Late-afternoon sunlight illuminates historic buildings along Broad Street in downtown Globe, which has retained a real small-town feel with free parking on the street, small shops and friendly locals.

jim davis / arizona daily star

More Photos (5):

Other articles by Doug Kreutz:

Being a lightweight is a good thing Rugged rock ridges, old home well worth seeing Alas, even the most delightful meals must end 10 reasons to love Sabino CanyonAvoid air travel diet disasterArtist makes the desert burst with color, energy Network of trails in Phoenix offers convenient excursion State park caters to many UA assistant professor wins $50K writing awardMountain Biking 101

Construction
Komatsu Equipment Co
Mechanic General
CORT
WAREHOUSE/DRIVER General
CORT
Warehouse Supervisor Health Care
Rio Salado College
PA's/Online Instructors Education
Assessment Technology, Inc
Social Studies Content Writer

GLOBE — Donna Bailie climbs a steep wooden ladder in the heart of an ancient pueblo and emerges into a rustic room where someone made a home 700 years ago.

"Amazing!" says Bailie, a visitor from Canada, as she surveys the reconstructed chamber. "What a life they must have had here."

The pueblo, centerpiece of the Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park in Globe, is a passage into the deep past — and one of many intriguing stops on a tour of a fascinating, often overlooked swath of our state.

Ensconced amid rugged mountains 100 miles north of Tucson, the Globe-Miami-Superior area is a historic copper mining district that's booming anew in another vein: tourism.

Among the top attractions:

● Ancient Indian ruins.

● Mining sites and lore.

● Hiking trails and campsites.

● Scenic drives.

● A renowned arboretum.

● Quirky museums.

● Historic neighborhoods.

● Mexican food billed as the best in the state.

"We've become a destination instead of just a pass-through place," says Ellen Kretsch, director of the Globe-Miami Regional Chamber of Commerce.

"In the past, most people just traveled through here on their way to the White Mountains or wherever," Kretsch says. "But in recent years, we've seen an almost explosive growth in the number of people who come here to enjoy the small-town feel, the historic buildings, the beautiful mountains and everything else."

It's possible to "do" the Globe-Miami-Superior area as a 200-plus-mile day trip. But a weekend jaunt allows a more leisurely look.

For a scenic route from Tucson, follow Arizona 77 and U.S. 60 to Globe and Miami, and then continue on U.S. 60 to Superior and environs. Return from Superior on Arizona 177 through Kearny and Winkelman en route back to Tucson.

Read on for a sampling of sights along the way.

Roadside rivers and geology

Getting to Globe will take you across the San Pedro River near Mammoth and along the Gila River northeast of Winkelman. Watch for spring wildflowers in the Mammoth area and tortured geological formations on slopes above the Gila.

On the way from Winkelman to Globe on Arizona 77, check out a sheer-walled slice in the landscape on the east side of the road between Mileposts 155 and 156. Geologic forces in action!

Historic Globe

When you reach town, pull off U.S. 60 onto Broad Street — not to be mistaken for Broadway — and slip into the town's historic district.

The mood is pure "hometown USA," with free parking on the street, small shops and friendly locals like David Hernandez — basking in the sun on a bench along Broad Street.

"I was born and raised here — and I'm still here now," says Hernandez, 72, a retired miner.

Old buildings endure. One of the most beloved is the century-old Gila County Courthouse, which now houses the Cobre Valley Center for the Arts at 101 N. Broad St.

To view a collection of American Indian artifacts, historic photos and displays on mining and ranching, visit the Gila County Historical Museum at 1330 N. Broad St. Admission is free. The museum is open from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Mondays through Fridays and 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Saturdays. It's closed on Sundays.

Elsewhere around town you'll be reminded of another Globe point of pride: Signs along U.S. 60 proclaim that this is the hometown of Rose Mofford, Arizona's first female governor, known for her no-nonsense approach to governing and bouffant beehive hairdo.

Antique attack

Here's a hot tip if you happen to be in the market for an antique egg incubator with the "Super Hatcher" name plate still intact.

Richard Brazell, co-owner of Past Times Antiques at 150 W. Mesquite St., has one — and he'll let it go for 300 bucks.

Not into incubators, but still like old stuff? No problem. You'll find about two dozen antique shops in Globe and nearby Miami.

"Basically, this is a laid-back old mining town," says Brazell. "It's small enough that you know people, and all kinds of interesting things end up in these shops."

