We met our pals Doug and Diane M. at the junction of highways 80 and 90 then followed them to Bisbee.
This picturesque, little town was founded in 1880 and is perched precariously on the hillsides surrounding the Copper Queen Mine. The old west mining camp proved to be one of the richest mineral sites in the world and had a population of 20,000 people. It has since evolved into an artist colony and retirement community of about 6,000 residents.
After a quick stop at the visitor center, we headed for the Queen Mine where we had reservations for the tour. After over 100 years of production, this famous copper mine finally closed in 1975.
The first part of the tour includes the necessary equipment to journey deep into the mine. We donned hard hats, slickers and mining lanterns (with heavy battery packs) and posed for Diane to capture us in our finery. A more charming group would be hard to find!
We then proceeded outside where the mine train awaited us.
See our intrepid photographer Diane, taking the last shot of us before we venture into the mine........... possibly forever.
The tour was a blast. Our guide rang the bell and off we went into the tunnel. Our first stop was at the stairway to a stope. A stope is a good size room where ore is extracted. Joe, the guide, worked in this mine for many years and had lots of stories to tell.
We reboarded the train and continued 1500 feet into the dark, bowels of the mine. Doug (the other Doug, also known as Al) was our front man on the train. Since we each had miners lanterns, we were able to watch the walls that were sparkly and veined with remaining minerals.
This was our final stop on the tour. Here they showed us the procedure for blasting the walls of ore and answered questions. We saw the original porta potty and elevators to the other six levels. As well as some of the equipment that was used for drilling and excavating.
After the very cool, 47 degree tour, we made our way to the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum in town. Doug and Diane posed near one of the ore trains in front of the museum, then treated us to the displays inside. The curators don't allow photographs inside but the galleries were fantastic.
The main floor showed vignettes of life in the early mining days as well as actual artifacts used by the miners and townspeople. Upstairs were displays of gems and minerals from the surrounding areas. The colors, shapes, sizes and varieties left us open jawed.
By now, we were starving but several of the restaurants and cafes we chose to try were already closed for the day. So, we ended up with a delightful lunch at The Bisbee Grille. The two Dougs tried buffalo burgers and we girls (I use the term lightly) stuck with more traditional fare.
We each headed separate directions home with fond memories and lots of pictures. Thanks Doug and Diane for a fun day!
No comments:
Post a Comment