Arizona is a beautiful state offering brilliant sunsets, colorful rock formations and warm (sometimes hot-hot) summer nights. While most people travel north of Phoenix, visiting the Grand Canyon and the tristate region, I love Southeast Arizona. It’s just as beautiful and a lot less congested.
Whether you’re spending just a few days or a week in the area, there is so much to see and do. My favorite time is in the summer. When it’s hot and muggy in many other places, here it stays cooler in the Southeast and is even prettier during this time of year. While its 112 degrees in Phoenix, and 102 in Tucson, it’s only in the low 90s in Sierra Vista and the surrounding areas as a result of the higher elevation. Additionally, if you like watching monsoons or chasing rainbows, this is the place to be in the summer. There’s something for everyone.
Cave Dwellers
Between Interstate 10 at Benson and Sierra Vista, you can visit Kartchner Caverns State Park, voted as one of the top 10 caves in the U.S., Kartchner Cavern is an actually living cave. This means its’ still growing and changing with stalagmites and stalactites. They have two tours, one of which the highlights is the throne room and Kubla Khan, the largest column formation in Arizona.
Check the website before you go as tours can be limited when the bats are hibernating. You might also want to buy your tickets on line as they are often sold out. The Cave was discovered in the 1970’s and is very much protected so you can’t take photos inside. They also offer camping.
Wanna be Cowboys and Cowgirls
Southeast Arizona is home to the OK Corral located in Tombstone. This is where Wyatt Earp and the Earp brothers had their last shoot out. Personally, I’m partial to Doc Holliday. It may just be the blockbuster movie with Val Kilmer, Curt Russ and Sam Elliott but I really appreciate Doc’s attitude toward life. I digress. While a little touristy, Tombstone is alive and well with boots, spurs, horses and shootouts every day. There are shows for the kids and history lessons for the adults. If you have teenagers, I recommend watching the movie before you go. (It’s R rated.) 
My kids loved seeing the buildings they watched on tv the night before and it provided them some context for their visit. To get the real feel of the town, I recommend going to the Big Nose Kate’s for a sassafras (rootbeer). They’ll make a float if you ask them. Kate is reported to be the first prostitute in Tombstone and she was Doc’s girlfriend. Also, the Bird Cage Theatre has a museum. There are more than 140 bullet holes in the building.
The admittance is a little pricey but they give discounts to families. Skip the graveyard in Tombstone and instead visit Boot Hill on the edge of town. It’s got a view and its fun to look at all of the old grave stones. Prices range from $9 to $12.
Miners
If you never been in a mine, Bisbee is where you want to go. The town is built on the side of a mountain and takes you back to the 1880 with gold, copper and silver. Before entering or while leaving the town, visit the Lavender Pit. While you wouldn’t think much of a hole in the ground but it has lots of beautifully colored rocks. It also gives you a sense of how devastating mining was to the environment in the old days. Before you go, reserve a tour ticket for the Queen Mine Tour. You don’t have to pay online but they may be sold out for the day. The mine tour takes you down 1,500 feet via a mining tram car. My 10-year old nephew loved wearing the hard hat, miners light and jacket. Beware though it is not for the claustrophobic. Afterward, head to the town and walk the vintage antique shops. If there your there for breakfast, I’d recommend Ana’s Seasonal Kitchen. The restaurant is very small but the food is amazing. I had pancakes with bananas and a sauce that was to die for. Other good places for lunch or dinner are Café Roka, a little pricy but good and Santiago’s for Mexican food. I’ve also had burgers at the Copper Queen and they are good for bar food. You can sit on the patio and watch people walk by.
Star Gazers
No matter where you visit, if you’re from the city, get out of town one night and drive toward the darkness. It doesn’t really matter where, there are plenty of places to pull off the side of the road. I suggest heading east. Find a place to park before the moon comes up and enjoy the starry, starry night!
History Buffs
Visit Fort Huachuca! The Fort is an army post and is home to all of the Buffalo Soldier regiments. The Fort originated in 1877 to stop the Apache raiding parties from Mexico. Geronimo surrendered in the area and had his last hide out in Southeast Arizona. Regardless of your political beliefs, the history is fascinating as well as the current missions of the Fort that include: unmanned aerial systems, intelligence, cybersecurity and electronic warfare. The Fort has two museums focusing on military intelligence and the Buffalo Soldiers.
If you’re a U.S. resident with ID, you can get a day pass to get onto the facility pretty quickly. Go to the Van Deman gate. There is a trailer off to the side. You can tell the guard you are there to visit the museum. If you’re not a U.S. resident, you should call ahead. For more information, visit: http://huachuca-www.army.mil/pages/des/accesscontrol.html
Where to Stay
Sierra Vista is the best place to stay. It’s in the middle of everything and you can road trip it from there. It offers all of the hotel brands but if you want a clean non-brand hotel, try Sierra Suites. If you’re looking for something more eclectic, stay in Bisbee, there a number of old hotels within the downtown area. The most famous is the Copper Queen although I’ve never stayed there. It was built in 1880 by the Phelps Dodge Mining Company and like a lot of old hotels is reported to be haunted. Bisbee is also known for its weekend music scene; you can walk to most places if you stay downtown.
Where to Eat
Sierra Vista is also known for its ethnic food. There are restaurants for all palates. Some of my favorites are below:
Sushi/Teppan: Hana Toyko
Asian: Indochine or Bamboo Garden
German: The German Café
Mexican: La Casita
Italian: Pizzeria Mimosa This is a little way outside of town but worth the drive.
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