Travels With Two Sisters: Come to Chloride: Exploring Arizona's oldest silver mining camp

During the month of November 2023, we came across a wonderful opportunity and within days we had developed a four-day travel plan, made the necessary reservations, researched the surrounding area, printed our directions, packed the car and headed to our destination: Chloride — reportedly the oldest silver mining camp in the state of Arizona.

On this extended trip, we included one new site and several of our preferred sites. When people ask us if we have any favorite places in Arizona, we are always reluctant to answer that question. We do not want to influence other travelers’ impression of a site, but we do indeed have dozens of Arizona sites that we are delighted to visit on many occasions. Sit back, relax and enjoy this trip. We sure did!

Lake Pleasant, located on the northern edge of Peoria’s town limits, straddles Maricopa and Yavapai Counties and can be accessed via Route 74. This reservoir was formed by the creation of a 440-foot tall and 5,000-foot long earthen dam along the Agua Fria River.

Today, the Central Arizona Project is the primary source of water for the lake. This is an exciting lake to visit for fishermen hoping to get lucky, swimmers, boaters, campers and picnickers. We have been to this area on many occasions and stood at the water’s edge, heard the noises of people having fun, smelled the scent of food cooking and we always smiled watching the children frolicking.

This is an area of fun in a strikingly beautiful setting that includes saguaro cacti and mountain views. Driving around the edge of the lake, there are many viewing areas from which we enjoyed the natural beauty. On one occasion, we even spent some time at the marina and enjoyed lunch in the outdoor seating area with boats coming and going, jet skis arriving, ducks quacking and splashing, and we enjoyed the beautiful duck who was flirting with us.

On this trip, Gypsy automatically veered onto Route 74 and we found ourselves at the entrance to the park. On this day, we headed to our favorite viewing point — the parking lot near the children’s playground, the visitors’ center and the earthen dam. From there, we can always see a large portion of the bright blue water and miles of beautiful mountain scenery. This is a place that always makes us smile, entices us to stay a little while longer and we always leave knowing that we will return to this beautiful, peaceful place.

Oops! Almost forgot to tell you that this site is well-known for its wild burros. We have seen them on several occasions and on this day we spotted two alongside the road who seemed happy to get their pictures taken.

Wickenburg, located on Route 60, is a small town of less than 10,000 residents. This community, founded in 1863, attracts history buffs, rodeo enthusiasts and those who love an Old West atmosphere. This is one of our preferred places to stop and rest, stroll through the historic downtown, check on the status of our favorite sidewalk sculptures, chat with the residents and enjoy our barbeque dinner.

On the second day of our journey, we left Wickenburg rested, relaxed, well-fed and eager to continue on our adventure. We were looking forward to driving along the Joshua Tree Parkway, the stretch of Route 93 from Wickenburg to Wikieup. This stretch of road designated as a Scenic Drive by the Arizona Department of Transportation is a stunning scenic drive that guides visitors through some of the most spectacular scenery in the southwest: magnificent mountain ranges, colorful and unique rock formations, ponderosa pine forests, desert landscapes, evidence of volcanic activity and a seven-mile stretch of Joshua Trees on both sides of the roads.

The tree, named by Mormon settlers, adds character and elegance to the desert landscape. There are pull offs along the road for those who wish to stop and examine the unusual tree — actually, it’s an agave. We have driven along this stretch of road on several occasions and we continue to exhibit the same type of behavior: Ooh, aah, stop, admire, take photo and continue, only to repeat the same behavior a few miles down the road. A fun, beautiful and intriguing experience.

Wikieup, an unincorporated community, is located 75 miles north of Wickenburg on Route 93 on the Joshua Tree Parkway. This small community of less than 200 residents is sometimes referred to as “The Rattlesnake Capital of Arizona.” This welcoming community provides a welcome respite for travelers looking for food, gas and rest.

We have stopped at this site on many occasions to rest, eat, stretch and admire their well-known roadside attraction. On the side of the road, there is a large red and white rocket with “Wikieup, Arizona" written on its side. We always stop at this site, because two of our favorite characters are sitting on the rocket. Three Snoopys are sitting in the middle of the rocket and Woodstock is sitting at the front. This attraction always entices us to stop and take more photos.

