Author Archive

The Adventures of Rocket J. Squirrel and Pepe Le Peeuuuh

December 4th, 2012 by Mike Hug

Down By The River B and B is located on the San Pedro River in SE Arizona. Being so close to the river, we have a lot of wildlife that frequents the property. The San Pedro River is a water source that flows throughout the year and is above ground near the bnb usually until late June just before the start of the monsoons. The water source draws all types of animals and birds into the area. We generally don’t have problems with pesky critters, although the deer do give us fits with tree damage and rodents dig holes in the middle of trails and around the plants. With that being said we usually enjoy watching the activities that go on around us.

At the beginning of November while working on cleaning up the yard, I needed to get a rake out of the shed. As I walked toward the shed I noticed a movement in the brush behind the garage. It didn’t look like a rabbit but then I wasn’t really looking that close. We have a lot of cottontail rabbits and a few jack rabbits around so I just assumed that Peter Cottontail was out foraging. A couple of days later as I looked out the double doors I saw a squirrel meander across the stoop. I knew that I didn’t need a squirrel around and so I went out the main door and tried to scare the squirrel away. As I came around the corner, Rocket J. Squirrel made a b-line behind the shed.

He was safe from me but I decided to bang on the shed to see if I could get him to vacate the premises. We played cat and mouse as he moved from one side to the other as I banged on the shed. We played this game for about 5 minutes until he decided to beat a hasty retreat out past the garage into the fields to the south. I kept checking for the gray squirrel for the next couple of days and didn’t see him near the shed at all. I felt that I had given him good reason to decide relocation was a better option. Hoping that he had moved to a locale inhabited by Bullwinkle, far away in Minnesota, I forgot about Rocky.

Then one morning, our cat became real agitated. Looking out onto the patio, I spotted Rocky. The brazen little critter was sitting up on a chair looking over the territory. I went out the door and he saw me but then turned back to look at what was going on in the yard. Not until I advanced did he decide to run for it. Rocket J is a good name for the streak of gray that flew by me on the way to the other side of the house.

Another week passed as I decided to work on the mesquite trees at the bird room patio. As I got back there I noticed the furry little bugger. Yup, Rocky was back and now he had a burrow under the house at the bird room. Rocket was down the hole before I could get close. Just what I need is a fur bearing critter under the house. I figured that I could trap this rodent. I am smarter than he is. No big deal. Get a trap, bait it and the work is done. Not so fast fool! Rocky J is a little slyer than you thought. Rocky trips the trap, eats the bait and then goes back into the burrow to excavate more. All I do is give him free meal delivery to the front door. I can’t even catch him out away from the burrow and bury the entrance before he can get back. He isn’t named Rocket J for no good reason.

So as I realize that Rocky is not the pushover I thought he was. I decide to bite the bullet and bring in the big boys to take care of this. In step the pest control people with a live trap. As it is set up, I comment that this trap looks a little large. But I am assured that this trap will get Rocky. It is made for skunks and raccoons and will still trip with a squirrel’s weight. OK, so let the fun begin. The trap is set next to the hole, baited and now I am assured that this will work. Rocky will be caught in a quick fashion and transported to Frostbite Falls, MN, never to dig a hole under my house again.

Nothing happens for 2 days except that Rocky fills in the one entrance and digs another one at a different place away from the trap. I even see him in the trap having a snack and think – “Aha got him!” ….but no he didn’t trip the trap door. Rocket beats a quick path to the burrow again, filled tummy and all. That night our cat gets all agitated again as Angie and I are having supper. Angie spots a black and white animal walk past the door at the breezeway. We have just seen Pepe Le Peeuuuh and that first introduction to Pepe is a nonevent. We had two rooms with guests and expecting a third couple to show up later that evening.

The next morning is Thanksgiving so naturally the fun begins. Remember Pepe? Well he is not just wandering

Pepe asleep in the trap on Thanksgiving day.

around anymore looking for adventure. No he is holed up in of all things the live trap. He is sound asleep, just like our guests. Pest people, they don’t work on Thanksgiving; they are home with the family. But I have paying guests and Pepe the moocher, who is not one that I want to have around. I call anyway and plead my case and am assured that I will get a call. I just know that it will be Friday before anyone shows. But low and behold I do get a call and maybe someone will be there in the afternoon. I inform the guests of Pepe’s presence and we all keep our distance although I did get some pictures from about 10 feet. Chris, with 30 years experience, showed up and gave Pepe a relocation trip that afternoon but the trap was not returned that day. I thought one would be back on Friday but it was Monday. During the respite, Rocky had the run of the yard and was expanding the burrow to 4 maybe 5 rooms. The mounds of dirt grew and it looked like someone emptied a couple of wheelbarrows around the house.

