Trip South - Benson, AZ

 We spend 10 days at the Escapee Park in Benson, AZ while waiting for our spot in Tucson

We do a couple hikes, one behind the water tower

 There are arches made from rocks dispersed around the Park and we find one on the trail

 

 

A nice view of the Park from up here

 

 

Tucson and I walk around the park each morning

Tucson really likes it here

He even gets to meet a squirrel up close and personal

and this young Coopers Hawk keeps an eye on him

 

 

No fishing today

Tucson did not like being filmed and  gave them an eyeful

 

 

 Another walk takes us by some interesting desert creatures

a Giant Anteater

a large bird of prey keeping an eye out on the mountains

and a couple seals

The town of Benson is small but quaint - a replica of  the old Train Depot is now a visitor center and museum

Benson was created out of the union of the Southern Pacific Railroad and the mining regions of the San Pedro Valley. The Southern Pacific, coming overland from California, chose the Benson site to cross the San Pedro River. It was necessary to establish a junction point to obtain ore from and ship freight to the mines at Tombstone, Fairbank, Contention and Bisbee. Copper and silver ore was brought in covered wagons to Benson and then shipped out on the railroad.

Here Gary is next to the "Angel Buggy", used to transport Nitro Glycerin to the Dynamite mixing buildings, it you hit a bump along the way, you became an instant angel

a great overhead train track

you can use the train simulator to run the trains

There are several Murals around town

I even ran into some friends from Desert Trails staying here that we have seen in a few years, had a nice visit and plan to meet up again in Tucson.. 

 

The woman at the Visitor Center recommend touring the Mescal Movie Set .

 

 

The film history of the Mescal area dates back over 70 years with scenes from Winchester 73 with Jimmy Stewart, The Big Country with Gregory Peck, and Cimarron with Glenn Ford.  The physical set was built as a town in 1968-1969 for Monte Walsh, starring Lee Marvin and Jack Palance. 

Mescal Movie Set t was home to the movies Tombstone, The Quick and the Dead, and over 80 other westerns. Notable actors filmed walking its dusty boardwalks were Paul Newman, Steve McQueen, Lee Marvin, Sharon Stone, Clint Eastwood, to name a few.

The Mescal Set was an alternative town set for many episodes of western TV series, including Bonanza, Gunsmoke, The Magnificent Seven, and Little House on the Prairie.

Ours is the last tour before a Halloween Trick or Treat event

Looks the the Headless Horseman doesn't want to miss out, but not sure how he will eat the candy

There are some stunts and shows put on

a fun little outing.  Tomorrow we head out to Tucson.

We enjoy a full moon

 

and one last sunset