Our Trip to Bisbee, Arizona
Love & Latitudes Travel Blog
It was pitch black on the I-92. We zipped along the highway in our adventure van “Clyde”—the voices from our podcast partially covering the sound of our belongings rattling in the back of the vehicle. Neither Isiah nor I had ever been to Bisbee, AZ. It’s funny how little I’ve explored Arizona, having lived in the state during our college years. It must be even weirder for Isiah who was born in the Grand Canyon State. But I guess no opportunity is really lost if you eventually take it.
One of the perks of not celebrating Christmas (I’m Jewish) is that there are no expectations about what you’re supposed to do during this time of year. This opens up time for us to explore new places. You’re never really sure what to expect. Some areas feel like ghost towns while others become lively with holiday energy. Bisbee turned out to be both.
We took a midnight driving tour of the town. As late as it was, there was virtually no one on the roads and nothing was open—save for a couple of bars. We immediately appreciated the town’s preserved Americana charm, feeling excited to poke around town in the waking hours.
We woke up pretty early on the first day, our van already warming up from the morning sun. After weeks of cold weather (or at least, cold for us), it was a nice change.
We decided to really soak up the town by booking a room at the Bisbee Grand Hotel. Every room has a theme and we ended up booking the “green room” which turned out to be pot-themed—go figure. The hotel was really cool—with a bar and restaurant downstairs, unique decor, a few patio areas, and even rumors that the old hotel was haunted. In case you’re wondering, we didn’t see any ghosts.
Isiah and I spent the rest of the day on foot, poking into local shops to buy vintage clothes, grabbing a brew at a patio bar, and snacking on pastries from the cutest little bakery. There are plenty of sightseeing opportunities in Bisbee too. The old mining town has lots of hints of its history including the Queen Mine, restored old cars, and Americana architecture. Mixed in with the ‘old’ were newer murals, art, and lots of musicians.
We ended the day by visiting a speakeasy, which had a cute vibe. But unfortunately, had a few too many patrons who had a little too much fun, a little too early in the night.
The next day we mobbed over to Bisbee Breakfast Club for some really amazing eats. It was so good, we ended up coming back the next day too.
It was Christmas Eve and our hotel lobby was bumping! Live music and drinks put everyone in a good mood. The bar was filled with locals and tourists—everyone dressed in their best Christmas-themed attire. For some folks, that meant a Santa hat. For others, that meant a full getup of rainbow clothing and sequins.
Isiah and I have made it a holiday tradition to visit local dive bars on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day. Very few places are open around these times, so the people that show up really want to be there. So we went to Chuckleheads. A friend recommended this bar to us, but refused to tell us much about it, preferring to say, “You’ll just have to see it for yourself.” And boy, was she right.
To call Chuckleheads extremely lively, would be an understatement. The bar patrons were singing along with the live band, while the two staff members—an older man wearing inflatable ring toss antlers and a younger woman in a more revealing Xmas outfit—were playing games and serving customers.
As Isiah and I sipped our drinks, we played our own game of eye-spy; which was super fun since the bar is filled with kooky nicknacks and decorations. We refused to leave until we finished twelve rounds of The Twelve Days of Bisbee-mas song by one of the patrons. It was an absolute delight.
As we left the bar at midnight, Bisbee was a ghost town. Just a few people shuffling to and fro, bundled up against the cold wind.
All in all, we adore Bisbee, Arizona. And would love to visit again.
Happy trails,
Diana & Isiah