Pepe like the food so much he came back to dine again.

Great, just what I need, more excavation under the b and b. But Monday is soon here and a new smaller trap is brought. This is going to work. I just know it. Shouldn’t catch anything but Rocket and then life will be good again. We can hardly wait. With dawn I get my coffee to go next door and get things ready for the morning breakfast. Ah but first I want to check the trap. Oh boy the door is down. Rocky you are mine. But hold on a minute….that doesn’t look like Rocky. It looks like Pepe. It is Pepe! I make a phone call to Chris and tell him that the trap is full. He says great he will come out to get Rocky and I tell him not so fast. It is our friend Pepe. He came back because the food was so good. Well Chris didn’t show up to do the removal this time, Shawn did. Shawn had never removed a skunk before so he got dressed up to keep himself protected. I took a video to show what was the trapping process is. I don’t know what happens when it comes to getting Pepe out of the cage. That might be a little too close for comfort for me.

Now I get a third cage even smaller than before but there is a question that is posed. Since we got Pepe twice

Rocket J Squirrel finally got his little self caught and is ready to visit another locate far away.

at the burrow maybe the skunk ran Rocket J off. Have to see if anything is caught or seen. To tell the truth I hadn’t seen Rocket so maybe he was gone. So to test that theory I decide to fill in the holes and see if they reappear. Nothing happens all day but the next morning there is another new hole to the burrow. That make 6 entrances that I know of, five of which I have filled. So I set the trap next to the burrow and add some rocks to block paths. The next morning, SUCCESS IS MINE! Rocky is trapped.

It has been 3 days now and no return of Rocket J. Squirrel or Pepe Le Peeuuuh! Hopefully the rest of the year will be uneventful and we can enjoy the Christmas Season without the worry of having a basement bungalow under the b and b.

Posted in Nature | 1 Comment »

Anna’s Hummingbird Featherweight Fight

November 27th, 2012 by Mike Hug

On November 14, 2012, I had the opportunity to witness a “Featherweight Fight” between two Anna’s Hummingbirds. One was an adult male and the other was a juvenile. They were at a feeder that was almost full. Angie and I were talking about removing the feeders because it was starting to freeze at night. At the time we didn’t believe that any hummingbirds would still be in the area.

I happened to go out onto the patio and I had the opportunity to watched two birds jockeying for position and chasing each other away from the feeder. It just seemed to me to be the normal back and forth that you get from the hummers when they are hungry. However, after a short time these birds grappled in the air and had a controlled fall to the ground where the pecked at each other. They didn’t stay there long and were back up in the air. I had never seen this before so I quickly went inside to get my camera and came back out as fast as I could. The birds were still jabbing at each other as I got the camera focused on a bird at the feeder and started the video.

The birds ignored me and kept on with their battle. I didn’t expect to see much more than just chasing each other around but I was surprised by these small creatures. They flew by me a couple of times during the duel. Almost as I was ready to stop the video the hummers locked up again and went to the ground fighting. I was able to capture most of it as the continued the fight on the ground. After they went back into the air I taped another minute or so before I stopped. My battery was starting to flash at me. I knew that there wasn’t much time left on it.

I taped over 10 minutes of the exchange before I quit. The entire fight from the beginning until I shut off the camera was about 15 to 20 minutes. It did go on for a period of time afterwards. After editing, there is almost 3 minutes on the video for you to see. There is some brilliant green and red flashes in the pictures from the light hitting the feathers in just the right spots. The male Anna’s is still here at the BnB but we haven’t see the juvenile and we don’t know what finally happened.

I have the video on YouTube for you to enjoy.

Posted in Nature | 1 Comment »

Stay ‘N’ Play

November 20th, 2012 by Mike Hug

Stay ‘n’ Play

Charity Golf Weekend

Down By The River B and B

The Knights of Columbus has scheduled their 7^th Annual Marie Lovell/ Barbara Hug/ Paul Padia Memorial Golf Tournament for February 23, 2013 and the San Pedro Valley Country Club. This tournament is a shotgun best ball start with most of the proceeds going to The University of Arizona Cancer Research Center and to the John Lodzinski High School Scholarship Fund.

