GERONIMO!!!!!!!

Geronimo!!!!!

Heading east on I-10 we saw the billboard, wine tasting in Willcox! Not being ones to want to pass up the opportunity for grape fuel, we stopped. Willcox, Arizona is where Geronimo and Cochise had it off with the settlers and the cavalry. It also happens to be home to two good bars, a great little RV park,  awesome pies, and some really nice people.

This is a small town hit hard by the economy and the decision by some heartless bastards to move the freeway outside of the town. We pulled up to the Fort Willcox RV park with the intention of spending one night and going on the wine tasting tour. We figured it would be $7 well spent! We “ homesteaded” and headed to town to check things out.

The part of town we were in was furthest from the new freeway, but also housed the Historic Old Town from the days when the railroad was the life blood of the town. A stop by the Rex Allen Museum fueled our first love for this town. The Arizona Cowboy was born here, and this town loves him! We tried to go to the very first store in Arizona, The Co-op Mercantile. Sadly it was closed. No bother, we headed to the Palace Saloon, a saloon that had been open and in the same building since 1903. Closed. Well, off to the wine tasting tour next door; only opened on Thursday – Sunday. These were all in Historic Old Town! We were saddened by this, but managed to find Rix’s Bar to drown our sorrows. 

A couple of beers at Rix’s hit the spot, and the bartender told us to come back later and you can cook your own steak on the grill in the restaurant section in the back. Since we had our dinner plans already in the Flying Pig, we didn’t make it back. On the way back to the homestead, we saw it. Cattle Rest Bar. A nice walking distance from our home at .7 miles, so we gave it a tip of the hat and a wink as we passed by, promising to return.

Back at Fort Wilcox RV Park, Barbara, the owner, made sure that we knew that she had homemade pies to sell and free coffee and waffles in the morning. Himself couldn’t resist the thought of a rhubarb pie like mom used to make on a Sunday, so we bought one. We asked what a Shoofly Pie was, and although it wasn’t in the current selection of available pies, Barbara told us it was a crumble pie made with molasses.  Himself  gave her the big puppy dog eyes, and it was quickly on the schedule of pies available for the following day.

The following morning involved the decision to stay another night in order to see the area attractions, and to keep our promise to the Cattle Rest Bar. We headed west again in the teeny tiny car to visit the Amerind Foundation’s museum of American Indian artifacts and the Thing! Museum, both of them well worth a visit. We also found out that Wyatt Earp’s brother Warren was shot in Willcox by the local sheriff. That afternoon, we walked down to the Cattle Rest, and here we met Miss Red, her brother Robert, son Tim, Gloria, and Pete, all being entertained and served as only a good bartender can by Sue and Jeannie.  

Miss Red had lived in Willcox many of her 81 years, and Robert and Tim were visiting her. Miss Red moved closer to the others when we came in to give us room at the bar. We bought her a drink for this, which started a downhill spiral of drink buying with all of us. Although everyone “needed to go soon”,  we all continually had a drink token in front of our glass that no one was willing to leave behind! We also met La and Diana who had just finished a Tai-Chi class, and Millie who was a care giver and had just had a shit day, thus an after work beer. La was from Willcox originally and had lived or visited places all over the world, but in her words, “something always draws me back here.”

Needless to say we had a great time with everyone. Each had a passion for Willcox that was contagious. Robert was an RVer himself, and gave us lots of good information regarding our route to Houston, from RV Parks to great Mexican food. Miss Red is a legend, a real beauty whose flaming red hair in her youth had earned her the name.

Our one night in Willcox for a wine tasting tour turned into three nights, with no wine but a greater appreciation for small town America. If the rest of America promoted this country the way that the Willcox residents promoted their small town and showed the passion that they all did, from the museum manager to Miss Red, all of our problems would be over. We left with a tip of the hat, a wink, and a promise to return.