A Personal Amateur Photography Blog
A second visit to Tubac allowed time for a visit to the state historical park, which had a number of art pieces around the grounds. That, coupled with the general art vibe of the town gave enough interesting shots for a posting.
One of the best examples of Spanish Colonial architecture in the United States is the Mission San Xavier del Bac.
The church underwent a 20 year restoration, with the final scaffolding coming down in the last month.
A brief stop in Wichita, the last city of any size before heading west across the vast plains and into the desert. So they have that going for them.
Kansas City’s Union Station still provides what little passenger rail service exists today, but it has so much more. It has been restored as a museum, restaurant center and post office. The station was, and is, one of America’s great stations.
The next larger city on the way west was Kansas City. The highlight was Union Station (next posting), but the couple of hours in town provided some nice shots beyond the station.
Wupatki translates to Tall House in Hopi, an appropriate name for this large Sinagua pueblo structure that had over 100 rooms.
It is constructed of Moenkopi sandstone, giving it the red color it is famous for. It dates from the 11th century.
In addition to the house there is a ballcourt and other nearby structures.
Lowell, Arizona is just south of Bisbee, and today is officially part of the city of Bisbee. Not only has the town lost it’s population over the years, but it actually lost it’s land as the massive copper pit mining was expanded.
Today a portion of the main street remains, with a collection of old buildings, cars, trucks and buses – but it has a unique appeal. It is the scene of numerous photo and video shoots.
It is only about 20 miles from Tombstone to Bisbee, but culturally it is a world away from the old west gun crowd. Bisbee is known as an artistic town, full of free spirits, having been named the ‘Best Hippie Town in Arizona’.
It was founded in the late 1800s as a mining town, and there is evidence of that everywhere, with the town situated in a steep valley with a 1 street commercial district, and houses scattered up and down the hills.
Many of the houses and commercial buildings have interesting architecture, but the crown jewel is the Art Deco Cochise County Courthouse.
When the mining eventually died out in the 1970s, the artistic crowd found the town perfect for them, with a fantastic climate, interesting architecture and affordability. Today the town thrives on as one of the destinations in Southern Arizona.
A beautiful Saturday morning walk around downtown Tucson included a stop at the Historic Pima County Courthouse, and the surrounding area.
Completed in 1930 the courthouse is a mix of Mission Revival and Spanish Colonial architecture.
A warm Labor Day morning was the perfect opportunity to walk among the shade from the downtown buildings with very few people around.
RDZ Photography 