Robson's Mining World

This destination offers up a full plate of small and large wonders.  

Another perspective.

Gene and John engaged in conversation.

L to R:  Phyllis, Gene and Barbara.  I hope you have a model release for each one of them.

Our 'host' Gene.

I love rusted walls.  There is another favorite one in Jerome.  As I hurried around, I failed to notice the solar panel and satellite dish on top!!  Seeing more of what was there is the best part about a trip such as this one.

Nancy mentioned that her camera club's challenge for the month was 'circles'.  She hit the mother-lode on this trip.

Why put two images that are so similar?  Good question!  What I hear back from contributors is how much they enjoy seeing what other photographers, there at the same shoot, chose to capture.  The other thing they like is seeing how other photographers took, essentially, the same shot and then rendered it in post production.  So, here you have it.  One wheel, and two interpretations.   

This car is a bit different than those Tom saw at the Grand National Roadster Show!

Enough wheels for you, Nancy?

Unfortunately, this old firetruck could not save the hotel and restaurant, which we were told, burned down to the foundation in less than 30 minutes.

This is 'Old Joe' and I imagine in carried many guests over the years.  Robson's Mining World was once known as being a ghost town with antique mining equipment.  It had a hotel and restaurant and advertised horseback riding and vacation stays away from urban stress.  It was also a frequent place for corporate meetings and retreats.  The hotel and restaurant burned down several years ago.  Plans to further develop the site are underway but the timing for accomplishing them is uncertain.

Needs a sign that says, 'Out of Service'.

I can safely say that this is another perspective.  Or, you could take it as a statement that the car was definitely going downhill.

Photographer's focused on the mining equipment, old cars and buildings, and a seemingly never ending supply of details can easily miss that the site advertises having the second largest saguaro forest in the state.  These cactus look healthy and are surrounded by hills and other cactus.  There are several easy trails 'out of town' one can walk to get away from the rust and into the green.

If you want more than mining memorabilia and old doodads you can hike a short distance and be in some very nice, pristine desert.

Down around the corner I spotted two gorgeous coyotes.  They spotted me!  We both stopped, stared, and went on our way.

This was the last photo Tom took, as we left.  He had to take just one more!!!  

For me, it was the details that made the place so special, much more so than the big heavy and rusting mining equipment.  It is the details that give me an idea of how people interacted in this space.  For visitors staying at the ranch, the store, theatre, print and barber shops must have given them a taste of life in a different time.

Yeah!  Right!!  Easy?  

Old miner's lamp.

It actually looks like you could walk right in, sit on a stool and order an ice cream sundae or milkshake.

You could put your nickel in the jukebox while you finished off your root beer float.  There were many items with price tags, but we did not find anyone to take our money.

Just look at that torture device.  An electric curling iron chair!!

Shoes were on the lower left in an enclosed case.

I think I could have spent the whole day in just this one place.  With mannequins to give a sense of reality and scale, old typewriters my mother would recognize, and a back room with a linotype, switchboard, cameras . . . . just on and on.

I fell in love . . . 

Someone asked Gene, our host, what his favorite thing in the whole place was.  He indicated it was this calendar. Month shown is February, 1930!  Quite a pin-up girl!  The piece of paper below the calendar has printed on it: Sometimes Dreams Come True.  There's a little old song about the four leaf clover, and part of it runs like this: 'One leaf for hope, and one for faith.  And one for love, you know.  And God put another one in it for luck, - If you're lucky you will find where they grow.'  Keep hopeful, keep faithful, keep loving - do your part and the 'luck' just comes your way.  Yes, sometimes dreams come true and the old song tells us why.

A theater!?!  Yep.

Uh?  OK, I want to go back.  I never saw this.  After all, it was a mine! Genie and Jack identify it as the Nellie Media Mine.

Fruits of the Nellie Media Mine.

After posting nearly 100 messages, there are two images that made my jaw drop.  See below.

Proving the photo above was not just a 'fluke' or good luck!  

If, after all of these images, you decide to head out there and shoot for yourself, there are a couple of things you might want to know.  First, it is a bit hard to find unless you know about the sign along the road (see first image).  There is a cash fee of $10 for parties of 10 or more and $15 for smaller parties.  There is no food or 'machines' on the property.  We found a good place to eat in Aguila (cash only).  Normally, our group would head home after lunch but on this trip some decided to go back and shoot some more.

Thanks for sharing.