October 14-16, 2023 – Willcox, AZ

We left Las Cruces Saturday morning and drove to Willcox, AZ where we are staying at the Fort Willcox RV Park.  This is another very old and very basic RV park and the sites are very close together.

Sunday, we went to Apple Annie’s Orchard outside of Willcox.  We were disappointed that they only had a few varieties of apples.  A late frost killed most of the apple crop and all the peaches and pears.  We were happy to be able to buy an apple pie, apple butter, and apple cider donuts.  We also bought some fudge, kettle corn and spun honey. 

 

On the way home we stopped at Lee’s Pecan Orchard.  Mr. Lee was selling fresh pecans out of his garage.  He was also selling fresh pistachios for one of his neighbors.  We enjoyed talking with Mr. Lee and learning how they harvest pecans.   Of course, we left with pecans and pistachios.

Monday morning, we stopped at the Willcox Visitor Center and picked up information on the area.  We then drove 35 miles south to Chiricahua National Monument.  The National Monument was established in 1924 and covers 12,025 acres.

Our first stop was at Far Away Ranch.  We walked along a path that first came to the barn and corrals.

We especially liked the saddle room because it had the horses' names on the white buckets hanging above where the saddles were stored.

We crossed a small foot bridge to the ranch house.  Swedish immigrants Neil and Emma Erickson settled here in 1888.   By the 1920’s their eldest daughter, Lillian, and her husband, Ed Riggs, had turned the homestead into a guest ranch.  From 1917 until 1973 visitors came to relax, watch birds and hike.  Lillian and Ed built trails and led guests on horseback through the rocks and pinnacles.

We next stopped at the Visitor Center and watched a short film on Chiricahua National Park.  We got some information from the park rangers about the area and then started up the Bonita Canyon Drive.  We immediately started seeing great rock formations.

                This is called the Organ Pipe Formation.

More rock formations along the road.

Every curve in the road revealed more great rock formations.

And more.

Higher up the canyon we stopped an overlook and got a great view of Echo Canyon.

Bonita Canyon Drive ended at Massai Point where there were more great rock formations.

We hiked the Massai Point Trail and found more interesting rock formations along the trail.

We came to an overlook where there were pinnacles and rock formations as far as you could see.

                    More rock formations along the trail.

We drove back down Bonita Canyon Drive and came upon these two white-tailed deer.

 We enjoyed our day at Chiricahua National Monument and were amazed at all the rock formations and pinnacles.

Back at the campground we were treated to a beautiful sunset.  Cranes also fly over every evening, and we enjoy hearing their calls.  Sandhill Cranes winter in this area from October through February.  We also enjoyed a piece of the delicious apple pie from Apple Annies this evening.