Thursday, February 26, 2015

Patagonia, AZ

Thanks to our r.v. park neighbors and now friends, Dan and Jane from Minnesota, we got one more adventure in before leaving southern Arizona! They took us on a nice afternoon trip down Highway 82 through the artsy and historic community of Patagonia, a spin through Patagonia Lake State Park, and a drive around Nogales on the U.S. side.  I've divided the trip into two posts to facilitate people searching for information on the Internet about these locations.  All the pictures posted are from a Google search and not my own.
Patagonia is a cute little blip in the road built around this historic train depot, which now serves as the community municipal courts. Patagonia was a silver and lead mining community in the late 1800s.
On one side of the historic train station runs Highway 82 and on the other side is a cute strip with a hotel, restaurant, gift and coffee shop.
The local saloon even had an artsy look!
Several historic buildings in the community had new functions!
Just outside of town is Patagonia Lake State Park. Check out the desert view!
It's a pretty park with a nice campground! Water to play in is always a treat in a desert environment!
The park has a nice beach with a roped off swimming area!
There is a marina with kayak, rowboat, and pontoon boat rentals! Check out the attractive arched walking bridge in the background!
The lake is much larger than it appears from the beach and marina area. Patagonia Lake State Park looks like a great place to be on a hot Arizona day!