Archive for the ‘Interesting Guests’ Category

Southeastern Arizona B and B

March 10th, 2014 by Mike Hug

Southeastern Arizona B and B Submits Winning Picture

Front of the Inn during a lightning storm

The winning picture

Our Southeastern Arizona b and b was invited to enter a photo contest by one of our online marketing agencies that we use. The Bed and Breakfast Online photo contest was held in February and about 60 b and bs submitted their photos. We reviewed many different pictures that we have or our Southeastern Arizona b and b. There were a few pictures that we felt might be a candidate for our contribution but in the end we realized that this one picture would be the best to place into the competition. If selected, the winning photo would be included in the slide show on BBOnlines website for the month of March. On the 28th of February, we were informed by BBOnline that we had won the competition and our photo would be placed on the website.

Lightning strike picture at our Southeastern Arizona B and B

During the monsoon storms lightning can be filmed from the cover of the patio.

We believe that our Southeastern Arizona b and b won this photo contest because of the expertise of the photographer.  Our prize winning picture was taken by Robert Neep during one of his visits to Down By The River B and B. Rob graciously allowed us the use of this picture for our marketing and promotions. The picture was taken during a July monsoon thunderstorm that developed just south of our Southeastern Arizona b and b.

Rob has come to Down By The River B and B over the last 5 years to pursue his passion for filming thunderstorm. His website features some of the videos that he has filmed during his stay at our Southeastern Arizona b and b. The videos of the storms that he has filmed in Cochise County, Arizona are really breathtaking. During the July and August monsoons,

Double Rainbow picture

A double rainbow is on display during a monsoon storm just at sunset.

the desert heat and high pressure north and west of Saint David draws the moisture into Arizona from the Sea of Cortez in Mexico. The thunderstorms build during the day. In the afternoon continuing on into the night you can see natures fireworks light up the sky and clouds. The monsoons bring much needed rain into the desert during the summer months and make this part of Arizona lush and green.

Summer monsoons at our Southeastern Arizona B and B are amazing. The thunderstorms build during the day and the rains moderate the temperature of the days heat. The display by Mother Nature cannot be beat. It is one of the best places in the US to see thunderstorms without having the danger of an accompanying tornado. As an added bonus, the sunsets top off the day with brilliant colors. Book a room and find out what happens at our Southeastern Arizona B and B during the monsoons. You may have a chance during your stay to film a fantastic light show put on by Mother Nature.

Sunset picture

The high cirrus clouds allowed for a flaming sunset.

Our Southeast Arizona B and B hosted Bill Templeton

January 15th, 2014 by Mike Hug

Artist Bill Templeton visited our Southeast Arizona B and B

Bill Templeton Picture

Bill Templeton visited our Southeast Arizona B and B and signed some artwork that he had done for Angie

When you own an Southeast Arizona B and B you meet many interesting people. We were hosts to William Templeton. Bill stayed with us in December. He was down in St. David to help one of our neighbors erect a large cross on his property. Our neighbor chose our Southeast Arizona B and B for his lodging requirements.

Bill told us that was an artist. He said that he was born in Illinois and grew up in the Chicago area. In school Bill continued working in different media and finally he went on to graduate from The University of Arizona in Tucson. He told us that his artwork was available through galleries in various parts of the country. Now that he is an established artist, he is working at becoming independent and wants to stop using the galleries because of their high commissions.

Cross CardOver breakfast at our Southeast Arizona B and B, he talked to us about his art and the different things that he had done. He brought out a box of cards that he had that showed much of his artwork. Bill enjoys making his art and he creates his work with bold bright colors. The subjects that he paints are from his experiences and travels. His artwork carries a theme for a series and then he will start a different series with another theme. He showed us the cards that he made using his art from his trips to Mexico and the Caribbean.

His most recent endeavor in fine art has a window theme where you look pig party picturethrough a window to see the scene on the other side. One card he left with us is about three partying pigs. The picture is full of hidden gems as is much of his art. Looking at the picture you can pick out glasses, bottles corn and pearls on one pig that are hidden in the scene. This all reflects the humor in the picture.

Cross PictureBill also showed us another of his talents. He is making crosses out of various types of wood and finds old crucifixes to provide the figure of Christ for his cross. He also uses other materials in place of Christ. Angie bought one that is pictured here because of the way it looked and its uniqueness. Bill says he never makes two crosses that are the same. After talking with him, I thought of the crosses and what I have done with stain glass crosses that I made. He inspired me to see if I can produce those at another level.

Bill has his studios in Scottsdale and Pine, Arizona. You can view his work on his website.

Canadian Travel Writer Highlights Down By The River

May 20th, 2013 by Mike Hug

In April, Angie and I hosted a Canadian travel writer Bruce Penton and his wife Barbara at Down By The River B and B. Bruce has owned and run papers but now he is free to be away from the day to day at times and be a travel writer as he tours different locales. After his visit to Southeastern Arizona, our San Pedro River B&B got a rave review by Bruce on Trip Advisor and then he followed that up with an article in the Kamloops This Week travel section. The article can be seen at their website, although I don’t know for how long. In case the article disappears into the archives we have a PDF of the article here.

