We had an interesting time checking out the local sights and having lunch out. The main features of Douglas,AZ are the border fence cutting across main street, with the larger part of the town now in Mexico and the historic Gadseden Hotel, which opened in 1907. Douglas was part of the Cooper Mining industry where the processing of cooper took place. The mines have closed, the town looks like any mid western town with low brick stores and one main street. The Gadseden Hotel is a stately five-story hotel that is recognized as a National Historic Site. The spacious main lobby is majestically set with a solid white Italian marble staircase and four soaring marble colums. There are stain glass mural extending 42 feet across one wall of the massive mezzanine made by Tiffany. The vaulted stained glass skylights run the full length of the lobby and give a very old world charm to the place. It was hard to photograph, but here are my photos...it was very cool to see. 
After wandering the lobby we had lunch in the hotel restaurant. The western decor and patrons give us an authentic feel of being in the "Old West".
One thing around here you sure know more than you want to know about the border fence politics and things that don't get in the national news. We just had on the local news a child on the Mexican side playing in their own yard throwing rocks over the fence being shot and killed by our border officer...no one is sure why it happened. Then I guess it did make the news the "friendly fire of the border officer killing another border officer. We drove by the sight on our way into Douglas and really wondered how it could have happened. The flags around here are all flying at half mast for the officer who was killed. Me, I think I am going to be happy to be on the other side of the fence, but with my passport in hand. I think, too being in a tourist area and miles from the fence will be much better.
Next we are going to be touring the other near by town Bisbee.
No comments:
Post a Comment