Bisbee, AZ

Bisbee turned out to be quite surprising, and very likable.....

Getting to Bisbee requires taking AZ-80, where there are some rather treacherous curves climbing a mountain, and then as you descend you begin to see houses below the road and eventually there's a sign for Bisbee.  The turn for Bisbee is basically a u-turn under the highway into what initially looks like a movie set from an older Western movie -- a large parking lot full of motor homes and cars on the left, historic buildings and narrow roads ahead and to the right.  This initial view looked way too 'touristy', and not very promising.

But... forging past the huge parking lot and heading up a side road of bars and restaurants, I began to realize that the people on the street did not look like what I'd expected.  In fact, just based on the people on the street, it looked like I'd driven into a gay neighborhood.  Men and women in separate groups, with the sort of physical comfort within groups that you see in gay settings -- people who are comfortable with being in close proximity, and even touching, with others of the same sex.  I hadn't heard that Bisbee was any sort of gay-friendly resort, so I didn't know quite what to make of this.

Winding up a very narrow street looking for parking, I was hearing what sounded like gay disco music coming from loud speakers somewhere -- Gloria Gaynor singing "I Will Survive."   As I parked and was getting out of the car, I knew I had to be near something gay since the next song was Diana Ross singing "Stop! In the Name of Love".

I had driven into Bisbee just at the point of its third annual Bisbee (gay) Pride festival.

Below these signs was a fairly large public area with a stage (with performers) and booths of gay organizations.

There was also a small street fair running a couple of blocks parallel to the main street.

And, handsome gay bikers...

more Bisbee ->