As we left Scottsdale this morning, we headed South and along the 60 towards Globe – funny enough Evergreen’s family came from Globe – Passed through Superstition Springs for a late breakfast then on through Tonto National Forest continuing our route.
Fun fact: did you know it takes Saguaro cactus 10 years to grow one arm? I stand corrected!! Each Saguaro cactus takes 75-100 years BEFORE it grows a side arm IF they grown any, and before I even read this, on the road I was marveling at some of them with how many arms they had! Let alone the fact that I was then creating caricatures in my head of some of them like you would cloud watching. Their flowers are the state wildflower of Arizona.
Through Superior founded 1882, was originally a Silver mining town and today still runs a massive production of Copper mining. Ray Mine still operating today and a massive operation.
Like nearby Globe, Ray and Clifton, Superior was once a huge part of an Apache reservation.
We continued up in elevation from 1600ft up to 4983 feet before dropping back down.
We came into Kearny founded in 1958, named after General Stephen Watts Kearny who passed through the area in 1846 while leading 100 dragoons to California.
Hayden founded 1909 is almost a ghost town now but once home to the tallest smelter chimney in Arizona.
The landscape is changing to scrub and rocky outcrops as we drop back down again into Globe.
Globe (Western Apache: Bésh Baa Gowąh “place of metal”) was founded in 1875 as a mining camp. Silver was the draw card and the city of Globe was incorporated in 1876 with Globe printing its first newspaper May 2, 1878.
Its history remained laced with outlaws, murders, stagecoach robberies and more! Ike Clanton and Phineas Clanton arrived here just after the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral in Tombstone.
So much more history here and of course Evergreen has a brilliant photo in the guest room of distinguished looking gentleman from that era who are her family.
From here it was on weaving through snow capped mountains in the distance and headed through Geronimo and through to Fort Thomas established 1876. It was also previously Camp Goodwin part of the Apache Wars and Clantonville.
We passed the Pinaleno Mountains with the most prominent Mount Graham still with snow caps on it.
Things you don’t expect to see as you go through Safford into Solomon – a cowboy, yes cowboy, hat and all, riding an e-scooter on the side of the road!
Duncan founded 1883, originally a railroad way station called Purdy, was later renamed for Duncan Smith, a director of the Arizona Copper Company.
Uh oh! A stop with the local Sheriff 😬 just less than 14 miles into New Mexico. Jack gets a warning thankfully.
Into Lordsburg at a more regulated pace and back onto I10 headed for Las Cruces, NM.
We make it back to Las Cruces where we started some of our travels. Dinner at Applebees and right next to Cracker Barrel for Breaky in the morning.
Walmart just proved uneventful for what I was looking for so rest and relaxation now. Night!
Kat x
The Adventures of Jack n Kat 