Monday, March 26,2018.

CNC Copper Miners

Waking up, we are glad that we hiked yesterday. The wind is already blowing and it is much cloudier today. We pack up and are out of our room by 0930. We plan on seeing if we can get on a 1030 tour of the Queen Mine. We arrive and there is a tour bus there. People are in line and there is a sign saying the 1200 tour is full. I go and ask if there are still spaces on the 1030 tour and am told there are. We wait in line, get our tickets and wait to be called. So far so good. They call our group and we are supplied with hard hats, orange vests, and lamps.

On the Mule

Then we board the electric mule (train of sorts) for a ride into the mine. You have to straddle the seat and it is not the most comfortable position. The door to the mine opens and we start our way in. When we make our first stop, we are close to a half mile in the mountain. We get off the train and walk to a shaft. The guide tells us how they did things in the old days and then the first “modern” equipment that was used. It is all very interesting. We make another stop where we see more improved equipment and learned how they drilled the holes for the dynamite and set off the charges. We go deeper into the mine for our last stop which has more equipment and the ore cart port a potty the miners used. We also saw the evolution of the ore carts, first moved by men, then by mules which they stabled in the mine, and eventually pulled by cables and machinery.

Mine Port a Potty

Our guide worked his whole life in the surrounding mines before retiring and doing tours. He was very knowledgeable on the operation. We get a ride back out into daylight. We both thought the tour was worthwhile. We head out of Bisbee and start our drive towards Phoenix. Along the way, we stop in Tucson for gas and have lunch at St Mary’s, a small place selling fresh homemade Mexican food. We order a couple of burritos for lunch as well as some tamales to bring home and a dozen homemade tortillas. While we are eating lunch, Carol sees someone walk by with dessert. That causes her to go and get two large pieces of tres leches cake that we can have for dessert tonight. We hit the road and finish our drive, arriving in Scottsdale around 4:00 PM. Carol is flying out of Phoenix tomorrow for New Jersey to see her mom and I will drive home. We have dinner at Oreganos, an Italian place we can walk to from our hotel. Our dessert is the very good tres leches cake. A good ending to our small adventure. See you next time.