A Journey Through The Mountain Empire...
Patagonia, Elgin and Sonoita
Experience Nature, History, Art & Specialty Shopping, Wine Tasting, Fine Dining, Unique Lodgings, Festive Events and more, in Patagonia, Sonoita, and Elgin.

If you are looking for the beauty and tranquility of nature, coupled with the mystique of the past, take a trip through "The Mountain Empire". Encompassing Patagonia, Elgin and Sonoita, this region is rich in mining, ranching and railroad history. Native Americans, Spaniards, Mexicans, Jesuit priests, ranchers, miners, and railroad men have all spent time here.

The mountains gave forth silver, gold, lead, copper and other minerals to the prospectors in the 1850s, leaving a trail of mining towns; and the railroad brought jobs and workers. Ranchers took advantage of the rich grasslands, using the railroad to ship their cattle back east. Now, if your travel out less than an hour from Tucson, you can experience the ghost towns of Harshaw, Mowry, Washington Camp, and Duquesne.

Patagonia served as a railway station, and the Patagonia Station grounds were donated to the Town of Patagonia and made into a Town Park. Now you can stroll though the town, visit the Butterfly Garden in the Town Park, and see restored historic buildings still in use today--like the Patagonia Depot that now serves as the Town Hall. For a taste of authentic ranching and mining life, you can explore the Kentucky Camp and the Empire Ranch, both listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

As a nature lover, a visit through Patagonia Lake State Park, the 42,000 acre Las Cienegas National Conservation Area and the Nature Conservancy's Patagonia-Sonoita Creek Preserve is exciting. Between 250-300 bird species either live or migrate through this area.  Photographic opportunities are everywhere and you can easily forget the time. Hikers from around the world explore these riparian areas as well as investigating the mountains and hiking The Arizona Trail. Photo above is a view of the Patagonia area, taken from partway up the north side of Red Mountain, photographer is Glen E. Goodwin.

The temperate climate and a soil type almost identical to that in Burgundy, France, has made it possible for Elgin to become the heart of Arizona's Wine Country. The tradition of making wine in this region is over 400 years old, and was by the Spanish missionaries. Now the local vintners are producing award winning wines.

Patagonia is fast becoming an art community with quaint streets lined with galleries and specialty shops. To celebrate both the art and nature of the area, the region has developed the "As the Birds Fly South" sculpture tour that leads you from one destination to another throughout The Mountain Empire, and Santa Cruz County.

Nancy McCoy, local resident and owner of The Duquesne House Bed and Breakfast sat down with Lisa D. Smith of SouthwestBlend.com to talk about Patagonia and the unique history of her bed and breakfast. To listen to that interview, please double click on the Play button below.

 

 

For an audio/visual tour through The Mountain Empire, click here. The photography in the presentation was done by Lisa D. Smith with exception of the hiking photo labeled, Hiking in the Patagonias, which was taken and is copyrighted by Glen E. Goodwin. This photo was taken from partway up the north side of Red Mountain.