RVing In Cochise County

Mine Tours, Wineries, Ghost Town Renovation, And More

Cochise County, Ariz. (May 3, 2007) – Full of history, Cochise County is also a place of great beginnings. Visitors can explore these new attractions and more in Cochise County, Land of Legends.

Fairbank Ghost Town

School has been out since 1944, but on March 31, some of Fairbank former students returned to their desks during the grand opening. Four rail lines served the bustling mining town, which included several houses, a mercantile and a hotel.

Painstaking restoration turned the schoolhouse into an info center, museum and gift shop. The schoolhouse is open to the public Friday-Sunday from 9:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Contact (520)-457-3062 or San Pedro Riparian National Conservation Area (520) 439-6400.

Old Bisbee Ghost Tour

Looking for the spirit of adventure? In the Old Bisbee Ghost Tour, a “Ghost Host” takes visitors on a walking tour to learn about the haunts of this 125-year-old town. Learn the favorite haunts of Julia who enjoys the company of married men staying alone in her room, Nat the Miner who owed money and paid with his life, and the Lady in White who saved three children’s lives.

The 90-minute tours are given Friday, Saturday, and Sunday evenings. Private tours may also be scheduled. Adults $12, children under 12, $7. Contact (520) 432-3308 or www.OldBisbeeGhostTour.com.

Blue House Music & Café

A new “scene” in Willcox, the Blue House serves coffee, tea, and pastries. Owned by the high school band teacher and his wife, this music-themed café is located at 145 Rail View Ave., across the railroad track from the Rex Allen Museum. Musicians perform weekends. Contact: (520) 766-0501.

The Good Enough Underground Mine Tour

Former Tombstone mayor, Andree Dejournett, purchased silver mine that was discovered by Tombstone founder Ed Schieffelin. “The Good Enough Underground Mine Tour” takes visitors 550 feet underground into cool, well-lit rooms, some with 20-foot ceilings. Hours: 10 a.m.-4 p.m., with extended weekend hours. Adults: $13; children under 12: $8. Contact (520) 255-5553 or www.GoodEnoughMineTour.com.

New Buffalo Soldier Exhibit, Tours

Learn more about the history of the soldiers who valiantly defended the Arizona Territory during the late 1800s and into the turn of the century. The Arizona legislature named 2007 the Year of the Buffalo Soldier.

As a tribute to these soldiers, a new museum exhibit has opened, a walking tour brochure has been created, a monthly tour of historic Buffalo Soldier sites is being conducted, and more events will be scheduled throughout the year. Contact: Sierra Vista Convention & Visitors Bureau, (520)-417-6960, 1-800-288-3861 or www.VisitSierraVista.com.

New Wineries In Willcox

Two wineries opened in 2006. Coronado Vineyards’ features a tasting room with nine wines and a gift shop with Arizona-grown produce — 2909 E. Country Club Drive, Willcox, Ariz. Contact: (520) 384-2993 or www.CoronadoVineyards.com.

Crop Circle Vineyard has eight wines, four of which are its Crop Circle label. The others are wines from Echo Canyon Vineyard & Winery, its parent company. Contact: (520) 384-3022

      Located in southeastern Arizona, Cochise County is one of the most culturally, historically and geographically diverse areas in the American Southwest. Its legendary communities — Benson, Bisbee, Douglas, Tombstone, Sierra Vista and Willcox — were strategically located less than a day’s journey by stagecoach and are now just a short drive from one another. For more information about Cochise County, call  1-800-862-5273 or visit www.explorecochise.com.