Patagonia & Nogales & The Diamond

We went for an overland cruse the other day. For some time now we’ve been meaning to explore the area to the south, between Tucson and the International Border. So we filled the van full of gas and headed out onto I10. From our house it is just about 30 miles to where we turn off of I10 and head south.

The first part of the trip is pretty familiar. I have written in the past of our trips down into Southern Arizona’s wine country and that was the route we took to get us started. We headed south from I10 on AZ-83 up into the Santa Rita foothills and across areas of the Coronado National forest. Eventually we arrived in Sonoita. Sonoita isn’t so much a town as a light sprinkling of buildings over a two square mile area; a few ranches, a few businesses (very few), a gas station, a rodeo grounds and largish Border Patrol station with hundreds of various green and white vehicles of various sizes and off-road capabilities compounded out back.  It is approximately 25 miles from I10 to Sonoita.

We turned west at this juncture onto AZ-82. It is 12 miles from Sonoita to Patagonia and the drive is quite scenic. The highway follows a valley that separates the Santa Rita range from the Patagonia Range. There appears to be a small amount of light agriculture occurring in areas, mostly feed grains and grasses, as well and various grazing stocks. There are many more trees up in this area, mostly deciduous types and small scrub oaks. It’s a very peaceful drive, and very different from the lower elevations of Tucson.

Patagonia is a small, old town. As we drove through and around the central town area it seemed the newest building we saw was the Post Office, which appeared to have been built in the late 60’s or early 70’s. Getting about here, at least for us, would prove quite challenging. Lots of dirt parking and almost no sidewalks, ramps were present here and there, but most were a little on the steep side and appeared to have been installed either as an afterthought or before there were codes for such things. A pretty town, just not a place where people like us would want to get out and tramp around. So, onward we went.

Downtown Patagonia

 

Our next stop was Patagonia Lake.  This is an Arizona State Park, the turnoff to which is about 7 miles beyond the town. It’s another four miles from AZ-82 to the lake itself. When we arrived at the ranger station we chatted with the person there regarding accessible pathway and such however, it wasn’t looking good.  Everything around the lake, and outward, was up. That is to say, it was pretty hilly. We drove in and checked it all out but it was definitely not a place we could travel far without some form of motorization.  So, onward we went.

Back out at the highway we headed south 12 miles towards Nogales and the International Border. Along the way we drove past the Nogales International Airport. The incongruity of the name and the scene did not escape either of us. There were two buildings at this lonely little international air hub, one an administrative facility not much larger than a four bedroom house and the other was a large hanger. There were a few single engine prop planes and a large twin present, beyond that it was pretty quiet.

When we reached Nogales we decided to try and get as close to the Port of Entry as we could before we were beyond the point of no return. We got to within 100 yards before having to turn parallel to the border. It was quite congested, even for a Sunday, but very orderly. We could clearly see the port and the multitude of signage advising and warning of this and that. We moved west a few blocks and could get a good shot at the border fence and the crowded city of Nogales, Mexico beyond. Here’s an interesting statistic, the population of Nogales, Arizona is about 22,000, and the population of Nogales, Mexico is 330,000. Location, location, location!

The border fence as seen from Nogales, AZ looking across into Mexico

 

We were not inclined to stop in Nogales, primarily because we did not know our way around and it is a very hilly town. So we headed north in I19. This short interstate is a surprisingly scenic drive. It parallels the Santa Cruz River and there are endless groves of cottonwoods along these southern upstream reaches of the mostly dry river. We drove north past Rio Rico, Tumacacori, Tubac, Armado and Green Valley (GV). Just before reaching GV we started thinking about food. We had never really stopped in GV before so we thought we’d drive up one of the main drags and see what we could find. Well, GV is a huge retirement community, spotted end to end with retirement villages and communities and golf courses. And, with it being Sunday, it seemed like the town was closed up. It was pretty dead, save the occasional senior bicycling through the streets. So onward we went.

It was at this point The Lovely Gail said, “I know where we can go!” Outwardly I politely smiled and asked where but in my head I was saying, “Thank God! After about 130 miles in this seat my ass is ready to be out of it!” So, at 51 miles north of Nogales we exited the freeway at Pima Mine Road and stopped at the Desert Diamond Casino. We ate at their restaurant, Agave. It was pretty good, not standout, but pretty good for a casino restaurant. After a nice large Cob Salad for the Lovely One and a tasty Reuben on Rye with a Pacifico for me we received the check and were pleasantly surprised to learn that there’s no tax charged by businesses on the reservation, sweet! So we headed home.

Even though we didn’t get a chance to get out and hike around much it was still a nice little adventure. We saw some new country and interesting sights, and we did it together. A nice way to spend a day with someone special.