March 2008.........

Chiricahua National Monument: The monument covers a five by six mile area in extreme southeast Arizona. It contains many volcanic rocks eroded into dramatic pinnacles and spires. There is a winding eight mile drive through the park and the road climbs to 6,870 ft. One of the most striking formations, the Heart of Rocks, is reached by a strenuous hike that descends over 1,000 ft over 2.7 miles. We did not attempt the hike, however just driving through the park was fascinating. One of the photos below is of the Organ Pipe formation, it's a sloping cliff face, weathered into many rocky columns. There is a visitor center and campground, not sure what length restrictions there are for campers. The monument is located 40 miles from Wilcox, on AZ 186. We cut across country coming from Tombstone on some back roads to get there, then went to Wilcox, picked up I-10 at Wilcox and returned to Benson where we were camped. Not many people visit the monument because it is so remote, but it was really worth the stop.

March 2008.........

Fairbank Historic Townsite: Located off State H-82 along the San Pedro river, not far from Tombstone. It began in 1881 and today is an abandoned ghost town. It was the closest railway stop to Tombstone and one of the largest western cities in 1882 with a population of 15,000.The town was built on an old Mexican land grant, then purchased by a cattle company which then evicted all the land owners. Most people tore down their houses so the cattle company couldn't use them. The only thing that's in good shape is the school house, and the BLM is now stabilizing the Commercial Building that consisted of a general store, post office and saloon. There are a few other old buildings, some hiking trails and, a small campground. The stop wasn't really very worthwhile, but it's part of history.

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