Willcox, AZ Road Trips

1 Willcox Chamber of Commerce & Agriculture, 1500 N Circle I Rd, ☏ +1 520-384-2272, toll-free: +1 800-200-2272, [email protected]. M-F 8AM-5PM, Sa 9AM-4PM, Su 9AM-1PM.

1 Chiricahua Regional Museum and Research Center, 127 E Maley St, ☏ +1 520-384-3971. M-Sa 10AM-4PM. A small museum with displays focusing on local history. $2. 2 Rex Allen Arizona Cowboy Museum and Cowboy Hall of Fame, 150 N Railroad Ave, ☏ +1 520-384-4583, [email protected]. M-S 10AM-4PM. Displays memorabilia from the life of cowboy singer Rex Allen, whose favorite horse is buried in the park across the street. $2 (adults). Vineyards. Various, some by appt. Many Arizona wines are produced from grapes from this region. Willcox makes a good base to explore local vineyards, many of which have opened tasting rooms here. 3 Willcox Southern Pacific Railroad Depot, 155 S Railroad Ave. Built in 1881, this is the only surviving depot from the southern transcontinental railroad. The building has been fully restored, and now houses Willcox City Hall. There is an interpretive railroad display in the lobby. Free. 4 Willcox Pioneer Cemetery, N 3rd Ave (dirt road heading north from E Steward St). An atmospheric abandoned pioneer cemetery. Warren Baxter Earp, the youngest of the Earp brothers of Tombstone, is buried here. Watch out for fire ants and rattlesnakes. 5 Fort Bowie National Historic Site, Apache Pass Rd (20 miles southeast of Willcox on State Road #186, then 8 miles on unpaved road to trailhead), ☏ +1 520-847-2500. 8AM-4:30PM (Visitor Center); sunrise-sunset (trails). A ruined army fort which played a pivotal role in the Apache Wars of the 19th century, and abandoned in 1894.

1 Apple Annie's Orchards, 2081 W Hardy Rd, ☏ +1 520-384-2084. Daily 8AM-5PM. Pick your own apples, peaches, and other produce. In October they host a popular pumpkin festival. The orchards close for the season at the end of October. Rex Allen Days. A festival celebrating the life of the singer Rex Allen and featuring such events as parades, concerts, and a rodeo. Held annually in October. Wings Over Willcox Birding and Nature Festival. Held annually in January, the festival features lectures, workshops, art exhibits, and guided tours to see birds on the Willcox Playa and in the neighboring wetlands. Willcox Wine Country Festival. A semi-annual event held in the spring and fall, featuring wines from local vineyards.

There aren't many restaurants in Willcox besides fast food chains. The best are listed below. 1 Big Tex BBQ, 130 E Maley St, ☏ +1 520-384-4423. Housed in an old railroad car, the food is basic but decent. 2 Coronado Vineyards, 2909 E Country Club Dr, ☏ +1 520-384-2993, [email protected]. M-S 9:30AM-5:30PM, Su 10AM-4PM. Wine tasting and tapas, outside seating area. 3 Plaza Restaurant, 1190 W Rex Allen Dr (next to Quality Inn), ☏ +1 520-384-3819. Mexican and American fare, popular with the locals. 4 Double S Steakhouse, 1201 W Rex Allen Dr, ☏ +1 520-766-3800. Little cuts of beef to go along with your baked potato.

Mack’s Bar, 116 E Maley St (near the Rex Allen Museum), ☏ +1 520-507-4646.

1 Dos Cabezas Spirit and Nature Retreat and Bed and Breakfast, 7101 E White Pacheco St, Dos Cabezas (Hwy 186, 14 miles SE of Willcox), ☏ +1 520-384-6474. Check-in: 2PM, check-out: 10AM. Comfy historic, adobe guest house bed and breakfast in the ghost town village of Dos Cabezas, just twenty minutes to the Chiricahua Mountains. Great for birding, hiking, meditation. Enjoy complete privacy as the bed and breakfast hosts only one party at a time, up to 5 people. $139 for two. 2 Holiday Inn Express Willcox, 1251 N Virginia Ave, ☏ +1 520-384-3333, fax: +1 520-384-4534, [email protected]. Free breakfast and wifi, pets accepted. $79-129. 3 Indian Bread Rocks Picnic Area (from Bowie travel south on Apache Pass Rd then west on the dirt road leading to Happy Camp Canyon), ☏ +1 928-348-4400, fax: +1 928-348-4450, [email protected]. Named for the prehistoric Native American grinding holes found in the granite bedrock, this scenic area marks the access point to the Dos Cabezas Mountains Wilderness Area. The campground has picnic tables, fire rings, vault toilets, but no water. Open year-round and managed by the BLM (Bureau of Land Management).

By car. Willcox is approximately half way between Tucson and the New Mexico state line, on I-10 (Interstate 10). If you're driving to town on I-10, be aware that the road is one of the United States' major east-west commercial arteries, and is full of truck traffic, much of it traveling at speeds well beyond the posted 75 mph. Tucson International Airport (TUS IATA), 250 S Tucson Blvd, ☏ +1 520-573-8100. Served by a number of airlines, this is the closest airport with commercial service. 1 Greyhound, 100 S Arizona St (in front of the Oasis Arcade), toll-free: +1 800-231-2222. As this just a pick-up and drop-off point, tickets should be purchased beforehand online or over the phone.

The historic core of Willcox is easily explored on foot. To see things further afield, a car is necessary.