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Showing posts from February, 2015

Bisbee Breakfast Club

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The original restaurant in Bisbee, opened its doors in 2005.  The establishment is situated inside the historic Rexall Drug building on Erie Street in Lowell.  The environment inside is comfy just like home with amazing breakfast meals, mouthwatering lunches, and homemade pies and desserts.  In 2009, because of the popularity of the restaurant, they expanded their interior area buying the glass shop next door.  Now they have plenty of room for all their customers to enjoy a delicious meal.  The Bisbee Breakfast Club has expanded with two new restaurants in Tucson and Mesa, AZ. http://bisbeebreakfastclub.com/

Shops and Art in Southern Wine Country

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The towns in this area are small, but we still managed to find places to shop.  Actually, most of the shops are in Sonoita and Patagonia. Sonoita Merchantile Country Store and Deli , 520-455-5788. This place has a deli, gourmet food items, local wines, and a self-serve Shell gas station. Sweet Ride Gift Shop , 520-455-4717, 3244 Highway 82, Suite 6, Sonoita, Arizona Facebook page:  https://www.facebook.com/pages/Sweet-Ride/271802672840576 The Steak Out Gift Shop is inside the Steak Out Restaurant and Saloon, 520-455-5205, 3243 State Highway 83, Sonoita, Arizona Many Horses Trading Co. , 520-455-5545, American Indian jewelry Website:   http://www.manyhorsestrading.com/ Heartland Ranch Alpacas & Country Store , 520-455-5701, Alpaca products, gifts, wearables, and collectibles Global Arts Gallery , 520-394-0077, 315 McKeown Avenue, Patagonia, Arizona Website:   http://www.globalartsgallery.com/ Tumbleweed & Poppleswamp , 520-384-0055, 299

Places to Dine in Sonoita

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Sonoita, AZ is a rather small town, but it does have places to dine which are notable.  Here are some of them: Vineyard Café This place was recommended by Bernie and Karen of the Xanadu Ranch.  We had breakfast there on our way out of town, and the food was not only priced fair, but very tasty.  They will offer breakfast and lunch, or a brunch on Sundays. Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Vineyard-Cafe-Sonoita/985681721448874 Overland Trout Restaurant -  We didn’t try this place, but we heard that the food was good.  This is what they say on their website:  “Chef Greg LaPrad brings a polished dining experience to the lush high-desert grasslands of Sonoita, poising this region as the Southwest’s prized up-and-coming culinary destination. Named after cowboy slang for bacon, the term “Overland Trout” was first seen in a newspaper published in 1887. Here, we celebrate the culinary heritage of Arizona’s borderlands with our terrain that boasts a rare ag

Other Wine Country Hotels

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When Deb, Sharon and I went to southern wine country in Sonoita, AZ, we picked the Xanadu Ranch Getaway (see post here ).  If this ranch in not your cup of tea or you would rather stay in Elgin, I have a list of some places to check out.  Casita Del Che photo from their website This casita is located in Sonoita, only a couple of miles from the main drag and wineries.  It is a two bedroom, one bath, private home, and has the whole shebang necessary to make your stay comfortable. Website - http://www.casitadoleche.com/ Hacienda de Sonoita photo from their website This bed and breakfast is managed by a husband and wife.  Not only are the views amazing from the home’s deck, but you are also offered a homemade breakfast every morning. Website - http://www.haciendasonoita.com/ Sonoita Inn my photos Located along the main downtown area of Sonoita, the location makes it one of the best choices for your stay.  The rooms are plush with incredible vi

Patagonia Town and Cemetery

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Another town in the Santa Cruz County of Arizona is Patagonia.  Around a 1,000 people call this place home which lies 12 miles south from Sonoita, and 18 miles north of the U.S./Mexico border.  This small settlement seems isolated and quiet.  It is nestled in the Coronado National Forest near two creeks, and where you can find ruins with petroglyphs from the Anasazi people. Sometime in the late 1850’s, the Patagonia Mountains were loaded with silver and many moved to the area to mine the mountains.  By the next decade, the mines were pumping out mass quantities of silver and lead.  All the other towns in the area were enjoying flourishing economies.   In the first part of the 1900’s, the mines all but dried up. Today, Patagonia has survived the shut-down of the mines, but other towns/camps such as Mowry, Harshaw, Washington Camp and Duquesne are all nothing but ghost towns.  You can take a short drive to any of these locations and find fragments of what was.  Many of the st

Southern Arizona's Wine Country

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I just recently took a trip to Sonoita which is located in the heart of southern Arizona wine country.  Sharon, Deb and I were able to try 5 of the vineyards and their wine tasting bars.  The first five I have listed are the ones we went to.  The rest are other vineyards in the area that also offer wine tastings.  I did find out that I do not care for dry wines.  I have more of a sweet wine palette. Dos Cabezas Wine Works – This winery is owned and operated by the Bostock family from the time they acquired the winery in 2006, but has been generating wines since 1995.  The vineyard started out on 80 acres of land near Willcox, AZ, and eventually moved to Sonoita where it flourishes today.  Website:  http://www.doscabezaswineworks.com/ Lightning Ridge Cellars – This small family operated winery was founded in 2005.  They spent eons perfecting their wines and are delighted to present them to the public in honor of their Italian legacy.  As they state on their we

Xanadu Ranch Getaway

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Bernie and Karen When my friends and I stayed in Sonoita, in the middle of southern Arizona wine country, we picked the Xanadu Ranch as our getaway place to spend a couple of nights.  The owners, Bernie and Karen, are the warmest and most inviting people you will ever meet.  From the moment we got there, Karen peaked her head out the door to greet us.  She took us inside the main area, showed us all the food, drinks, and other items available to us.  She gave us a map of where all the vineyards were located, along with the restaurants and shops nearby.  Their ranch was a short drive to anywhere we wanted to go. Our room had two queen beds, a sitting area with cable, fridge, microwave, coffee maker, cups and glasses for any wine we may bring back to our room.  Right outside our room was a table and hammock.  The views from their ranch, with the rolling grassy hills, were breathtaking.  They also had a casita area with tables, BBQ, fire pit and coy pond.  The prices are just