4th of July in Silver City, New Mexico
July 3rd-5th, 2024
$625(Double Occupancy) +$146(Single Supplement)

Day One: Situated in the Southwest corner of New Mexico, Silver City offers equal parts Old West Heritage and a vibrant arts community. We’ll enjoy a scenic journey to this boyhood town of Billy the Kid, with plenty of pitstops, including a stop for lunch, on self, along the way. We’ll check into the Silver City Holiday Inn Express, and after a refresh, we’ll gather for our own Happy Hour before heading downtown to enjoy dinner on self.

Day Two: Breakfast is included, at the hotel, then we’re off to enjoy a classic 4th of July parade winding through downtown Silver City, followed by live music and food vendor’s booths at charming Gough Park. Midmorning we’ll be back in the Transits to explore the Trail of the Mountain Spirits Scenic Byway. We’ll travel through the beautiful Mimbres Valley, into San Lorenzo, a quiet village and home to the historic San Lorenzo church, said to be the site of an actual miracle. Further into the Mimbres Valley, we’ll take the cut-off to beautiful Bear Canyon Lake and head for the famous Gila Cliff Dwellings. For thousands of years nomadic people used the caves of the Gila River as temporary shelter. By the late 1200s, people of the Mogollon Culture settled into this region, building rooms in the cliff dwellings for a brief period of about 20 years, then moving on. We’ll enjoy a picnic lunch, included, at the Gila Cliff Dwellings trailhead, a gorgeous setting overlooking the ruins. If you’re feeling ambitious, a 2-minute walk will take you to a wall of pictographs, a 5-minute walk will take you to a three-room dwelling, and an uphill climb that is equivalent to 18 flights of stairs will take you into the Gila Cliff Dwellings. After lunch, we’ll continue past lush green fields and grazing horses, with plenty of scenic stops along the way to enjoy the butterflies, 337 different species of birds, and abundant wildflowers. We’ll stop at Lake Roberts, where it is very common to find whole herds of deer grazing along the road. From here we’ll head for the old mining community of Pinos Altos, where gold was discovered in 1860 and many of the buildings from that era are still standing. Continuing on the Trail of the Mountain Spirits, we’ll stop at an overlook to explore a panoramic view of the Chino mine, one of the largest open-pit copper mines in the world. From here we’ll head back into Silver City for a refresh at our hotel, then it’s downtown for dinner on self and a possible fireworks display—weather permitting!

Day Three: We’ll enjoy breakfast, included at the hotel. After breakfast, it’s bags out, and we’re off to explore Catwalk Recreation Area, a half-mile-long bridge dramatically suspended along a beautiful canyon, over a cool creek that borders the Gila Wilderness. The Catwalk follows the path of the pipeline built in the 1890s to deliver water to the mining town of Graham. Workmen had to enter the canyon by crawling atop the narrow pipeline named the “Catwalk.” In the 1930’s the Civilian Conservation Corps rebuilt the Catwalk. Metal walkways were bolted to the narrow canyon walls where there was no room to cut a trail, creating an easy walkway that is universally accessible for all visitors. Here’s your opportunity to explore the canyon once used as a hideout for both Geronimo and Butch Cassidy! Later back in the Transits, we’re headed for home with plenty of great stops along the way.

Holiday Tours fill quickly. Don’t wait to make your reservation!

Scottsdale:
La Quinta Inn & Suites
8888 E Shea Blvd
Scottsdale, AZ 85260

The Scottsdale pickup location can be easily reached via AZ 101/Pima Freeway. Exit the freeway at Shea. The La Quinta Hotel is located at the northeast corner of AZ 101 and Shea Blvd.

Mesa:
Mesa Doubletree Hotel
1011 W. Holmes Ave
Mesa, AZ 85210

This is the Fiesta Mall region, and the Hilton Hotel is easily viewed from the U.S. 60/Superstition Freeway. Exit the freeway at Alma School and head east to Holmes. Park and wait for the bus at the west end of the hotel parking lot.