One of our favourite drives

On another gorgeous day we drove out to Patagonia, and after coffee in ‘The Gathering Grounds’,

after which we took one of our favourite drives as we followed Harshaw Road deep into the mountains. 

Although the road starts out paved it turns into a mostly good dirt road further along.   We stopped for a while at the ruins of the old Harshaw Townsite and Mexican cemetery before continuing further on into the mountains.

Dirt roads and ATV tracks head off higher into the mountains leading to old mining towns and deserted mines, the main road continues on through Washington Camp an old mining area where miners still hope to hit the ‘motherlode’. 

As we came down onto the beautiful grasslands of the San Raphael Valley, we stopped by the stone cross commemorating Father Fray Marcos de Niza, Vice-Commissary of the Franciscan Order and delegate of the Viceroy in Mexico who was the first European west of the Rockies when he entered Arizona on 12 April 1539.

 A little further along in the centre of Lochiel we stopped underneath a huge cottonwood tree.   Lochiel was once a border crossing and my phone flashed up a ‘Welcome to Mexico’ message; needless to say we were definitely still in the US!

Nearby is the restored Old Red School House, DB walked over to have a look, last time we drove this way Lochiel had a sort of ‘lived in’ look and feel about it, but this time we didn’t see anyone and there was a deserted feel about the place.

Leaving Lochiel we followed the road through more beautiful grasslands past San Rafael State Park, which as far as we know has never been opened to the public,

stopping to look across into Mexico,  

    

before taking the road back to Patagonia, at one point the road forded the Santa Cruz River.

Back in Patagonia, we stopped at the Velvet Elvis; yes it really is called the Velvet Elvis, for dinner, I’m not sure how it’s get the name, although it might have something to do with a large velvet painting of Elvis on the wall.   It’s a posh pizza restaurant, the margaritas are great and the pizzas scrumptious, but absolutely huge, we both took ½ home to eat the next day.

Have fun, we are!