BISBEE - Dariusz Dzwigaj - yup, we double-checked that spelling - and his companion Ewa Cwirko-Godycka - ditto - journeyed from their homeland in Poland by way of London all the way to this historic town in the rugged Mule Mountains of Southeastern Arizona.
Why?
Dzwigaj offered an answer in a street-side conversation - and his words might persuade you to come for a visit, too.
"Bisbee is the fusion of whatever is good in American culture along with something more reminiscent of Europe," Dzwigaj said in crisp British English. "It's just fantastic, and it hasn't been so gentrified as many other places."
There you have it: an international recommendation to stop in Bisbee next time you take a drive in Southeastern Arizona.
Today, we describe a richly diverse loop trip that will take you not only to scenic, folksy, artsy, just-plain-fun Bisbee, but also to a string of other attractions along the way.
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Doable as a long day trip, but perhaps best fashioned as a two-day excursion, our proposed loop includes stops at a historic cemetery, a gargantuan mine, a unique shopping district, a national memorial with historical displays and great hiking trails, and a site where ancient hunters killed giant mammoths 13,000 years ago.
We'll also suggest a stop at a mining and historical museum with dazzling displays of magnificent minerals that often show up at the Tucson Gem & Mineral Show.
Let's hit the road.
Preview the route
It's a drive of about 95 miles from Tucson to Bisbee - but our proposed loop route, including some short side trips - will bring your round-trip mileage to 240 miles or more.
Here's the proposed route beginning in Tucson: Take Interstate 10 east to Benson, Arizona 80 southeast to Tombstone and Bisbee, and Arizona 92 to a side trip to Coronado National Memorial before continuing to Sierra Vista. From Sierra Vista, you'll go a short distance east on Arizona 90 to another side-trip site, and then return on Arizona 90 past Sierra Vista to Arizona 82. You'll follow Arizona 82 west to Sonoita and then take Arizona 83 north to reconnect with I-10 and return to Tucson.
We made the entire drive on about half a tank of gas in an economical car, but gas is available in Bisbee, Sierra Vista and other points along the way if needed.
From Benson to Boothill
After driving east on I-10 to Benson and exiting onto Arizona 80, you will pass through the comely little hamlet of St. David, site of some homes, small ponds and the Holy Trinity Monastery.
Continue southeast on the highway and you'll pass the legendary Boothill Graveyard on the outskirts of Tombstone.
Maintained respectfully as a cemetery for the 250 or more people buried there, Boothill also makes much of burials of men killed in the O.K. Corral shootout and in other violent encounters.
One inscription, on the grave of one Lester Moore, reads: "Here lies Lester Moore, four slugs from a .44, no Les, no more."
In the same somewhat schmaltzy vein: "Here lies George Johnson, hanged by mistake, 1882. He was right. We was wrong. But we strung him up, and now he's gone."
A man-made crater
Along Arizona 80, between historic Old Bisbee and a more modern part of the town, lies a vast open-pit mine known as the Lavender Pit.
"I think this mine is actually pretty," said visitor Jim Italiano, who viewed the pit from an overlook with his wife, Carla. "To me, it's not just a big gaping hole."
On foot in Old Bisbee
Pull into the heart of the historic part of town, dating to 1880, and you'll see that this is a place to park, stroll and savor the sights.
Born of mining - for copper, gold and silver - the town found new life after its mining heyday as a haven for artists, musicians, writers, vagabonds, latter-day hippies and merchants offering a mother lode of antiques, fine art and Old West souvenirs. Restaurants, historic hotels and cozy bed-and-breakfast inns make the community one of the most tourist-friendly towns in Arizona.
Walking the streets can be a casual amble or a pretty good workout thanks to Bisbee's setting in mountain terrain. That terrain gave rise to steeply sloping streets and many flights of steps connecting the town's several levels.
For many, a trek around the town is the essence of a Bisbee visit.
