Arriving in Bisbee, Arizona, feels like what I imagine to accidentally drive into a secret cult. One minute, you’re driving past gas stations with pick up trucks and guys wearing cowboy hats (in a non-ironic way). And the next, you’re seeing aging hippies in purple jump suits, anti-war and anti-Trump posters and guitar players busking on the street. Did I accidentally drive back to San Francisco?
Less than a 2 hour drive from Tucson, or a 20 minute drive from rednecky Tombstone, the little town of Bisbee is definitely a self-selecting group. More than one local we talked with told us that “Bisbee was a calling.” Or my personal favorite description on a T-shirt in one of the art galleries, “Bisbee: Mayberry on Acid.”
T-Shirt in local Bisbee art gallery.
No doubt, the town is progressive – the first place in Arizona to legalize same-sex civil unions. In fact, there was even an equal rights fundraiser the night we were there (where everyone wore cardboard boxes as costumes – naturally). But it wasn’t always peace and love for Bisbee. The town was a working-class copper mining town. But all that changed in 1975 when the last mine shut down permanently.
Vantage point for the Lavender Pit, a formerly active copper mine in Bisbee
Artists soon got word, and moved in droves to fetch houses as cheap as $100 for a fixer-upper or $1,000 for a pretty good one. We’re talking full-size homes here! Deals can still be found here today – with homes hovering in the $100K range, with many even lower. I even pondered the idea of what it would be like to buy one (and my partner, probably not so much!).
Tourism is what keeps the place alive. Sunset Magazine even named Bisbee as the “Best Small Town in America” in the February 2016 issue. Not too shabby. So things are looking up despite the tough economic hit the town has taken.
To get a full Bisbee experience, I recommend staying the night. Just one night – if you stay any more, you will likely be sucked into the Bisbee cult. Seriously, we felt like locals after just 24 hours. We knew it was time to leave when people were yelling out to us…by name! Here are the top experiences for your quick trip to Bisbee.
Best Experience: Old Bisbee Ghost Tour
Bisbee Ghost Tour – Kevin’s favorite part of the trip.
Okay, we’ve taken other ghost tours, including the ghost busting tour in Jerome, Arizona (another ghosty-town). But what makes this tour so much fun is the tour owner and guide Renee. She’s a renaissance lady – running the ghost tours, author and even artists (where she showed off her cupcake paintings). The 2-hour tour is well worth it for all the history and hilarious stories. Pretty much every hotel in Bisbee is haunted. Though, my personal favorite was the story of a calico ghost cat that allegedly starved to death and now curls up in bed with you in room 23 of the Bisbee Inn. I’m allergic to cats, but I sure wouldn’t mind a ghost cat! Cost is just $13 per person for the tour (and worth every penny). As for the cat, it’s included in the hotel rate! You can book directly on the website here.
Best Dinner: Santiago’s Mexican Food
Big portions at Santiago’s
Our waiter at Santiago’s suggested a mask.
Very fun vibe and big portions (you’ll want to split the main course here). And coming from LA, everything seemed like such a deal. And if you mention that you went to their blog, you’ll get an additional 10% off your meal. I recommend you get a seat in the main bar where you can watch the best of Bisbee pass you by on the street.
Best Brunch: Bisbee Breakfast Club
Ranchos Huevos at Bisbee Breakfast Club
Bisbee Breakfast Club – hot Sunday brunch spot.
On a Sunday, this is the hot spot in Bisbee. We ran into all our “friends” – the locals we’ve come to know over the last 24 hours. The breakfast spot is right by the Lavender Pit, a former open-pit copper mine and well worth a stop at the vantage point. They serve lunch as well but everyone comes for the breakfast. Their website says “locations nationwide” – meaning Bisbee, Tucson and Mesa, Arizona! But Bisbee’s location is the place you want to go.
Best Shops: The Killer Bee Guy, 55 Main Gallery, Vincente’s Fine Art Gallery
Tiny shop that packs a lot of honey – at The Killer Bee Guy
One of the many galleries with local Arizona artists
Hotel Recommendation: Letson Loft Hotel
Inside the Letson Loft Hotel
This is NOT where we stayed. The hotels are still a little rough around the edges here (or haunted, which is another story!). From checking out the properties, I was impressed with this place. Many of the hotels – including on our ghost walking tour – reminded me of staying in an episode of American Horror Story. Seriously, choose wisely! Rates at the Letson Loft Hotel vary, but generally run anywhere from $100-$200 a night depending on the season.
Other fun activities: Copper Queen Mine Tour; Check out the old-time main street in nearby Lowell
All aboard the Copper Queen Mine Tour
If you have the time, the Copper Queen Mine Tour is a good way to get some context to Bisbee’s mining past. Our guide was pretty much impossible to understand since he didn’t enunciate, but the little train ride into the mine was well worth the trip. Reservations are recommended as they often sell out on weekends. Though, the first tour of the day, which started promptly at 9 AM, was pretty empty.
Just down the street in Lowell (where you can grab brunch at the Bisbee Breakfast Club) is the blip of a town called Lowell. Walk around the town and feel like you’ve gone in a time warp to the 1950’s.
Old gas station near the Bisbee Breakfast Club
The main street in Lowell, a great place to stroll
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