Twenty rigs (38 folks) enjoyed the trek to Tombstone Territories RV Park, where the theme was the Ghost Towns of Cochise County. On Monday, after getting set-up, there was a Happy Hour in the Clubhouse with heavy appetizers and an overview of the next day's activities.
Tuesday started with a visit to the Ghost Town of Fairbank and its schoolhouse/museum that was opened especially for us by volunteers from the "Friends of the San Pedro." Most of the crew then hiked about 1 ½ mi r/t to the Fairbank Cemetery. That was followed by a brief break back at camp and then 27 campers hiked the 3.5 miles r/t to thePresidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate. For others the afternoon was free, but all reconvened at 5:00 for Happy Hour and a Pot Luck dinner.
Wednesday began with a visit to the Gleeson Jailhouse/museum, generously opened by Joe Bono, who also gave us a thumbnail sketch of Gleeson and its history. Joe lived there and his father owned the store/saloon. He answered the many questions of our crew and was a great addition to the trip. This was followed by a brief visit to the schoolhouse, cemetery and what was left of the town, formally known as Turquoise. Following that, we drove the Ghost Town Trail through what remained of Courtland. At that point, some returned to camp, while others went down to Whitewater Draw to check on the thousands of Sandhill Cranes that had recently arrived. Later there was another Happy Hour and campfire.
Thursday, 20 of the crew went on a 1 ½ r/t hike to the ruins of Millville, while others did various things on their own, as everyone did during the afternoon. Side trips included trips to Bisbee, Fort Huachuca and dinner at the German Café. The day pretty much ended with Happy Hour as most of the gang opted for supper rather than another campfire.
The weather was great and the campsites and facilities at Tombstone Territories were perfect for an event of this kind, although negotiating with them was maddening at times. Nevertheless they treated us very well. We think everyone enjoyed this rather unusual outing.
Wagonmasters: John & Peggy Smith
Sidekicks: John & Elsie Roehm.
Arrival Date
Nov 11, 2019
Check In Time
1:00 PM
Departure Date
Nov 15, 2019
Check Out Time
11:00 AM
Approx Miles one way
98
Length of Trip - Number of Nights
4
Campsite Cost Per Night
$32.50
Total Cost
$130
Directions on How to Reserve a Site (If Participant is making their own reservations, if not type in NONE
Wagon Masters: John & Peggy Smith Sidekicks: John & Elsie Roehm
This will be a repeat of a similar trip we did in 2016, with an emphasis on ghost towns in Cochise County. We will be staying at the Tombstone Territories RV Park (http://www.tombstoneterritories.com/site/Home.html ). This is a nice park just northwest of Tombstone. Trail-in Monday, November 11th and trail-out on Friday, November 15th.
This popular trip will likely include:
·One Pot-luck
·Tour Fairbank ghost town and graveyard
·Hike to Millville ghost town and petroglyphs (2.5 mi r/t)
·Drive Ghost Town Trail to Gleeson and Courtland with stops along the way
·Hike to Presidio Santa Cruz de Terrenate (3 mi r/t)
Hikes would be optional of course.
The above are the group events that you may participate in, but there are also a number of other interesting things you might do on your own or in small groups. Of particular interest are:
·Visit Bisbee, tour Copper Queen mine and eat at Café Roka: http://caferoka.com/
·Go birding in Ash and Miller Canyons and eat at German Café or go to White Water Draw in Elfrida—some early arrival Sandhill Cranes should be in by then.
