Drove through AZ mine country today

Today I drove through southern Arizona down Hwy 177, a road of rolling hills I had never been down before. This stretch of highway from Superior to Aravaipa Canyon seems to be in the heart of Arizona mining country. I think I must have passed at least 4 different mines, but there was one in particular that struck me. The Ray Mine is one of the largest copper reserves in the U.S., as I drove by I was quite mesmerized by the size, colors and textures created from the mining process, exposing and highlighting various minerals in the soil. The way the land has been terraced has left the landscape quite unlike I would expect a mine to look, much more beautiful than just a hole in the ground.

Ray Mine near Winkelman AZ by MikesRoadTrip.com

The reasons for this road trip is to spend the weekend at Aravaipa Farms, a unique inn in an area of the Sonoran Desert with a spring-fed stream that has spawned a lush and mature landscape along its bangs, while sharing this piece of the desert with more indigenous cacti, such as giant saguaros, prickly pear and many cholla varieties.

Ray Mine near Winkelman off of Hwy 177 in southern Arizona by MikesRoadTrip.com

If you’ve ever driven down Hwy 177 in Southern Arizona, please leave a comment below and share some of your favorite sights.

Mike Shubic

Mike Shubic is a seasoned road trip travel video blogger, traversing the byways of the world looking for those hidden gems of the road. From unique destinations, unexpected discoveries, creative cuisine, intriguing inns to exciting attractions…the road is his page. The experiences are his ink. And every 300 miles, a new chapter begins. Whether you live vicariously or by example, Mike will do the exploring so you can have an adventure.
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