The Shady Dell, Bisbee, AZ

[Bill]

We spent a couple days in Bisbee, an old copper-mining town in southern Arizona. Because the copper showed up in the mountains, Bisbee is an incredibly vertical town. The old school building, for example, is a three-story building with a ground-level entrance on each floor. The history of the place has been very well preserved, and that makes it a lot of fun to wander around. Lots of interesting stuff to do, like mine tours, mine museums, shops - and The Shady Dell RV Park (www.theshadydell.com). We've been to Bisbee before, and always enjoyed it, but The Shady Dell was new to us. It is a small 50's-themed RV park that has been featured in several magazines. They have a dozen or more vintage-1950's travel trailers, all refurbished to sparkling new condition, which are available for overnight stays. They also have about 4 empty spaces (full hookups) which are available for trailer owners like us who would like to stay in their own trailers. A real fun place, including Dot's Diner, where we had breakfast.

Bill

What a great place! We'll have to get down there some time.

Keith

We made it to Bisbee about a year ago...had a great time. Real interesting place. This was before the TM though, so we stayed on some converted ranch south of there that specialized in bird watching, peace and quite, etc. No phones, wifi etc. Good time.

[T and C]

Originally Posted by Bill

We spent a couple days in Bisbee, an old copper-mining town in southern Arizona. Because the copper showed up in the mountains, Bisbee is an incredibly vertical town. The old school building, for example, is a three-story building with a ground-level entrance on each floor. The history of the place has been very well preserved, and that makes it a lot of fun to wander around. Lots of interesting stuff to do, like mine tours, mine museums, shops - and The Shady Dell RV Park (www.theshadydell.com). We've been to Bisbee before, and always enjoyed it, but The Shady Dell was new to us. It is a small 50's-themed RV park that has been featured in several magazines. They have a dozen or more vintage-1950's travel trailers, all refurbished to sparkling new condition, which are available for overnight stays. They also have about 4 empty spaces (full hookups) which are available for trailer owners like us who would like to stay in their own trailers. A real fun place, including Dot's Diner, where we had breakfast.

Bill

Bill,

Dot's Diner at the Shady Dell RV park has an interesting history. It was built by the Valentine Diner Co. in Kansas. It originally had a slot in the wall where the purchaser put the weekly payment money. Each week a company representative would come around and use his key to open the box to get the money.

When I lived in the San Fernando Valley back in the 60's to the 80's, the Diner was located at Ventura Blvd and Woodman. The land it was on was scheduled to be developed, so it was offered free to anyone who would haul it away. I remember reading a story about it in the Valley Daily News.

Someone finally did haul it away, and it sat on a vacant lot in Topanga Canyon for years, slowly deteriorating.

Finally someone saw it, liked it, and bought it. It is now completely restored and, as you know, a working diner at Shady Rest RV park.

Tom