Marie, Barbara, Paul and John were all victims of Cancer and were either married to Knights or were Knights. Barbara with her husband Mike were co-owners of Down By The River B and B. Mike has worked on the Tournament Committee since its inception and the B and B has contributed to the Tournament in various ways. Nearly 100 golfers played last year and because of the sponsors, and golfers, the tournament was the most successful ever.

This year the tournament is offering a $10,000 hole in one shot, The Dixon Golf Challenge, longest drive for

Golf on Benson’s Course

men and women, closest to the hole for men and women, raffle tickets, auction prizes and 1^st, 2^nd, and 3^rd place prizes. The tournament includes cart, green fees and lunch for $45. Last year’s raffle prizes and auction items included Diamond Back Tickets, U of A / UCLA basketball tickets, and wine tastings to name a few. We don’t know what this year will bring.

This year Angie and Mike decided to offer a Stay ‘n’ Play weekend at Down By The River for golfers who wish to participate in the tournament this year and stay at the B and B. Because of the early start on Saturday morning, a two night stay is required. Saturday night Mike and Angie will serve dinner for those guests taking part in the golf weekend, free of charge, as a thank you for your participation in the tournament.

A non-refundable charge of $45 will be taken for each golfer via credit card to reserve your spot in the Tournament at the time you reserve your room. The room charge will be at the multi-night discount rate and will be on a first-come, first-serve basis. Breakfast on Saturday will be early so that the guests are at the golf course prior to play.

Posted in Events and Things To Do, Outdoor Recreation, Specials & Packages | Comments Off on Stay ‘N’ Play

Hummingbird Feeder Thieves

November 15th, 2012 by Mike Hug

Being on the San Pedro River, Down By The River B and B is visited by many bird species. Birding on the San Pedro is some of the best in the USA. There are also the resident birds that stay around all year. We are also an area that is a nursery for Black-Chinned Hummingbirds and we feed a lot of them with the feeders that are hung out at Down By The River B and B. We have other types of hummingbirds that visit us during the year, including Anna’s, Magnificent, Rufous, and Caliopie. Just this morning we had a subadult Caliopie here at the feeder while I was talking with a guest and I wish I had my camera since if flashed so much color in the sunlight. It seems to be a little late in the season for hummingbirds to still be around but maybe these birds decided to stay instead of flying south.We made a video on Hummingbird Breakfast at the B & B and it is fun to watch the jockeying for position by these little birds.

But every once in a while, along with the bats, a sneaky Pete woodpecker has to put his beak into the nectar. We have Ladderback Woodpeckers and also Gila Woodpeckers in the area. Both of these birds are brazen and

Gila Woodpecker landing on feeder

will fly up to the hummingbird feeders and clamp their feet to the feeder. They are usually grab the edge of the feeder and hang below. With a little work they get into their position so that they can dip their beak into the nectar. Watching them do the gyration to get to the nectar is amusing.

The hummers will come to the feeder and see the woodpecker. They buzz around a little bit but soon decide that they don’t want to take on the bigger bird. The leave to find one of the other feeders we have on the patio. We shoo the woodpecker away and he gives a squawk at us as he leaves. He doesn’t go far. He will wait in a tree and after a bit he is back at the feeder.

Gila Woodpecker Getting Into Position To Have A Drink Of Nectar.

Gila Woodpecker Getting A Drink Of Nectar

One of our neighbors in St. David has a picture of bats at the feeder. It is on our facebook page if you would like to see it. If you go to our facebook page, LIKE us and comment if you wish. If you don’t have a facebook page you won’t be able to see this picture.

I have seen a swirling motion outside the dining room window when I went to lock up and turn the lights for the night. I was curious to see what was going on and went to the window. I saw a group of bats and as I watched the bats swirled around the feeder, hit the bottle and flew down to catch the nectar as it came out the holes. It was a really eerie thing to watch. We were wondering why our feeders would be drained in the morning. Now we know. If you have drained feeders in the morning you might want to check out the feeders at night to see if you have flying visitors.

