Cruising Past Seventy: The Inner Journeys: 5 Surprising Small Town Discoveries on our Socially Distanced Road Trips

Friday, June 19, 2020

5 Surprising Small Town Discoveries on our Socially Distanced Road Trips


For a popular travel zine for the 50+ traveler, I was assigned to write about "5 Off-the-beaten-path Towns in Arizona" that are great to visit  Those towns had populations of seven to 1,300. This article is about Arizona’s slightly larger towns with populations of 1,750 to 7,500 which are also largely undiscovered. We discovered them during the road trips we made as a socially distanced activity during the time of Covid-19.

Cave Creek

Frontier Town in Cave Creek

Cave Creek, Arizona is a small town (population, 5,015) that borders north Phoenix and just an hour from our Viewpoint home. The town was settled in 1870 by soldiers on horseback from Fort McDowell. Years later, prospectors found gold here. The city has continued its tradition and built what it is now known for, The Frontier Town. The special place has shops, saloons, a cemetery, and other outlets that give one a truly western experience. Unfortunately, during this time of C, it was closed. We took lots of pictures though.

Cave Creek Regional Park campsite

However, the Cave Creek Regional Park nearby was open. Unfortunately, its Nature Center was also closed. We just drove around and found wonderful campsites with RVs parked in such a lovely setting. Each site has power and water hook-ups and a dump site and restrooms are on the grounds. It would have been great to camp there but Bill says we are not buying a new RV.

Carefree

Phallic Rock in Carefree

Carefree, Arizona (population, 5,019) is bordered by Scottsdale to the south and Cave Creek to the west. The two towns are often thought of as a single community and share the local landmark Black Mountain to their north. Just before reaching the town plaza, on East Stagecoach Pass, stands the Phallic Rock of Arizona. Yes, it's true. It is an unusual roadside attraction.

Carefree Sundial in Carefree Desert Garden

Just past the rock, the upscale master-planned residential community of Carefree begins. The town is most proud of the Carefree Sundial. Built in 1959, it is reputed to be the "third largest sundial in the Western Hemisphere." Made from a steel frame that is covered in anodized copper, it measures 90 feet in diameter. It is located in the Carefree Desert Garden in the middle of the shopping plaza on 101 Easy St. Tip: there is a rare crested saguaro in the garden.

Globe

Gila Valley Bank in Globe

Globe is a city in Gila County, Arizona with a population under 7,500. It is an hour and a half east of our home in Mesa, a lovely trip through the Salt River Canyon Scenic Drive. It was founded in 1875 as a mining camp. The Downtown Historic District has been added to the National Register of Histtriporic Places, especially with buildings like the Gila Valley Bank built in 1909 and the Pickle Barrel Trading Post (headline photo). Sadly, they were both closed when we visited.

Besh-Ba-Gowah Park in Globe

The Globe Cemetery is also a very interesting place with gravesites of Confederate and Union soldiers alongside more recent ones, including those of little children that are decorated with their favorite toys. But the highlight of our trip was our visit to Besh-Ba-Gowah Park, once home to Salado hunters, gatherers, and farmers in the 14th century when it had 200 rooms in a two-story structure. The Visitor Center was closed so we simply roamed the grounds freely, without another soul around, just taking lots of photos.

Miami

colorful, active copper mines in Miami

The town of Miami, population 1,774, is just 6 miles west of Globe's downtown and you will see it before reaching Globe. The two, just like Cave Creek and Carefree above, are known as the Globe/Miami metropolitan statistical area which also includes nearby Inspiration, Claypool, and Central Heights-Midland City. And what strikes you right away are the copper mines, from grey washed-up old ones to the more colorful active ones. The main industry in this small town is the Fremont McMoran Copper Smelting Plant, one of only three in the US. The other two are Rio Tinto in Garfield, Utah as well as Grupo Mexico in Hayden, Arizona.

Ajo
miles of washed-up mines

We chanced upon Ajo, the unincorporated community in Pima County that is the closest community to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument which is just 18 miles from the Mexican border. As a matter of fact, the National Monument has been used as a corridor for entry of illegal aliens coming from Mexico. Ajo’s population now stands at more than 3.300.  It has become home to many retired people and border patrol agents. A Customs Border Office is nearby in the really small town of Why, Arizona (population, 170). During the construction of a new border wall in 2019-2020, many workers lived in the RV parks, hotels, and rental houses of Ajo.

colorful walls of displaced rocks


As you go through Highway 85 that directly leads to the Monument, you will love the views of the mines and the displaced rocks that are in long arrays. If you have the time to go into town, you will also be able to see the lovely but already closed open-pit mine of Fred McMoran. Native Americans, Spaniards, and Americans have all extracted mineral wealth from Ajo's abundant ore deposits. High-grade native copper made Ajo the first copper mine in Arizona. With the advent of new recovery methods for low-grade ore, Ajo boomed. Production, however, was stopped in 1984.

