - roomy, completely renovated by two gay guys (which is always good)...room for a vegetable garden, and tennis courts a block away - what more could we ask for? We move in on May 1, so as they used to say on "Sheriff of Cochise" - stay tuned for the next exciting episode! Happy Trails...
Whew, does it feel good to have made the decision?
ReplyDeleteLooks like a quaint spot. Lots of character.
Where will you best fit in...eccentrics and artists, yes I can see it! How fun.
Of course, staying tuned in for the next episode...yee haw xoxo