Posted in Nature | Comments Off on Hummingbird Feeder Thieves

John Slaughter Ranch Museum

November 9th, 2012 by Mike Hug

In my last blog I wrote about a recent article, dated October 28, 2012 in the Phoenix Republic. Mrs. Daley from Camp Verde wrote about her favorite place to visit in Southern Arizona. The place she referred to was the John Slaughter Ranch Museum just east of Douglas about 15 miles and is what is left of the 65,000 acre Slaughter Ranch. This ranch is located in the extreme southeast section of Arizona on the border of Mexico and within about 5 miles of the New Mexico border. To get to the ranch you have to drive to Douglas, Arizona and take 15th Street east. This turns into a dirt road called Geronimo Trail, named after the Apache warrior who fought the US Army until his surrender in 1886. The Geronimo Trail leads to a white gate with a big Z over it. The Z was Slaughters cattle brand.

The area was on the route used by Father Kino in the 1690s on his ventures into Arizona because of the water

John Slaughter Ranch Looking Toward Mesa

View from the ranch house looking toward the mesa that is the high point on the property.

it contained. In 1773, Captain Juan Bautista de Anza came to the area and the Spanish established the San Bernardino garrison around 1775. The ranch originated from a Spanish Land Grant that was purchased by Ignacio Perez in 1822. After 10 years, Perez quit using the land because of the Apache raids. Slaughter purchased the ranch in 1884 from the Perez heirs. With the Gadsden Purchase, the ranch lands were divided with one third in the US and two thirds in Mexico. After Slaughter’s death, the property was later sold and what is left in the US is now a National Historical Landmark. 130 acres of the original property was purchased by The Johnson Historical Museum of the Southwest, The US Fish and Wildlife Service owns the rest of the property in Arizona, now known as the San Bernardino Wildlife Refuge.

Historical Picture of Texas John Slaughter

Slaughter was born in Louisiana in 1841 and died on his ranch in 1922. During his life he fought in the Civil War, was a cattleman, Indian fighter, lawman and gambler. He served with the Texas Rangers and was elected Cochise County Sherriff in 1886 and served until 1890. He helped rid Cochise County of outlaws after the Shoot Out at the OK Corral. There are many stories that you can read about John Slaughters life at the Ranch Museum. John Slaughter is one of the people that tamed the Old West and brought law and order to the Arizona Territory.

The Museum has many different things on display. The buildings were restored in the 1980s and furnished with items from the era. There may be some items that can be traced back to Slaughter but most are not. The property contains an icehouse, wash house, main buildings, granary, commissary and a garage that houses a vintage car. On the mesa above the ranch are the remains of a US Cavalry camp. The inside of the main house is open to visitors from 10 until 3. The property also has a spring fed pond and the ranch site is located at the head waters of the Yaqui River. During the droughts that affected the west in the 1900s, the cattle herds survived because of the water on the property. The small amount of acreage is all that is left of the only remaining great Arizona 19th century cattle ranch.

The pond has wildlife visit during the day. When Angie and I were there we saw deer and large swans. At first

John Slaughter Ranch House and Museum

I thought that they were props since they didn’t move. Finally they got bored looking at me and went about eating again. This is a pleasant spot to bring a picnic lunch after you have taken the loop trail into the refuge. It is about a 2 ½ mile loop and has many birds in the area. You can even make a short visit to the Gadsden Hotel in Douglas and roam around the mezzanine and view the stained glass. If you have enough time in your day and the Sand Hill Cranes are wintering in Arizona, you can head north to Whitewater Draw and take in the birds in this area also. Both places can be seen during the same trip.

The Museum is about 1 ½ hours and Whitewater Draw is about an hour away from Down By The River B and B, the lodging hub of Cochise County. The San Pedro River bnb is a great location to visit all of Cochise County’s many attractions.

Posted in Events and Things To Do | Comments Off on John Slaughter Ranch Museum

Guest Shares Experience

October 31st, 2012 by Mike Hug

We recently had a small item show up in the Arizona Republic. The item was published on October 28, 2012 in 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.

Posted in Down By The River FAQ, Interesting Guests | Comments Off on Guest Shares Experience

New Years Eve at the River

October 26th, 2012 by Mike Hug

Sometimes we do get snow at the B and B but it doesn’t last very long. It is usually gone before noon.