Heading further north, explorers will find the ghost town of Nothing. This former settlement, established in 1977, consisted of a gas station, convenience store and four residents. It was abandoned in 2005. The land was purchased by other owners in an effort to revive the business but was abandoned one more time in 2011.

Today, there are the remains of one building and other scattered debris in the area. Oops! Almost forgot to tell you about the main feature at this site: a tall, vintage wooden sign with NOTHING. For the adventurous spirits, this site is accessible from the road.

Ninety minutes after departing from the ghost town of Nothing, we arrived at our final destination, Chloride. This town, with a current population of 300 residents, was founded in the 1860s. It has a long and interesting history. It is known as the longest continually inhabited mining town in Arizona, with the longest continually operating post office in the state.

It was the first incorporated town, and it was once served by the famed Butterfield Stage and the Santa Fe Railroad. In its heyday, there were more than 70 working mines in this area.

We stopped at the unique “Chloride” sign, grabbed our list of Places to See and we headed to the center of town where we were greeted by friendly and welcoming residents. Sit back, relax and enjoy our listing of the places we explored on that day.

Shep’s Miners Inn, located on North Second Street, was our first destination. This old and rustic motel built in the mid 1800s was originally a stage coach repair station and rest stop. Later, this adobe structure (with 12” thick walls) was converted into living quarters for miners and their families.

Today, it offers travelers a unique place to rest, socialize and interact with residents. We chose this site as our resting place during our visit. It provided us the opportunity to meet residents, ask questions and rest in a safe, rustic environment with some modern amenities. Upon registering for our room, we were given a map of the town and a ticket for our complimentary breakfast.

Yesterday’s Restaurant, part of the Shep’s Miners Inn complex, is a unique eating and socializing experience. This traditional style restaurant offers an authentic western experience. The staff was friendly, answered all of our questions, gave us directions and provided us with additional information about the town. We enjoyed the environment and the socialization, but we were totally mesmerized with the huge (and gorgeous) murals that adorned the walls.

The artist's name, Wayne R. Olds, could be clearly seen on the mural. According to the information we received, these murals were commissioned by Howard Hughes in 1980 for this Desert Sands Casino in Las Vegas. The murals were reportedly sold to the owners of the Yesterday’s Restaurant when the Desert Sands was demolished. We took photos as a keepsake. There were also Wayne T. Olds murals at the Golden Nugget in Atlantic City, formerly owned by Howard Hughes.

The Roy Purcell Murals were our next destination. The acclaimed artist was a frequent visitor to the area and in 1966 started painting the “Chloride Murals” (officially named “The Journey”) on a 2,000-foot rock formation at the base of the Cerbat Mountains, using enamel automobile paint.

In 2005 Purcell, with family members, repainted the murals and added additional images. With our map in hand, off we headed to the base of the mountains in search of the murals. The road was narrow, sandy, rough and confusing, but we finally arrived at our destination. What beautiful and intriguing artwork in an isolated area. It was well worth the trip. Note: in the same area of the canyon, we also noted several ancient petroglyphs.

Chloride Cemetery, located on the outskirts of town, is a large, sprawling cemetery that reportedly contains over 1,200 graves, some dating back to the mid 1800s. Strolling through the cemetery, we located many unknown and unmarked graves, family plots and some very unique headstones and adornments that attest to the variety of people buried in this sacred ground.

We spent an entire afternoon driving down the dirt roads in town, taking pictures of some of the historic structures such as the post office, bicentennial project, the Chloride Baptist Church, Jim Fritz Museum, former railroad depot, Shady Lady Antiques, VFW, abandoned gas station, antique wooden wagon and several mining ruins.

This former mining town, currently described as a retirement and artists’ haven, is a friendly and welcoming community who welcomes a variety of visitors including rock hounds, photographers, four-wheel drive enthusiasts, horseback riders and explorers. For those interested in visiting, check their list of annual events posted on their website.

Oh my goodness, we almost forgot to share with you one more memorable event that happened to us in Chloride! Driving around the outskirts of town, we spotted some mining ruins, so we pulled over to explore. During our exploration, we encountered two men who were also interested in the ruins. During a lengthy conversation, we learned that they were gold miners searching the Cerbat Mountains for potentially viable gold mines. Wow! This was a first — shaking hands and talking with gold miners! A memorable moment. The wonders and surprises of travel.