**This was first posted on this very page in July of 2013. So about a month after we moved here. And started to call Benson home. Many of our Exploring trips start in our near Benson. And as our bank account grows I hope to report and share pictures from all across the state. Next post---three years later--my thoughts and favorite pictures from Benson. Hope you enjoy this blast from the past. And stick around to Explore all such posts on this page!**
Very recently my family and I moved to Benson, Arizona. A great small town, just far enough from Tuscon, to have all the greats of the area, with that small town feel. And the knowledge that bigger towns are right down the road when needed. Benson is also very close to the Mexican boarder. We just moved from Bellingham, Washington a town twenty minutes from the Canadian boarder. With this comes a ton of changes. New friends, jobs, schools and all that jazz. We have lived in Arizona before, but it has been a long while. So we are having to get re used to the heat, dangerous animals, and seeing the sun all of the time! With a small town comes very helpful and nice people. Something we are also getting used to again.
I am launching my third blog series this week. All about Exploring Arizona. Filled with Exploring and my pictures. And our new home town will be the focus and launching point of many of our adventoures. With pictures of the best businesses and places. I am in hopes that some of the best will want to advertise with me, very cheaply, but that is further down the road. And I hope as always, that if you enjoy what you see here, you pass on the links! As you wait for this new page, please check out my Washington page, FULL of pictures of the extra beautiful area at http://exploreb-ham.blogspot.com/
Before we look at Benson any further, in my last Exploring blog post, I started a new game.
A kind of a "where's Waldo" feature. When I go on a quick/mini road trip--one that does not really warrant an entire blog posting of it's own, I post a few pictures --and you try to guess were I was. As I get more people into this, and decide if it is actually a fun game, there will be prizes for those that guess right. For now you get the sure satisfaction of knowing you were right! Give yourself a pat on the back!
Here are the clues again for your last few minutes of guessing....
And this weeks answer is......
Tombstone, Arizona
The town to tough to die!
I was in the are for a quick Exploring/job hunt trip!
Please scan through my blog posts for full thoughts on this great town.
Wish to play again??
Check back on the next post to see if you guessed right...
Or contact me with your guesses.....
Exploring with Wyoming Jack/Bobble Head
New Puzzle **Week Two**
Exploring .....
OK now back to Wonderful Benson, Arizona
As I might have mentioned -this is a very small community.
Established in 1941
This rail road bridge/tunnel is great fun when the monsoons hit, and the tunnel fills up with water.
center. Full of information, and surrounded by great tourist traps and shopping. The rail road is still a huge part of this community. Two tracks run right behind this building, and they both stay very busy with freight trains and a local Am track stop. I know that the brief period of time I lived in Flagstaff, Arizona around 212 trains go through the town a day. I realized this while staying at one of the three Flagstaff Motel 6 locations. The one closest to the train tracks. I do not have an accurate train count for Benson, but it has to be almost equal.
In the same parking lot as the above visitors center.
I always have found caboose's fascinating.
And am often disappointed when no caboose is found on most freight trains.
If you browse through my old posts, you can view some great old caboose pictures from across the country.
Across the tracks, is this great looking building.
They are working on the entire property and I am sure it is a very old site.
I would love to roam through this property.
Classic cars and trucks can be found all through this town.
Another great piece of artwork found in this great city.
Just past our house, heading out of town, towards Wilcox or El Paso
and the last of four exits in town, you pass over the river.
After a big rain fall, there is actually water inside the high banks.
After a big storm, the water is racing.
Local museum is defiantly worth taking a look through.
All of the workers are volunteers and very knowledgeable.
Museum's horse drawn school bus.
Arizona licence plates from years past
also at the great museum.
This motel has been around much longer than myself.
I wish we had the cash to restore this great sight.
Anyone out there want to become a silent partner??
A few weeks back the kiddos and I roamed around this motel....
Motel main office
One of the many styling rooms.
That now seem to house night stayers that like to drink.
I feel like such an real estate agent.
14 RV parks can be found in this small town. With lots of room for the night traveler, someone moving in, or all the snow bird's on there way South. I have already mentioned this particular park, and will not sour this blog post by complaining about it again. Please see my old posts for many reasons to avoid this place.
Across from the above RV park is some stables. Our kiddos had great times, petting and naming all of the colts and ponies.
Just down the road is a very large golf course. I am not sure how they have actual green grass, but plan to learn there secrets for our yard. The Lions Club Park, also has lots of green grass. And for such a small town, is an amazing park.
This is the Benson Airport.
A few planes are housed here.
I did not go inside the building, but a nice waiting area sits just beside this classic pickup
The hospital is also extremely small.
But with the size comes very personal and fast service. No half a night of waiting to be seen for minor injuries.
Even for a small area, many great trails await to be Explored.
More reports of trails will be in future posts for sure!
While venturing up to the local airport Max and I found this area to Explore.
We may or may not of had to jump a fence to be admitted.
We soon ventured to a dry creek bed with very high sides.
The root systems in the desert are amazing.
We soon ran into a large shooting range.
I was worried about the heat, and
running into angry red necks AKA
the people that drank all the beer around the area,
and that used the shooting range.
Exploring sky shots
In Washington I was always waiting around to try and capture pictures with the sun.
Here it is very hard not to have the sun, prominent in every shot.
I am always a sucker for old buildings.
Coming from Tuscon, this is right off the first exit into Benson.
Along with lots of food outlets, a large truck stop, and a Motel 6.
The next exit has Wal-Mart a 24 hour store according to the claim to fame on the billboard just out of town.
Also on the above exit....
Further up this same road. It will soonish lead to the caverns and than Siera Vista.
And what looks like some amazing hikes.
Back in Benson---two cemetery's can be found.
Shown is the oldest of the two.
As my past blogs have shown, I have always had a thing for the beauty of cemetery's.
Adding in the natural ground cover of Arizona, makes these sacred places even more unique.
Lastly for today, is what some call the bluffs. Just out of town.
You can see the entire town from up top.
As always thank you for reading!
And
**HAPPY TRAILS!!**
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