Down By The River B and B has a tradition on New Years Eve. We celebrate the New Year with all of our guests and pop some Arizona Sparkling Wine at 12 AM. Every year we invite the guests that are staying with us and we invite some of our old neighbors and friends to attend.We celebrate the end of the old year and look forward to the next one which we always hope is better. The best part is that we don’t charge our guests any extra for the evening although there are some restrictions.

The tradition actually goes back before Barb and I started the BnB. We would have an open house with our neighbors and friends. After Barb and I had moved into the B and B, we decided to keep the tradition going. It has been over 20 years now that we have celebrated New Years Eve in this fashion. Our old friends and neighbors still make their way down to St. David every year to ring in the New Year at our southeast Arizona B&B with Angie and me. It is fun to make new memories and remember the old ones.

New Years Eve we provide a variety of snacks for our guests to enjoy

This year we decided to advertize the affair. and give people a chance to come join us. We have always had guests here on New Years Eve. Prior to this year, we would inform the guests when they make their reservations for that time of the year and ask them to join us. We start the festivities at 9:00 PM. There are munchies to eat and we have music on until close to midnight. At that point when we turn on the TV and watch the ball drop from Times Square. Last year we had guests in all the rooms from as many states along with our friends and neighbors. Karl brought a Yule Log for us to eat. It was mighty tasty. We had other items to taste like meat balls, shrimp, cheese and crackers and much more. We always find something enticing.

This year we decided to give out the information for perspective guests who are looking for something to do

Yule Log was brought by our friend Karl

on New Years Eve while visiting Southeastern AZ. Some of our guests have come to Arizona to root on their Alma Mater at the Fiesta Bowl and have extended their vacation to visit this part of the state. They have chosen us because of our central location to all the great things that make up Cochise County. So if you want to celebrate NYE at an Arizona B&B that is the Lodging Hub of Cochise County, consider Down By The River for the unique experience of ringing in the New Year.

The only requirement of the guests is to bring their own drinks and be in a cheerful mood. We also require that the reservation must be for a minimum of 2 days at the normal room charge. The use of discounts, certificates or gift cards are not allowed during the stay. Reservations are first come first served and the full non refundable charge will be taken at the time of the reservation.

Tags: New Years Eve BnB, New Years Eve Lodging, NYE B&B
Posted in Down By The River FAQ, Events and Things To Do, Specials & Packages | Comments Off on New Years Eve at the River

Holy Trinity Monestary – Saint David

October 19th, 2012 by Mike Hug

The Holy Trinity Monastery in St. David, AZ has a festival coming up on the second weekend of November. The festivals always have the unusual things that may work for the hard to by for Christmas Present. If you decide to come to the Festival consider lodging with us at the Southeastern Arizona B & B, Down By The River B and B. I am also going to give a little background about the monastery and how it came to be located in St. David, AZ.

The Holy Trinity Monastery at St. David, Arizona was founded on September 3rd, 1974 by Fr. Louis

The Church at the Monastery is built in the shape of a cross

Hasenfuss, O.S.B. A priest of the Diocese of Tucson, Fr. Clark Moore, was running a children’s residential program on the 92-acre property. When he was unable to meet the mortgage payments, he suggested to Fr. Louis, who was in Tucson giving a retreat, that the Benedictines establish a retreat center. When Fr. Louis returned to his monastery at Pecos, New Mexico, he presented the idea. Abbot David Geraets approved, and Fr. Louis arrived with two associates, Maxine and Larry Lee and Marty Martinez to begin a new monastery. Ground was broken for Our Lady of Guadalupe Church on December 12th, 1974, and Bishop Green presided over its dedication on June 24th, 1981.

Besides providing facilities for retreats, the Monastery has built a library of 70,000 volumes, not all of which are cataloged. In keeping with the tradition of the Benedictine Monks, the property also has a museum. Check with the Monastery for times that the facilities are open. An RV park is used for the vehicles brought by winter volunteers who are instrumental in helping the community.

Holy Trinity Monastery is affiliated with the Olivetan Benedictines of Monte Oliveto in Italy. It is unique because it includes lay people in addition to the monks. Residential oblates choose to live, pray and work in community with the monks, and live in their own manufactured homes on the grounds. The monastery’s mission is not restricted to the local area. Fr. Henri Capdeville, the current Prior, also ministers to and works with oblate groups in San Diego, CA and El Paso, TX. He came to the community in 1976, became a monk in 1979, and was ordained to the priesthood in 1993.

