Historic Old West HighwayDec 18, 2008
|
|
The historic sign
Desert landscape
Through the he Gila Mountains
I switched from the freeway at Lordsburg to the more scenic "Old West Highway".
The Old West Highway
The road traces 600 years of western history and adventure as it traverses sites of ancient ruins, traces silver mining which once attracted the likes of Bat Masterson, Wyatt Earp & Doc Holliday. Many markers recount milestones of pioneers establishing settlements, killings by indian and other historical events.
The road meanders through the San Carlos Indian Reservation, home to approximately 10,000 Apaches living on 1,834,783 acres. It continues through the Tonto National Forest, a hair-raising drive through windy roads, across bridges, through a tunnel and across canyons with panororamic views at every turn.
Then through Globe, with its many historic buildings. This town has been a mining town since the late 1800's, and has ties to a number of gunfighters, a notorious one being Pearl Heart, the West's only known female stagecoach robber.
On the road from Duncan to Sanford we drove through mile upon mile of cotton fields as this area being active in cotton production. We arrived in Sanford in the early afternoon for a well earned rest in the Roper Lake campground.
