A Few Sandwiches Shy of a Picnic
After eight months of unremitting gloom in Seattle, Kathy needed a sunshine fix. With David and Dennis, we set out to tour old mining towns southeast of Patagonia. The date was April 1, 2006 -- April Fool's Day -- but all the jokes were on us. We had prepared a fabulous picnic lunch of stuffed grape leaves, feta and sun-dried tomato sandwiches, fatoush salad, pita and hummus. As the last remnants of civilization disappeared in the rear view mirror, we realized the cooler was not on board. A detour to the grocery store in Patagonia led to an espresso stop and then a quick side trip to the BPD (Borderline Personality Disorder) Boutique. A glass of marbles crashed to the floor just as we both remembered why we didn't like this store. Of course I offered to pay for it, and although we were on our knees picking up shards of glass, apparently we weren't sufficiently contrite. Suddenly it was no longer a simple jar of marbles I had heartlessly shoved to its death, but an original, hand-crafted and priceless "ensemble." The Drama Queen snapped out of it when Kathy waved some cash under her nose, and we left at a dead run, vowing NEVER to return.
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Having lost our marbles in Patagonia, we continued to the village of Harshaw, a former mining town that was home to as many as 2000 people during its very brief heyday (1880-1903).
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Today little remains but a few old foundations and a very colorful cemetery.
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We turned onto Flux Canyon Road, aiming for Trench Camp. Fortunately, we got lost and ended up at the World's Fair Mine, which was much more interesting.
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Here we found the remains of a stamp mill and lots of other big-time mining equipment for the boys.
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The stamp mill operated from the early 1880s to 1954, and produced some 13,000 tons of silver, lead and copper ore.
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The mine shaft oozes water from underground springs.
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The setting could not be more spectacular, and as I type, Dennis is mapping out the route for a mountain bike loop ride.
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"Where to next? Oh just flip a coin!"
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Mowry it is, where there were no ruins at all, except for a couple we'll call Billy Bob and Sally Sue.
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At first we offered advice and a shovel, but we joined in the digging and pushing when it became obvious that Billy Bob was a heart attack looking for a place to happen. Kathy took a tumble, and I had to Bondo her rear bumper.
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We pressed on to the Duquesne and Washington Camp townsites. Duquesne is still for sale, but now it has more barbed wire than a concentration camp. And despite the wall of "No Trespassing" signs, Lochiel is worth visiting because it lies in the most beautiful golden valley in Arizona.
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Back to Patagonia and a remarkably incident-free celebratory dinner at the Velvet Elvis!
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Photos by David, Dennis, Kathy and me.