Destination Beer: Bisbee Arizona

To quote from the ”Discover Bisbee“ web site, “Brewery Gulch, which in its heyday boasted upwards of 47 saloons and was considered the "liveliest spot between El Paso and San Francisco”. Apparently the brewery gulch street in Bisbee wet a lot of whistles and still does today as I discovered. Much to my delight I spied a beer unknown to me “Dave's Electric Lager”, went for it and then went for a few more. Clean and refreshing and beautifully hopped. I enjoyed it so much that I made excuses to drop in various establishments to enjoy as many as I could squeeze into our three days in and around Bisbee. On our last evening during a visit to St. Elmos (a colorful watering hole) I struck gold. I was introduced to Dave by a jolly fellow by the name of Hector (howdy Hector I shall not forget your kindness) anyway Dave is as cool as you might expect, a humble guy who casually mention that he welded up his own brewery, the man can do! I might also mention that Dave was the first person in Arizona to receive a brewer’s license since Prohibition. Dave's Electric, from what I understand can only be found in and around the Bisbee area, the only reason you need to visit historic Bisbee. Dave and his beer reflect what is great about America, believe in yourself, have a dream, live it.....that is how the west was won. Don’t miss quaffing a few of Dave's Electric beers, it is desert gold.

dave's electric brewpub

Destination Food: Bisbee Breakfast Club

The Bisbee Breakfast Club , in southern Arizona, is a place that will make you happy and full, glad that you're on the green side of the grass. This restaurant is a stand out, stylized much like a diner with a counter, no booths, plenty of tables and bustling atmosphere. The coffee is right and comes often. Your breakfast is in front of you before you have a chance to look the place over. Eyes bigger then your belly, some how that side of pancakes manages to disappear. I must also mention a professional and polite staff. If “Loren” should wait on you her smile will make you understand why the sky is blue, your day will be that much brighter.

The Bisbee Breakfast Club is located in the town of Lowell, well, about half of what's left of Lowell. Let me explain. At the western end of Bisbee is a mammoth size hole in the earth called the lavender pit, a defunct coper strip mine, operations shut down sometime in the seventies. Lowell is located a short drive around the pit, what you see is about half of main street, the rest has vanished into the lavender abyss. A goggle search of Lowell brought up two sights listing it as a ghost town.

http://www.ghosttowngallery.com/htme/lowell.htm

http://www.ghosttowns.com/states/az/lowell.html

Now that we have established the location and credentials of this culinary oasis, let me say that Bisbee’s rich heritage is being carefully looked after by a citizenry that is as liberal minded as it is creative. This is a town not to be missed if the old west appeals to you and your western size appetite.