The hotel…
Historic Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee, Arizona. Florence discovered it on line and we had a nice Thanksgiving dinner there.
For Thanksgiving dinner, we drove to the Copper Queen Hotel in Bisbee. Construction of the hotel began in 1898 and was completed in 1902. It was the product of a booming mining camp called Bisbee. Once the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco, it is now a beautiful, quiet getaway. The town has “grown up” but not lost its charm.
Building the hotel was challenging because the mountainside had to be blasted away in order for the work to begin. Although the most modern and up to date materials of the time were used, it did not lessen the difficulty of the task. At completion, anyone walking through the doors would notice the mosaic tile from Italy. Since the hotel was built in an Italian style, tile was installed throughout the entire first floor lobby. That tile remains today. The hotel has maintained the ambiance of the Victorian Era Old West.
Angela’s Restaurant
Angela’s Restaurant is right off the hotel lobby.
Located right off the hotel lobby is Angela’s Restaurant, where we had reservations for dinner on Thanksgiving day. We had a wonderful Thanksgiving meal including roast turkey, ham and all the traditional side dishes. The home made pumpkin pie was great and we enjoyed the ambiance of the restaurant as well. The chef’s attention to detail and sensitivity to flavor combinations was impressive and the restaurant’s regular menu also looked good. Many items on the original 1902 menu are still being served. There is a bit of an Italian flair with many pasta entrees like Ravioli Florentine, Pasta Prescatore and Chicken Parmesan. I’d return in a flash.
Hotel Lobby
Thanksgiving Buffet
Front Desk
Al Fresco Dining at Bisby Hotel, Arizona. November 2013.
Street Scene in Bisby, Arizona. Hotel entrance on the left. I don’t have a clue where you’d park your car if you were staying at the hotel and I doubt that there’s a bellman. Quaint. You can see in the hill in the background, and believe me the road where we got stuck in the jeep was way up the street where the hill turned into a steep mountain area!
We got stuck near the large house at the top of this hill.
SO LONG TO BISBY, ARIZONA. I wouldn’t want to live in Bisby…it gave me that a little of that “empty feel” I get when visiting a ghost town. But it’s a great place to visit and not a bad spot for a Thanksgiving Day feast, either!
I’ll continue my story next time.
