A Trip Through Copper Country

Odometer  58549
Trip Meter  345 Miles


Besides a chance to visit with our very good friends my goal for our visit to Ralph and Ann's, is to learn as much as I can about Model T maintenance, from Mr. Model T himself.  Everyday brings a new project and that keeps things interesting.

The author refinishing a Model T Wheel

Wood Spoke Model T Wheel

Today's project is to replace the wobbly wood wheels on the "new" 1915 Touring.  The spokes on the existing wheels are not tight in the metal rim which gives the car a loose feel on the road, and it makes a distinct clicking sound as the wheels roll.  Ralph just recently procured another set of wheels which, although they are tight in the rim, are pretty beat-up looking.  My job is to sand, putty, stain and varnish this set of four wheels. We started by painting the metal rims with some semi-gloss black and then filled the open checks and voids in the spokes with some walnut colored plastic wood filler and stained them.  We dried them in the sun for a day, before applying two coats of urethane spar varnish.

1915 Model T  Touring Car

The result is nothing short of awesome!  The car looks and drives like new!

Our time with Ralph and Ann is up.  It's time for us to head out on our next adventure, and that is a side trip to Dallas, TX to attend Savannah's college graduation.  We got busy and finished up all our preparations to leave in the morning.  Parting from good friends is never easy, and this time is no exception.  Hugs all around and promises that we'll see each other again in the spring.  Joan and I both feel lucky to have such good friends.

We have chosen a different route to keep things interesting.

We get our usual "early" start at quarter to 9 in the morning, and we are going to go east from Phoenix on a scenic byway that will take us to Superior, Miami, and Globe, Arizona and across hwy 70 south and east to Lordsburg, New Mexico, before joining I-10 east.

Hwy 60 through the Superstition Mountains

The skies are overcast today, but the scenery on our way to Superior, AZ in the mountains is spectacular.  We ended up climbing to nearly 3,000 feet, from Phoenix's 1,100 feet, but the grades were mostly gradual and the highways in good condition.  Superior is a small town with a rich history.  Founded in 1875 with the opening of the Hub and Irene mines, Superior is still mining copper today- some say that it is home to the largest vein of copper in the US and possibly the 4th largest deposit in the world!

Further down route 60 and another 500 feet in elevation is the mining town of Miami, AZ.

Miami, Arizona City Limits

Miami is another small mining town with a population of just under 2000.  There is both a mine and a smelter located here.  The town itself is not your typical "cutesy" tourist town, but rather a collection of modest homes and a few small businesses.  Highway 60 goes through the middle of town but I got the sense that the real downtown was not on the main drag, and we did not have time today to dive off the highway and explore.  Their sign touts "The Copper Center of the World"  We will definitely come back with the idea of doing some exploring.

Globe, Arizona

Six miles more along the Old West Highway (route 60) we come to the town of Globe.  Situated at 3,500 feet in the mountains Globe is home to around 7,500 residents.  Principle industries are mining and tourism, this town is going on our bucket list of places to visit.  It has the look and feel of a Jerome or Bisbee and we'll come exploring when the weather isn't quite so gloomy.  Globe is on the edge of the San Carlos Indian Reservation, it's the jumping off place for the Salt River Canyon Scenic Drive, also the gateway to the Besh Ba Gowah ancient ruins- lots more.  Yep! definitely on the list.

Copper Cathodes on a flatbed truck

We saw a few of these flatbeds hauling copper cathodes of 99% pure copper from the ore processors in the area.  At 560 lbs per cubic foot copper is heavier than steel, that explains the abundance of open space on the truck.

We continued on US 70 from Globe, AZ to Lordsburg, New Mexico where we had the option of staying for the night, or continuing on I-10 to Deming for the night.

The Entrance to Road Runner RV Park in Deming, NM

Ultimately, we decided to push onto Deming.   Lordsburg does not have any Passport America RV parks and we found one in Deming that offers deep discounts at this time of year.  Full hookups and half price- Okay!  

The wind has picked up and the clouds look ominous, time to tuck in for the night and see what tomorrow brings.

Your Traveling Friends

Jeff and Joan