otoole01

Planning on a day trip from Tucson to Southern AZ later this week. Our plans are to go to Bisbee to see/do Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum, the Lavendar Pit, and Copper Queen Underground Mine Tour in Bisbee. Would we have time to include one or more of these stops on our day trip: Fort Hauchuca museum, Whitewater Draw to see the cranes, Ramsey Canyon Preserve or Sonita Creek Nature Preserve, Ruby ghost town? Which would you recommend? What route would one take? Note, one traveler in our group cannot walk easily (is scheduled for knee surgery shortly). We have been to Tombstone previously so no need to suggest this destination.

MmePerdu

A simple RT drive Tucson / Bisbee is about 3 hours. The pit is a pulloff to look into a big hole. The Mining Museum isn't very big, maybe an hour at most. I'm not an underground person so in 25 years in Bisbee I didn't indulge but I'd guess another hour, depending on the wait if any. But the best part of Bisbee is seeing the town, though your less mobile companion may limit your options though in that regard. Plan time for lunch, of course.

The biggest attraction between Tucson & Bisbee is Kartchner Caverns and has the advantage of being pretty much on the way, at about the half-way point, not too far off I-80. If that would interest you I believe you can make a reservation for the tour and time it to coincide with your drive, either on the way or your return. Check the park website for exact information. https://azstateparks.com/kartchner/

Ramsey Canyon is best known for birding, but winter is the least interesting time and since walking is part of the visit, again maybe not suitable. The cranes are beyond Bisbee some distance and you may not have time. Also, this is the time of year the cranes leave so you'd want to check to see if they're still there. Sorry I'm not familiar with the other 2 you mention. You can check google maps for the time involved to see if they're practical stops.

otoole01

Thanks for your feedback. We have been to Kartchner so I'll do further research. Have you been to the history museum @ Fort Hauchucua ?

MmePerdu

No, sorry, I haven't. Have you visited the Amerind Foundation Museum? You could actually make a circle, off I-10 at Dragoon (next after Benson/Hwy 80), stop for the Amerind, continue east on Dragoon Rd, then south on 191 past Whitewater to see if there are cranes (could be stragglers even if the main group has moved on) then Double Adobe Rd. west (past my best friend's house) to 80 and up to Bisbee. Return to Tucson up 80 to I-10. It's a very nice drive through the valley ranches between the Chiracahua and Mule Mountains.

MmePerdu

Amerind website: Welcome to the Amerind Museum

Nelson

If you are interested in ghost towns do you know about Gleeson?
Gleeson - Arizona Ghost Town

Don't know how it compares to Ruby, but it's just a few miles detour off the circular route suggested by MmePerdue.
We found it to be worth the photo-op stop.

My wife loves mine tours (her father worked in a West Virginia coal mine as a boy) and we thought the underground tour in Bisbee was quite good.

Scotia

I was in Bisbee last month. It was about two hours from Tucson through the desert. Bisbee is a former mining town, very hilly and over 5,000 feet in elevation. We stayed in a hotel called "Eldorado Suites Hotel" in a 1914 building. It was very clean, spacious and had many amenities. It is on a hill so I am thinking of the person with mobility problems. Dinner was at the Copper Queen Hotel's dining room which had white tablecloths and the service very good. The next day we had breakfast at the Breakfast Bisbee Club which is on a street right out of the 1950's. There were rusted cars on street and many of the shops were closed but buildings still stand. It was probably the most interesting part of our trip.

jubilada

Don’t miss Amerind!