The Monastery now consists of 150 acres, and has been built up over the years mainly by volunteer labor. The site includes the church, monks’ cloister, offices, dining areas, bookstore/gift shop, bakery, pecan orchard, gardens, ponds, and cemetery. With the help of the Bureau of Land Management, a 1.3 mile bird sanctuary trail was dedicated in 1992. The San Pedro National Resource Conservation District presented the monastery the “Conservation Cooperator of the Year” award in 1993 for the trail, which runs along the San Pedro River. Many bird-watching groups are often on site when the community arrives at church for morning prayers.

The festival in Spring and Autumn attract many people to view the things that vendors have on display at their booths.

The Monastery is self-supporting, utilizing multiple fundraising projects. During the year, there are various group retreats booked on weekends, as well as longer individual stays. These are a source of income, but it doesn’t stop there. Other sources of funding come from the Monte Cassino RV Park, sales of pecans, breads and pies; the gift shop, Benedict’s Closet thrift store, mass stipends and general donations. Two large arts and crafts festivals are hosted in the Spring, the second weekend of May (Mother’s Day), and in the Fall, the second weekend of November (just in time for Christmas!) A monthly e-mail newsletter, The Holy Herald, is published by the Monastery and sent to readers.

In the late 1970’s, Fr. Henri came up with the festival idea. It started as a carnival type activity, with quarter and half-dollar games. Over the years, it has turned into a vendor show with up to 150 artisans selling handmade crafts. The festivals also provide local entertainment, which usually includes the Phoenix Tongan Catholic Community. The dining room serves an ever-popular BBQ plate, but other food venues are available as well.

The festival events are staffed by volunteers from the Knights of Columbus who work at the entrance, a Police Explorer Troop which manages parking, the Sheriff’s Assist Team is also on hand, along with the St. David Fire Department and local Ambulance Service. Numerous other volunteers help with the food prep, dining room, raffles, and general operations. Fr. Henri stated “Without the wonderful people who give their time and efforts, the Monastery would be hard pressed to be able to meet its goals.” The festivals have fallen on hard times recently, due to the lagging economy, but better times appear to be around the corner since the last Spring Festival was an improvement over the year before. The Monastery is located on Arizona Highway 80 between mileposts 302 and 303. The address is PO Box 298, St. David, AZ 85630. A committee now runs the planning for the festivals, and if you are inclined to help out, you are encouraged to call (520) 265-2827 and leave a message.

Posted in Events and Things To Do | Comments Off on Holy Trinity Monestary – Saint David

Website Updated

October 12th, 2012 by Mike Hug

Down By The River Bed and Breakfast announces that the new website is up and running. It has changed our presentation of the Bed and Breakfast into what we feel is a much more user friendly form. The Navigation bar is now across the top of the website with some drop down tabs. In the next couple of months you will see more content being added. We want this to be an informative site where our guests can see what is available to them when they visit Southeastern Arizona.

We will be working on expanding our information about the many delightful places that our guests are able to visit. We have done some exploring and we will have future items in the blog and also on the website about the different attractions. We recently added a page that lists all the wineries in Sonoita/ Elgin and in the Willcox/Sulphur Springs Valley areas near our b&b. All these wineries are within a short driving distance of the B&B. We also keep updating our website birding list when we see birds along the San Pedro River or on the B&B property. Our guests also tell us of birds that they have seen and if the bird isn’t on the list we will add it.

We are hoping to start offering more specials during the year and have a tab that will be used to highlight what we will be offering. We currently have a “Brewers Weekend” scheduled for the first Saturday in November that will allow the guest to see a demonstration on how to brew beer. We have had some comments on this and we will be ready to demonstrate the process and also have hand-outs on what we did. There are other events that are going on in the area and on our “Area Upcoming Events” page we list the events up to three months ahead of time. This page gets updated on a monthly basis so that guests can plan and schedule their trip. Take a look to see what is being offered in Cochise County. We are the “Lodging Hub” for the area with easy day trips to most of Cochise County and the eastern parts of Santa Cruz and Pima Counties, including Tucson.

We wish to thank Inside Out Solutions for the work that they put into the website. The old website was developed by Mike but was becoming outdated and wasn’t as functional as Down By The River B & B needed. We had many guests tell us that the old website didn’t do the B and B justice. After these types of comments were heard Mike looked at updating the website but time restraints kept him from being able to perform that task. We knew we needed to have the website revamped and so we chose Inside Out because of our long relationship with them. We are pleased with the resulting website that they have produced for our Southeast Arizona bnb. Let us know what you think about it by commenting on the blog or by going to our Facebook page and liking the post.

