So Send me a letter, Day 2, part 2

The roadways are really neat nowadays with all the artwork along the sides, aren't they?

After leaving Las Cruces, on our way to Tucson, we decided to visit some ghost towns. Just past Lordsburg is a ghost town called Shakespeare. Click on link for information about the town. We took the low road to get to it.

There are tours through the ghost town every other weekend, However, not on the weekend we were there so, unfortunately, all I could do was look over the fence and point my camera. 

 I'm imagining there's someone behind those curtains.

It must be pretty neat to visit when they have the town populated with reenactors. But for us, it was just a quick side trip and a peek into history. So, we turned the car around and went back the way we came until we joined up with the highway and again headed west. Destination- Tucson.

However, there was another ghost town, Steins, New Mexico, right along the way. Click on link for more information about the ghost town. Also, did you notice how the mountain range is getting closer?

We pulled off to take a look.

There was a man burning weeds but the area was fenced in and closed off. Drat! So, we did the next best thing- a drive-by photo shoot.

 

Can you think of a better way to use an old windmill wheel?

Steins Post office was established in 1888 and discontinued in 1944. Steins was first named Doubtful Canyon due to the constant threat of Indians. One Captain Stein was killed here resulting in the naming of Steins Pass. A few years later, gold and other minerals were discovered here and the town was born as Doubtful Canyon. In 1902 there were 35 registered voters, but many more residents. The current site of Steins is actually a few miles east of the original Doubtful Canyon. Steins survival through the 1940's is due to the fact that Steins was also a rail station on the Southern Pacific. Today, Steins can be seen just off Interstate 10 in Southwestern New Mexico. (from the website)

In our travel guide we read that there were several train robberies in this area in the 1800's. They used to hold up the train just as it would come out of Doubtful Canyon. In the short time we were there, several trains went past. It felt a little like we were experiencing the past.

We stopped at an old trading post (souvenir shop) along the way. Isn't it neat the way they used the Indian's headdress to sell the lollipops?

 

 I don't usually make a habit of cozying up to strangers but I couldn't resist the photo op.

Several times along this stretch of highway we would come across a cluster of four warning signs. There would be this one, then one about do not stop on roadway, another one that I can't remember, maybe high winds may exist, and then one that I wanted to photograph but never did get, warning of ZERO VISIBILITY POSSIBLE. Wow, can you imagine- ZERO visibility??

 We finally entered Arizona and came to this sign.

Bowie, Arizona!
Did we stop there?
What do you think?

To be continued...

So Send me a letter -song: Tumble and Twirl, artist: David Bowie, album: Tonight