Day 24: Bisbee, Arizona

Stopped in Tombstone and spied some vestiges of the wild, wild West:

And then traveled on to Bisbee, Arizona, where we visited a copper mine located just a few miles from the border with Mexico.  We donned our raincoats, miners' helmets, and light packs and climbed aboard the mine train that took us into the mine:

Our guide had worked in a copper mine for 21 years and regaled us with many stories of the dangers and adventures of working in the mines.  I have a new appreciation of the hard work involved in this form of mining, especially after seeing the open pit mine, located right next door to the Queen Mine.  What devastation to the environment!

Passed through another border checkpoint and saw a van full of Mexican workers being searched as they tried to come into this country.  Not sure whether they were legal or not, but certainly a very different day-to-day experience than that which I experience back in Hopkinton.