"We're just traveling through, seeing the town and the people," said Summer Listen as she and a companion, David Smith, lugged their backpacks and guitars down a street in Bisbee's Brewery Gulch area.
For Dzwigaj and Cwirko-Godycka, the Polish couple who now live in London, the main attractions included century-old buildings and remnants of the mining era.
"The important thing for us is the history," Dzwigaj said.
Shoppers browse in stores such as Wonderland Antiques and Art, The Copper Shop and Metalmorphosis - with many stopping for refreshment at the popular Bisbee Coffee Co.
Music wafted one day recently from the 55 Main Gallery on Main Street. Inside, clerk Debbie Lydon was plucking a banjo and singing harmonies with friend Jerry Bradley on the guitar.
As if the scenic setting and easygoing ambience of Bisbee weren't enough to attract lots of visitors and some new residents, the place is also known for its tonic climate.
A boldly lettered message on the side of a Main Street building goes so far as to make this claim: "The Bisbee District has the best year-round climate on Earth."
Information on lodging, dining and Bisbee attractions is at www.discoverbisbee.com on the Internet.
Mecca for mineral lovers
Tucsonans and visitors with a special interest in the Tucson Gem, Mineral & Fossil Showcase might enjoy a getaway to Bisbee just for a visit to the Bisbee Mining & Historical Museum.
Some of the spectacular minerals displayed at the Gem & Mineral Show part of the Showcase event are from the Bisbee area, said museum director Carrie Gustavson.
"The Bisbee District is one of the top three or four in the world for its diversity and beauty - with over 300 mineral types," Gustavson said. "We always put together a display case for the Gem & Mineral Show."
Coronado country
After touring Bisbee and perhaps staying overnight, you might continue the loop journey on Arizona 92 - heading west, past the settlements of Palominas and Miracle Valley, to a signed left turnoff for the Coronado National Memorial.
The site commemorates the first major European exploration of the Southwest. It lies within sight of the San Pedro River Valley, through which a 1540-42 expedition led by Francisco Vásquez de Coronado first entered what is today the United States.
Linda Connell, an employee of the Western National Parks Association who works in the memorial visitor center, pointed out displays. Among the popular items are chain mail, a helmet and a breastplate similar to those worn by Spanish explorers. Visitors are welcome to try on the equipment.
Connell noted that other attractions at the memorial include a bird-watching area and hiking trails.
Visitor center hours are 8 a.m. to 4 p.m. daily. The center is closed on Thanksgiving and Christmas Day. Admission is free.
Where mammoths roamed
Continuing north on Arizona 92 after a stop at the memorial will take you to Sierra Vista. Turn right, east, onto Arizona 90 and drive about four miles to Moson Road - and a journey 13,000 years back in time.
Turn left, north, onto Moson Road and drive a little more than a mile to a right, east, turnoff for the Murray Springs archaeological site.
From a parking lot at the site, follow signs to the Murray Springs Interpretive Trail, which leads to exhibits on life in the late Ice Age. A highlight of the trail is a site where ancient hunters killed giant mammoths and other animals some 13,000 years ago. No excavated artifacts are on display at the site, but interpretive signs depict details of the hunt.
Be aware that one passage of the trail includes a somewhat steep descent into an arroyo.
Admission is free.
Heading for home
One scenic route for the return to Tucson is to follow Arizona 90 north from Sierra Vista to a junction with Arizona 82.
Follow Arizona 82 west to Sonoita and perhaps enjoy lunch at one of several restaurants before driving north on Arizona 83 to a reconnection with I-10.
Minerals, history and a lot of hills
From Ice Age to Wild West to mining, the Bisbee Loop supplies it all.
Did you know
Visitors to Bisbee can get a firsthand look at underground mining terrain on the Queen Mine Tour. Go to www.queenminetour.com for information.
Contact reporter Doug Kreutz at dkreutz@azstarnet.com or at 573-4192.