Bruce stated that they had “a one-night stay at what must be one of the most spectacular bed and breakfasts in the States.”  We have had other guests write in our book that Down By The River was one of the best or the best B and Bs that they have ever stayed in. However we have never had that put in public print before. We feel humbled by what has been said about our B and B and we thank Bruce for the kind praise he has given to our efforts to provide a great B and B experience to our guests.

Front of the innDown By The River B and B offers world class breakfasts and a quiet ambiance not found in many places. Some guests state that we are off the beaten track but we say in return that this is where Memories are Made. Come for a visit to our St. David, AZ bed and breakfast and find out why this is the place to relax and enjoy.

HawkQuest Guests

April 21st, 2013 by Mike Hug

Kin and eagle picture

Kin with a Bald Eagle during a demonstration from HawkQuest Literature

We had the pleasure of hosting Kin and Patti Quitugua from HawkQuest during their stay at our San Pedro River B and B. During their stay I found out that Kin had originally lived in Guam before finally ending up in Parker Colorado. I talked to him about HawkQuest and what his business did. Kin was one of three co-founders of HawkQuest back in 1986. The purpose of  HawkQuest is to educate people about raptors and their place in the ecosystem while sharing the message concerning biodiversity and nurturing respect for our land and stewardship of the environment.

The goal is to make education fun and meaningful for the people that attend the programs that HawkQuest puts on.  The education process allows for the audience to be part of the experience while learning about the hawks, eagles, falcons and owls. The team brings the birds to different venues for persons of all ages, preschool children to senior citizens. They will do lectures about birds of prey, HOOT – hands on owl training, and Classroom in the wild where Harris Hawks fly in the open and show off their hunting skills. They also do booth appearances at shows.

Barn Owl Photo

Barn Owl in Tubac at the Arts Fair.

The funny thing is that after we introduced ourselves, I was able to remember that Barb and I had gone to Tubac during an art show about 5 years ago. At that show we came to a booth that had eagles, hawks and owls perched in the open. The birds were calm and the handlers were telling everyone about the birds. I told Kin about this visit I remembered we had in Tubac and then found out it was his company HawkQuest that was at that show. I still had some old pictures so I printed a copy of them  and showed the photos to him. Kin laughed and said yes that was one of his associates that was holding the eagle.

During the time that Kin and Patti were here, they headed down to the San Pedro River behind the BnB. While birding, they were lucky enough to see a Peregrine Falcon flying up the river. Kim knew what the bird was because he has a falcon that he flies during his demonstrations. We have never had anyone tell us about seeing this bird while visiting and so we are adding this to the website and crediting Kin for the view.

Bald Eagle Picture

Bald Eagle was the hit of the show with everyone wanting the photo.

Shows you how small a world this really is doesn’t it? The next time you decide to take a short break and do some birding and you don’t have time to go to Colorado to see the people at HawkQuest, think about Down By The River B and B in St. David, AZ. We are centrally located and short distances to many locations in Cochise County. We are the B&B that is the “Lodging Hub”  in Southeastern Arizona.

If your interested in seeing just exactly what HawkQuest is all about you can visit
their website at www.hawkquest.org
or their facebook page at HawkQuest.

Guest Shares Experience

October 31st, 2012 by Mike Hug

Patio

We recently had a small item show up in the Arizona Republic. The item was published on October 28, 2012 inRepublic Column Oct 23, 2012 the travel section. We have had other items published in newspapers by travel editors including the Republic. What surprised us was that this item was one that a reader shared with the paper. The reader has been a guest here on multiple occasions and she took it upon herself to let others know what her experiences were when she had visited our B and B. We didn’t know that this was published until we got some phone calls from people that said they had read about us in the paper.

It really is gratifying to know that you have positively affected someones experience to the point that they want to tell others about how much they liked what we do and how we do it. Both Angie and I feel that this type of compliment is humbling. It also tells us that our focus on the guests and making their memories of Down By The River B and B unforgettable is on the right track.

Additionally, Judy’s item was followed by another reader talking about the John Slaughter Ranch near Douglas, AZ. I showed the location of the ranch in one of my previous blogs. The ranch is a little over an hour away from Down By The River, the “Lodging Hub of Cochise County” and we have visited it. In an upcoming blog I will go into some details on what you can expect to see there.

We would like to thank all our guests and especially Judy for the confidence that they show in us to take the time and effort to share their experience at Down By The River B and B. It means a lot to us to know that we are able to provide a great get away for our guests.

Interesting Guests – Steve Harrington

March 27th, 2011 by Mike Hug

– Steve Harrington –

Steve Harrington Picture

Steve Harrington

We have had some wonderful and fascinating people who have visited Down By The River B and B. One guest who was recently here was Steve Harrington with his new bride, Annee. Steve hails from the White Mountains here in Arizona.  He is a member of the Mountain Saddle Band along with Steve Taylor and Rusty Weiss. They are members of the Western Music Association and their specialty is cowboy music, which includes ballads and gospel, interspersed with storytelling and cowboy poetry. Cowboy music, often mistaken for country music, is what has been sung by the likes of Rex Allen, Gene Autry, Roy Rogers, and Marty Robbins, to name a few.

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