Bisbee, Arizona

Ringed by the Mule mountains 5,550 feet above sea level and along the U.S./Mexico border in southeastern Arizona, rustic Bisbee is a step back in time. It started out as a mining town in the 1880s and for years prospered as tons of gold, copper and silver were pulled from the land. In the 1970s, the mining operations ceased, and Bisbee looked for a way to survive.

City leaders quickly turned to the idea of heritage tourism and opened one of the mines for public tours. This mine, the Copper Queen, was once Arizona’s most productive copper mine and became the highlight of a Bisbee visit. As more tourists came to town, Bisbee began to evolve as an artists’ colony and today is a quirky, hip and relatively gay-friendly desert oasis.

Its historic downtown is wall to wall Victorian buildings along compact, narrow streets. Antique shops, B&Bs, art galleries and cafes attract not only tourists but the occasional celebrity.

Neighborhoods outside of downtown have adobe homes, bungalows and ranch ramblers, some in better shape than others. A grocery, a food co op and a farmers’ market serve local needs.

The Arizona Cactus Botanical Garden is here and has more than 800 species of desert plants. Bisbee Obscure Productions produces a number of plays each year. The annual Bisbee 1000 Stair Climb challenges contestants to traverse 1,034 stairs while being serenaded by musicians along the route.