Pickle Barrel Trading Post in Globe

We love our road trips to nearby state, regional and national parks around us. They kept us not only refreshed but also safe while on lockdown. And we always discover off-the-beaten-path small towns that are hidden gems like these five.


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48 comments:

  1. Cave Creek. Carefree, Globe, Miami, and Ajo, Arizona. These are the 5 towns we discovered while visiting parks around us.

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  2. Great suggestions for day road trips in Arizona. I've got some knowledge of these towns and spend a little time in Cave Creek and Carefree, but Ajo was totally off my radar. I'd love to visit nearby Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument while there, too.

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    1. That would be a great visit...especially if you are going to Rocky Point for some beach time!

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  3. What a fabulous tour of the region and all these cool landscapes and places to visit, thanks for the tour.

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  4. You certainly did find some interesting little towns to visit during this difficult time! They all look like they are worth a return visit when things get better. Meanwhile, they are worth the trip just for a change of scenery.

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    1. We discovered them while on road trips to state, regional, and national parks around Phoenix!

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  5. We love finding unexpected treasures in small towns. It looks like you two are really digging deep to find the true hidden gems. Please travel safely and keep sharing your discoveries.

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  6. Great discoveries. I've visited a couple of things in Carefree and Besh-Ba-Gowah Park in Globe, but for the most part I've not explored these towns even after spending several winters in Arizona. Things to add to my list for future visits!

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    1. We have lived here for the past 3 years but only had time to get to know places around Phoenix!

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  7. Arizona is such an epitome of the USA. I haven't visited that part of the US yet but would certainly like to see it. However, my problem in the US is the leak of public transportation since I'm not driving.

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  8. It's always nice when you get to explore the small town. Thanks for the tour.

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  9. Finding small off-the-beaten path places is the best part about roadtripping. It's unfortunate that so many things were closed when you were visiting, but it's nice that you still got out exploring.

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    1. We knew they were going to be closed. But then it was very safe!

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  10. We need another discovery road trip!

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  11. Great post- we will definitely only be taking road trips and camping for a long while so we're reading a lot on great places like this to explore safely!

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  12. Woow this is soo cool. I really need to go on a road trip. It looks soo goo.d

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  13. I love this post! It brought back so many memories of when I was a little girl and I would visit my grandparents in Arizona and we would always jump in the car and travel to small cities like this. I think I've been to some of these, but not for sure. This inspires me to take my kids on a road trip to these small beautiful cities in Arizona!!! Thanks so much for this post!

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  14. Ajo, Besh-Ba-Gowah Park in Globe, and The Globe Cemetery look so exciting. I have no idea about this charming cities in Arizona! I hope to visit them one day.

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  15. I've only been to Arizona for the Grand Canyon, so I've never heard of these towns - but they look like great places to visit & get a better feel for "real" Arizona!

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  16. i've always wanted to visit Arizona! I've only been to the Grand Canyon, but would love to explore more of the desert area.

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  17. I'd visit Globe just to see that bank. Love architecture! I haven't been to Arizona yet, but this post shows you should slow down and see the little gems as well as the better known attractions. Thanks for the tips!

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  18. I've been thinking about going on a road trip this summer! Thank you for showing me that it's possible and sharing your experience!

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    1. Ee have been doing this since Aprilm it's vnatural social distancing

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  19. Love the concept of a trading post ... where the shelves are full of things to buy that you didn't even know you needed. These were probably the precursor to the modern day hardware store... but sadly these seem to be dying out as well.

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    1. It was only yporarily closed because of Coronavirus. Online store is available.

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  20. I can't say that I've every heard of these towns. Can't wait to explore them on my next Arizona road trip!

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  21. I remember many of these towns from when my grandparents lived in Arizona! Thanks for taking me back to my childhood!

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  22. I always find American small towns interesting - it's good that you can use this time to explore some of them.

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  23. I love wandering around really small towns like these! Why, Arizona has to be my favorite town name!

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    1. Seeing ata townwtown with thatathat name was alsoa delight for me

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  24. It's interesting to learn that Cave Creek has a population of 5,015

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  25. Beautiful scenery. I'm intrigued by the contrast of the straight lines of the Carefree Sundial next to the saguaros. I love cemeteries--so many stories. I'd love to see the Globe Cemetery. I don't think of Arizona as being involved in the Civil War. I definitely want to know more.

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