After reading an article in the Bisbee Observer that described all the activities planned for July 4th in Bisbee and Warren, my wife and I, and another couple, decided to get away from the Tucson heat, and relative lack of events, so we decided to spend a few nights at a great home rental in Bisbee. It turned out to be a perfect choice!
Since we were only going for two nights, we made sure to get a dinner reservation at the highly popular Café Roka (closed on the 4th). My review is simple – the food was excellent and the service just as good! We started with the Warm Pequillo Peppers and the Breads and Spreads. Both were off the charts delicious. Our mains included the P.E.I. Steamed Blue Shell Mussels, Lambondigas, and the Boneless Short Ribs. All were top notch! I can’t recommend Café Roka enough. It’s a casual, affordable, and fun dining experience.
On to the adventures! July 4th started bright and early with the Bisbee Coaster Races, now in its 114th year. It was fun to watch the age nine through 16-year-olds maneuver their cars downhill on the two-mile stretch on Main Street. Plus, the weather was nice and cool – a good change from the 95+ in Tucson. If you didn’t know, Bisbee is at 5,500 feet, while Tucson is at 2,700.
Before heading over to the Bisbee 4th of July Parade in Warren (just 10 minutes south), we headed over for breakfast at Earl’s Café inside the Warner Hotel. The chill ambiance is very cool, and the Avocado Toast is the best we’ve ever had. Coffee is good, too!
Onto the parade…it was a cute one with some creative floats like the pirate ship and accompanying pirates onboard. There were also a lot of local clubs and teams represented. Definitely could have done without the political floats. The highlight was spending a few personal minutes talking to a World War 2 veteran and hearing how his division pushed the Russians out of Berlin. Always good to take a moment with one of our heroes!
The day was far from over…next stop was back in Bisbee to check-out the rock drilling and mucking competitions from our perfect vantage spot from the Old Bisbee Brewing Company. BBC has tasty beer varieties along with their homemade Blue Gin cocktails. Top notch for sure! The rock drilling was highlighted by some burly guys using their hammers and picks to see who could get deepest into the massive boulder. Each guy had 10 minutes, and it looked utterly exhausting. The live band contributed some rhythm to their strokes! After that, there was the mucking competition to see how long it takes each guy to fully fill a mining cart with rock. Another feat of strength! It’s always entertaining to watch people take themselves to the brink in the height competition. If you’ve never seen this before, go check it out next year.
A break in the action was due, so we went back to our very nice two-bedroom rental home atop the town. Many thanks go out to the folks at BisbeeeAZ.com for the accommodation. Lots of space, two very comfortable beds/bedrooms, and sweet views of the entire town (https://bisbeeaz.com/places-to-stay/)
What’s July 4th without fireworks, so after dinner at Thuy’s Noodle Shop (Curry and Pho were really good – didn’t expect that in Bisbee), we headed over to Warren for an insane evening of pyrotechnics – by professionals and every crazy person in town. While it was exciting, I have never seen so many people blowing off serious fireworks in a park. It was utter chaos, yet cool to look at, except for the kids who were running around the lit stuff and throwing their hands through it (parents, hello?) The pro fireworks were good but made better by the added dimension of the crazies setting off their own in front of the main show. When we left to head back to Bisbee, we had to stop on the main road because people were lighting fireworks in the street. Mayhem for sure!
Time for a nightcap in Old Bisbee, so we stopped in at the popular speakeasy known as the Bisbee Social Club located on Main Street. Very tasty cocktails, beer, pool table, and a really nice looking club. Definitely check it out. They feature live music or a deejay most nights, so be sure to drop in.
So, that ended the night, and we got a good night’s sleep, grabbed a quick breakfast and some incredible treats for the road from the Jame’s Beard award-winning Patisserie Jaqui. Wow is all I can say. For such a small town, there are surely a lot of quality food and drink establishments in Bisbee.
If you’ve ever wanted to visit Bisbee, no matter where you live, go for a couple of days. It’s a worthy and fun adventure!