There's Scenic Charm in Santa Cruz

There's Scenic Charm

RICH in historical background, in scenic charm and in the colorful Mexican atmosphere of the border, Santa Cruz county in southern Arizona forms a particularly delightful year 'round outdoor playground and resort area. Its beautiful rolling hills and mountains, interspersed with picturesque canyons and grassy valleys at altitudes assuring comfort both in summer and winter, give this little county a wide reputation for 'See Arizona' vacationists and sightseers. Splendid roads leading in and out of the district add considerably to its attractiveness. Nogales, Arizona, and Nogales, Sonora, while separated by a sixty-foot street, are bound closely in mutual economic interests, and there is a noticeably friendly business and social intercourse between the Mexicans and the Americans. But the town of Nogales, Sonora, is none the less distinctly Mexican for this close communion between the two towns, and its narrow, shop-lined streets and the town in the background built into the hills that rise to the south, give it the atmosphere of a different world. The residence district of the Arizona side tops the hills just opposite on the south.

The main road out of Tucson leads south past beautiful San Xavier mission and coming into Santa Cruz county passes through Tubac, now but the ghost of a once flourishing early Spanish military post. Much of the first mining activity in Arizona centered around this settlement, and here the first printing press brought into the state was located.

Further on, 19 miles north of Nogales, is Tumacacori National monument, which embraces ten acres of land and upon which stands the sturdy ruin of Tumacacori mission. While founded by Father Kino in 1692, about the same time as San Xavier, this mission suffered a fierce nocturnal attack by Indians and was partially destroyed by fire so that all re-ligious activity in the district ceased. Enough of the building remains, however, to show its architectural worth, which ranks high among the old Spanish mis-sions in this country. Evidences of luxurious gardens surrounding the mission indicate that it was the center of a considerable population at one time, where the patient padres toiled ceaselessly in efforts to Christianize the natives.

As the road gradually winds up, reaching 4000 feet at Nogales, the higher altitude is apparent in the growth of oaks and sycamores lining the stream beds. As the gateway city to the west coast of Mexico, Nogales offers unexcelled advantages to the lover of hunting and fishing. Black tail deer and white tail deer, mountain sheep, antelope, coyotes, peccary and mountain lions abound in the western section of the state of Sonora, and its coast is famous for the variety and gameness of its fish. Southern Pacific trains connect here with the Southern Pacific of Mexico which goes south touching all important West Coast points and connecting with Mexico City.

Leaving Nogales now on the route first blazed by Francisco Vasquez de Coronado, who 395 years ago came out of Mexico and journeyed north in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola, the road winds up into the mountains past huge rock formations and through delightful Sonoita Creek Canyon. The little mountain town of Patagonia, just 21 miles from Nogales, is a mining center and the surrounding country is one vast outdoor playground with its beautiful drives, cool refreshing canyons, famous guest ranch-es and historic monuments of the past.

Many mines in the vicinity are interesting to the sightseer, and the ruins of old Fort Crittenden lie about two miles south of Sonoita, famous in Arizona history during the period after the Civil War. A fascinating side trip from Patagonia takes the motorist to the ancient village of Santa Cruz, across the line into the

in Santa Cruz Seeing Arizona First Offers Motor Traveler Rare Views

state of Sonora, Mexico. A border pass must be procured from the Mexican consul in Tucson, in order to make the trip, but it is well worth the trouble for here is a population of several hundred people living in true Mexican fashion where no signs of modern, American civilization mar the view. Only eight miles over the border, this little settlement gives a true picture of Mexican life not to be seen in any border town, with its plaza, its Catholic church, its jail and its streets lined with solid adobe buildings that hide the little flower and vegetable gardens enclosed behind the walls.