Quirky Patagonia

"The community is quirky and likes it that way."

With a description like that, how could we not find time to visit Patagonia, AZ?

A sixty-mile drive southeast from Tucson through scenery shown here with the final segment on route 82 brought us to Patagonia.

The town is located in the valley of Sonoita Creek between the Santa Rita Mountains to the north and the Patagonia Mountains to the south.

The roads leading to this town of fewer than 1000 people gradually rose to an elevation of about 4000 feet.

Entering town, we passed the Marshal's Office,

the former Patagonia Lumber Company which was established in 1913, and

what is now Many Horses Trading Co., which was built in the 1930s from adobe.

In the heart of town is the 1900 railroad depot. The railroad was abandoned in 1962.

The depot was moved 45 feet away from the expanded highway 82; the rails were sold to Gillette Company for razor materials.

The business district consists of a block of stores on the south side of McKeown Avenue.

This is the view along McKeown Avenue looking in the opposite direction.

The Stage Stop Motel anchors one end of the main street through town.

The store on the left in the photo below is the former Anne Stradling Building. A number of different businesses called this building home over the years.

The shops under the Patagonia sign present a vibrant welcome to visitors.

The community may be small in number, but this street of businesses reflect an energetic community.

Joy and humor abound.

With our mood uplifted by the colorful shops, we decided to have lunch at the Gathering Grounds.