Friday, June 26, 2009

A-B-C-D: Arizona, Bisbee, Caves, Douglas

I found myself in a little hillside town by the name of Bisbee. Bisbee is renowned for it's large supply of copper. The hillsides even seem to glint the metal. But maybe that's just because I wasn't wearing sunglasses. It's hard to take pictures and wear sunglasses at the same time. Or maybe I'm just not that cool, which is probably closest to the truth.


Bisbee has number of interesting doorways. This one features, oh yeah, bottle caps. I wonder who drank all that beer, and why wasn't I invited to the party?

Are we feeling the subway vibe? It doesn't smell the same, that's for sure. The faint odor of sweat and urine seem to be absent. Not that that's a bad thing.

Another doorway on Tack Ave. It is reminiscent of a French cafe, at least that's what I think of when I see a guy with a giant menu.

And then it's back to the car and on to Colossal Caves Mountain Park. These caves have a rich history, extending all the way back to 900 A.D. when the Hohokam Indians inhabited them. However, it wasn't until Franklin D. Roosevelt's Civilian Conservation Corps came in May 1934 that the caves were outfitted with trails, handrails and lighting for easier travel.


The wafting aroma of bat guana greets visitors for the first 50 or so yards into the cave, but the smell dissapates as you climb further down. Colossal Cave is considered dry, meaning that water no longer seeps into the walls.

However, there are still some stalactites and stalagmites found in the cave, though many were broken off as souvenirs during the cave's early years as a tourist attraction. If you need a way to remember the difference between stalactites and stalagmites, stalactites grow down from the top of a cave (the "t" in stalactites correlates with the "t" in "top"), and stalagmites grow from the ground up (the "g" in stalagmites refers to the "g" in "ground"). Make sense? Let me know if it doesn't. Really, please do, as I don't want to make it any more confusing than it already is. Got it? Okay then, we're just going to stop by the gift shop on our way out.

I was highly amused by the "Surprise Packages" found in a trunk. I mean, who wouldn't want "Retired Babies," "Tweet-Tweet, Chirp-Chirp,' or "I Like Empty Bottles, Age 15 Over," as a present? I really should have splurged for the "Empty Bottles" package, but maybe next time.

Heading out again, the colorful sign of The Gadsen Hotel welcomes me to Douglas. The Gadsen features 130 rooms, all air-conditioned. The room decor is pretty sparse, but it did have a TV and a mini-fridge perched on top of a table, although it lacked a carpet pad. Still, I loved that the room had so much character, even drawing midnight knocks on the door from giggling girls, perhaps people seeking to find one of the resident ghosts. Or maybe the ghosts themselves? Eh, eh?


Robin Brekhus, the Gadsen's manager, told me that Room 333 has had hauntings in it, as have many other places in the hotel. This particular room was also mentioned on the TV show "Sightings," so it is considered by many to be the most haunted room.

The interior of the lobby is absolutely gorgeous. Unfortunately, yours truly is not a sophisticated enough of a photographer to capture it's beauty, so you should really check out the website for the gorgeous pictures. They just don't make lobbies like this anymore.

And just so you know, Room 333 had 1Samuel 16-17 open upon check-in. I have no idea what that means.

And that's it for this series of "As the Road Turns." I'm heading out of town tomorrow, so I will have more pictures from the road. I promise to post those sooner than I got to these. So come back soon, ya hear?

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