Coffee stop

If you're up for a cup of plain, no-nonsense, mining-town joe, try any downtown restaurant.

Latte lovers and others looking for a specialty caffeine buzz might drop in at Vida e Caffé, a coffee shop at 157 W. Cedar St. A double-espresso, with excellent crema and flavor, costs $1.50.

A prehistoric pueblo

Ancient Indians, known today as the Salado People, built a large pueblo on the edge of what is now Globe and lived there about 700 years ago.

The ruins site has been elaborately reconstructed and opened to easy public access as the Besh-Ba-Gowah Archaeological Park. The name comes from Apache words describing the site as a "place of metal" or "metal camp."

Today, visitors such as Bailie and another Canadian tourist, Cliff Gemeroy, are permitted to walk through rooms, climb ladders and otherwise get a close-up sense of pueblo life.

Follow signs from U.S. 60 in Globe to reach the site. Hours are 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily except for Thanksgiving, Christmas and New Year's days, when the park is closed. Admission is $3 for visitors 12 to 64 and $2 for those 65 or older. Children 11 or younger get in free.

Let's lunch

You'll find plenty of dining options in Globe and the surrounding area, but locals insist that the town's Mexican food restaurants rank among the best in Arizona.

One option is Libby's El Rey Cafe at 999 N. Broad St. The No. 6 Combination — with chile con carne, rice, beans and a tortilla — is $5.25.

Hike the Six Shooter

With the days getting longer as spring approaches, you might squeeze in an afternoon hike on lower reaches of a route with a name invoking the Old West: the Six Shooter Trail.

The trail extends about six miles into the Pinal Mountains — climbing from 4,320 feet to about 7,700 feet. The 12-mile round trip is a challenging hike requiring many hours, but you can get a short workout on the lower mile or two of the trail.

To reach the trailhead, follow signs from U.S. 60 in town toward the Pinal Mountain Recreation Area. Take Ice House Canyon Road to the CCC Camp picnic area and pick up the trail there.

Overnight

Before heading on to Superior, many visitors bed down in Globe or Miami — or at a campground in the Pinal Mountains. For information on lodging, you might stop at the Globe-Miami Visitor Center at 1360 N. Broad St. next to the Historical Museum. Lodging information also is available at www.globemiamichamber.com on the Internet.

On to Miami

It's about six miles, through a mostly built-up area, from Globe to Miami — which, alas, has no beach like its Florida namesake.

But you'll get a good look at evidence of the mining industry in the form of tall smelter stacks as you make the drive.

As you cruise Miami's main drag — Live Oak Street — consider turning onto Miami Avenue. Along the avenue and connecting Sullivan Street, you'll find a rich mix of antique shops and other businesses.

Over the pass

The 17-mile drive from Miami to Superior is one of the most scenic stretches of road in the region.

You'll get expansive views as you approach the summit of a 4,600-foot pass — site of the colorful Top of the World Trading Post.

Sky-scraping rock walls flank the highway as you descend from the pass toward Superior.

World's Smallest Museum

A park with mining artifacts and assorted tourist shops await you in Superior — but save some time for a quick stop at the World's Smallest Museum on the west end of town.

Co-owner Jake Reaney proudly displays carefully selected exhibits in the 134-square-foot museum. Admission is free, and you'll see household items from great-grandma's era, minerals, antique film and video equipment, Old West memorabilia, kids toys and other items.

An Arizona Eden

About 3,200 desert plants — and a colorful array of birds and other wildlife — inhabit the Boyce Thompson Arboretum three miles west of Superior on U.S. 60.

Visitors stroll the grounds on shaded trails — viewing rare and familiar plants growing beneath a backdrop of craggy mountain ridges.

The arboretum is open daily, except for Christmas Day. Winter hours, with admission taken from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m., continue through April. Admission is $7.50 for visitors 13 or older and $3 for children 5 to 12. Kids 4 or younger get in free.

Kearny pizza

When you're ready to call it a wrap, return from the arboretum to Superior and head southeast on Arizona 177. That route takes you to Winkelman, where you reconnect with Arizona 77 for the drive back to Tucson.

But the hunger. What about the hunger?

One solution: a stop in the small town of Kearny on the drive between Superior and Winkelman.

There, at 370 Alden Road, you'll find Old Time Pizza. A small cheese pizza with two extra toppings will set you back $8.50 — and much larger pies are available if you've got a family to feed.

Ask a server to activate the singing deer behind the counter. He belts out a mean version of "Sweet Home Alabama."