Bisbee, AZ, has been on our radar for a while. A few years ago, when discovering the desert southwest in our camper van Zesty, we met fellow travelers in Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in Arizona and the Vermilion Cliffs in Utah who told us Bisbee was the perfect place to settle. Apparently, property still appeared affordable, creative people abound, the atmosphere oozed friendliness, a liberal and diverse population inhabited the scene, and the weather was perfect. Right.

Next time we’d return to Southern Arizona, we would check out Bisbee. In the meantime, Mark kept an eye on its house listings on Zillow. Surprisingly, everything that went up for sale, especially the cute, renovated miners’ cottages, disappeared within weeks if not days. Bisbee had been discovered! Not that we are thinking of putting down roots anywhere…

This week, our trio finally parked Zesty in Old Bisbee, friends Duwan and Greg from Make Like An Ape Man in tow. We would explore the town inside and out to get a feel for the different areas, the layout, the atmosphere, the pros, and the cons. Being able to park overnight for free in the middle of this hillside enclave was a good start!

Located 90 miles southeast of Tucson and nestled in the Mule Mountains, Bisbee was founded in 1880. It quickly became a booming (copper) mining town that still sports a well-preserved historic downtown with steep roads and many – seemingly infinite – staircases acting as entryways and shortcuts.

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