Going Underground Tour
This two and a half day tour stops underground at Kartchner Caverns that were voted “Best Cave in America” and “Best Arizona Attraction” by USA Today Reader’s Choice Awards. You will then head to Coronado National Memorial where you can explore the Coronado Cave, perfect for folks who want a spelunking experience without squeezing through passageways or belly crawling.
Legend has it Geronimo used the cave as a hideout in the late 1800s. In Tombstone you can potentially meet those locals, merchants, and rowdies who are 6-feet under at Boot Hill, your “underground” stop. Then onto Bisbee and its Queen Mine Tour where you will learn about the life and times of miners, and the equipment they used on a daily basis. The tour finishes with relaxing wine tasting in Willcox.
DAY 1
1
TRIP BEGINS:
Depart
Tucson to Benson
Whether you have flown into Tucson from out of the area and plan to rent a car, or you are driving through Tucson in your own car, you can easily reach Benson in approximately one hour via I-10 East. The center of Benson is a little more than 50 miles from the Tucson International Airport.
2
BENSON:
Attraction
Kartchner Caverns
You’ll find stunning living caverns and exhibits with scientific information explaining how these caves were formed. You can learn about the bats that make their home here, and how the many huge stalactites and and stalagmites are formed. And you will see why Kartchner Caverns is truly an underground phenomenon unlike any other.
3
BENSON:
Dinner
Mi Casa
Wrap up your first tour day by enjoying dinner at Mi Casa, a local Mexican restaurant offering comfort food, small plates, and quick bites/to go options. If you have time before or after dinner, check out the Mural Walking Tour, a fun look at over 40 hand-painted murals around town.
4
DAY 2
1
BENSON:
Breakfast
Farm House Restaurant
The Farm House Restaurant serves home cooked meals for breakfast, lunch, and dinner. They offer great daily specials for all three, plus a five-course dinner. All meals and desserts are made from scratch. They pride themselves on providing great food with great service.
Photo Credit: Amanda Baillie
2
TOMBSTONE:
Attraction
Good Enough Silver Mine
Enjoy a tour of this real 1880’s silver mine 100-feet below the surface. This educational and exciting tour will give you most out of your Tombstone, Cochise County experience.
3
TOMBSTONE:
Lunch
Longhorn Restaurant
The Longhorn Restaurant is the oldest continually operated restaurant in Tombstone. A historical building, The Longhorn Restaurant is great for family dining with a wide selection of meals, including broiled black angus steaks and burgers, mesquite smoked BBQ beef and pork ribs, and Mexican food. Remember to save room for deep dish apple cobbler or “death by chocolate!”
4
SIERRA VISTA:
Attraction
Brown Canyon Ranch
Step back to the turn of the 20th Century with a visit to Brown Canyon Ranch. First permanently occupied by John Thomas Brown and his family around 1800, the property passed through many hands until James and Tom Haverty built the ranch house sometime between 1905 and 1907.
5
SIERRA VISTA:
Attraction
Coronado Cave
After enjoying breakfast in Benson, head out for Sierra Vista, and your first stop will be Coronado Cave in the Coronado National Memorial. The cave is one of the few open, undeveloped caves in southern Arizona and measures 600 feet long.
6
BISBEE:
Dinner
Cafe Roka
After enjoying your time in Tombstone, hop in the car and head to Bisbee for dinner. Cafe Roka is a culinary experience in the heart of Old Bisbee featuring locally sourced ingredients, exciting flavor combinations, and regional influences.
7
BISBEE:
Attraction
Ghost Tour
The Old Bisbee Ghost Tour brings you the haunted and macabre stories of Bisbee, Arizona. Voted the best attraction in Bisbee and the best ghost tour in Arizona!
8
BISBEE:
Hotel
Overnight Options
Bisbee has a wonderful mix of lodging establishments, each with its own unique personality and style.
DAY 3
1
BISBEE:
Breakfast
Bisbee Breakfast Club
Grab a quick breakfast at Bisbee Breakfast Club, a local favorite with friendly service and yummy food.
2
BISBEE:
Attraction
Queen Mine Tour
Tour the Queen Mine, one of the most productive copper mines of the 20th century. Don the mining lanterns, hats and slickers of the miners, ride the mine train deep into the mine, and search for remaining veins of copper, gold, turquoise, silver, lead and zinc.
3
WILLCOX:
Attraction
Chiricahua National Monument
With 15 trail combinations, the Chiricahua National Monument offers hours of outdoor recreation. See the Chiricahua National Monument Trail Guide for more information on hiking in the “Land of the Standing up Rocks.”
4
WILLCOX:
Attraction
Kansas Settlement Wine Tasting
Once arriving in Willcox, head to Kansas Settlement Road and begin exploring the many tasting rooms in the area, including Bodega Pierce Vineyard, Flying Leap Vineyard & Distillery, Kief-Joshua, Pillsbury Wine Company, and Zarpara Vineyard.
5
WILLCOX:
Lunch
The Bakester’s Pastries
Delicious baked goods and lunches. The Bakesters love making their yummy creations in a beautiful historic building located in the historic district in Willcox, Cochise County, AZ. With their menu consisting of sandwiches, pastas, breads, breakfasts, desserts, as well as pastries… don’t let their name fool you.
6
TOUR CONCLUDES:
Depart
Willcox to Tucson
As you wrap up your trip and prepare to head home, you’ll head along I-10 West for approximately 80 miles to Tucson.
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