Patagonia Day Trip

May 23, 2025

As with all places on Earth, Arizona has one especially rough season of the four. Summer can be especially difficult on residents left behind when the snowbirds fly away. One solution to beat the heat and monotony of summer is to flee to take refuge in the cooler areas of the state.

On this beautiful, yet windy, day in May, Mike and I fled to the south on a day trip to Patagonia, Arizona. As a travel advisor, I specialize in road tripping, scenic drives, and solo travel. The itinerary was planned and remained flexible to allow for discovery of points of interest and the comfort of our canine traveling companions, Wally and Tilly. The weather was glorious with clear skies, cooling breezes and forecast at 80°F (27°C). A full five degrees cooler than was expected in Queen Creek.

As a cost-effective measure and for healthier food options, we take along our own food. On a beautiful day like this on a day trip, a picnic was in perfect order. Today it was ham sandwiches, fresh fruit and snack bars. We have a compact picnic set to keep ourselves and the environment tidy. Flatware, cloth napkins and tablecloth can be washed, rinsed and repeated. The tablecloth comes in handy when eating at outdoor picnic tables. A protective layer between the gross surface of the table and your food.

We headed out around 7:45 am. As is our tradition, we stopped at our favorite fast food restaurant for breakfast and fueled up before we took off. The first leg of our journey took us the same as Picacho Peak. AZ-287 to AZ-87 then I-10. We visited Picacho Peak the week before. We waved an enthusiastic hello as we passed by. The sight renewed my enthusiasm for our current destination.

Somewhere around Tucson we merged onto I-19. Our first planned stop was the town of Tubac, Arizona. Tubac retains its territorial charm with well maintained low adobe buildings, which are host to many arts and crafts shops, boutiques, restaurants and services. The atmosphere is that of a thriving artist community, where it seems every business in town is locally owned. A short distance from this thriving desert oasis is Tubac Presidio State Historic Park. Here is where we took the opportunity to stretch our legs and learn a little more about the parts the area played during the time of the American Revolution. On the way there we decided to explore an interesting area off the highway and discovered Tubac Golf Resort and Spa. It was a thrilling find and I made a mental note to do a little research.

We turned in the direction of Patagonia Lake State Park. The only reception the radio would pick up were Spanish-speaking, presumably out of Mexico. We were very close to the border, and the signs changed from Imperial to metrics for a time. Somewhere along AZ-82, at our closest spot to the border, I got a text from my mobile carrier welcoming me to Mexico. Apparently my work phone thought it was in Mexico. I looked around and realized that without the wonder of a modern GPS system, I could have easily made that mistake myself.

Patagonia Lake pops up in the scenery to the left of the highway as one approaches the state park entrance. It's blue-green water in stark contrast to the surrounding Sonoran landscape. A stop at the Visitor Center proved most informational. The nice lady behind the counter told me that Patagonia Lake and Sonoita Creek were two combined parks. This was very exciting to hear. I got two stamps in my Arizona State Parks Passport for Fun in the same place. Patagonia Lake boasts a busy family beach scene among the camping and RV spots. The beach full of families enjoying each other in that beautiful place brought joy to my heart and lifted my spirits. I didn't get any pictures because the area was very busy, as it was a gorgeous Sunday afternoon. There wasn't a single place to get a good shot. A good excuse to come back at a later date.

As we drove around the park I saw why the two parks were combined. Not terribly far from the lake is where most of the camping areas were located. If I had an RV I could live there for a week. It seemed that each RV spot had a fantastic view of the mountain or the lake. The tent campsites were tidy and cheerful. We found a beautiful place to stop and enjoy our picnic lunch. It was a bit too windy for my taste to set up at the table so we sat comfortably in the climate controlled truck.

After lunch we went the short distance to the town of Patagonia. Like Tubac, Patagonia is a thriving artist community, only the town is arranged much differently. The buildings of the small town are on either side of a large park that forms the focal point, and runs the entire length of the town. In my mind's eye I could envision local vendors in neat little tents along the curving serene path that runs the entire length of the park. Parts of Wilmington, Delaware are laid out in such a manner. It fosters a sense of community, especially when events are held in that space.

Satisfied with our journey, we began the long haul back home. Before we left home there was some discussion on whether or not we'd be able to stop and pay our respects to Tom Mix, playing things by ear. Everything was going well and everyone was happy so we took a bonus side trip to the Tom Mix Memorial. Tom Mix was a cowboy movie actor in the early days of Hollywood. He was killed in an automobile accident and was killed in the spot where the memorial now stands. We always try to stop and pay our respects. There is also nowhere to stop until one reaches Florence.