Tags: bnb SE AZ, Down By The River, San Pedro River B & B, San Pedro River BnB, tombstone bnb
Posted in Down By The River FAQ | Comments Off on Website Updated

Gadsden Hotel

October 5th, 2012 by Mike Hug

Gadsden Hotel was opened in 1907

Down By The River B and B is just the right location as an anchor site for lodging when you plan short day trips to different parts of Cochise County. There are a lot of things to do in Cochise county. Centrally located with access to the major highways that cross the county, Down By The River is the southeastern AZ bnb lodging that has it all. One of the locations that we have within a short distance is the City of Douglas. There are two particular things to see and do in Douglas. One thing to do is to stop and see the Gadsden Hotel. The second is to visit what is left of the San Bernardino Spanish Land Grant that is now the site of the John Slaughter Ranch and Museum. The ranch is located to the east of Douglas about 15 miles. I will be writing about that in the near future as it is a neat place to see.

On December 30, 1853, The United States purchased the land south of the

The Gadsden Hotel Lobby is large and open with glass panels in the ceiling.

Gila River in Arizona and New Mexico from Mexico by ratifying The Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo. The person spearheading this was James Gadsden who was appointed by President Franklin Pierce as the Minister to Mexico. Gadsden had an ulterior motive for the purchase. He owned a railroad and with a group of investors had learned that the only southern rail route to the west cost of the United States would have to run through a portion of Mexico. After working for a short period of time Gadsden was able to persuade President Santa Ana of Mexico to sell the 45,535 square miles of Mexican territory to the US for about 33 cents per acre.

The Gadsden Hotel, named for the Gadsden Purchase, is located in Douglas, Arizona and is within a mile of the Mexican border. The hotel was first opened in 1907 and has had many dignitaries and famous people have stayed there. Eleanor Roosevelt, most of the Arizona Governors and movie stars including Lee Marvin and Shelley Winters have been guests at the hotel.

The 5 story hotel was state of the art when originally opened. The lobby is large with tall columns that support the roof. Each of the columns are painted in 14k gold leaf which at the cost was $20000. The ceiling of the lobby is decorated with stain glass panels that run the length of the lobby. The mezzanine is also home to an original Tiffany

Greek Warrior statue at the start of the stairs.

stain glass mural that covers over 40’ of wall space. The desert scene in this glass mural is beautiful to behold. An original oil painting by Audley Jean Nichols is located below the windows while two Greek warrior figures are positioned on the posts at the start of the staircase banisters. The hotel still has the original 1929 telephone switchboard, reportedly the first of its kind to be installed in Arizona, and has one of the oldest manually operated elevators west of the Mississippi. The switchboard isn’t used anymore but does make a fine display behind the front desk. The Hotel was placed on the National Historical Registry and was proclaimed a National Historic Site in 1976. It fell into disrepair and was purchased in 1988 by the present owners. They have since brought it back to the beautiful state that it is in today. The dining room and the barroom are located off the lobby. The meals served at the dining room are quite good and we have eaten there and found the cuisine to our liking.

Stain Glass Ceiling Panel

Some Trivia about the hotel is told by the staff. This includes a list of movies made on the premises including “The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean” and “Terminal Velocity”. One of the items of gossip is that Lee Marvin was almost in a barroom brawl at the hotel. It is reported that Pancho Villa rode his horse up the staircase of the hotel to the mezzanine. Critics say that wasn’t possible since Pancho Villa was killed in 1923 and that the hotel had burned down and was rebuilt and opened in 1929. However, the hotel management point to newspaper accounts that indicate the Italian white marble stairway survived the fire and that Pancho Villa did the ride before the hotel had burned. There are staff members and guests at the hotel that state that the hotels is haunted backing it up with accounts of the sightings. The mezzanine has glass cases with memorabilia on display. There is also pictures on the walls of the old town of Douglas and the events that happened. It is interesting to spend some time there and look at the grandeur that is on display.

The original Tiffany Glass window spans over 40 feet of wall area and is 8 feet tall.

Tags: Historical Sites, Stain glass
Posted in Events and Things To Do | Comments Off on Gadsden Hotel