Tuesday, December 29, 2009

The Simpson Hotel

Ever been to Duncan, Arizona? Didn't think so. But now, you have a great reason to travel to the heart of the wild west, land of cactus and gold mines, right along the "salsa trail", to The Simpson Hotel Bed and Breakfast.

The Simpson Hotel on Main Street, 1922

The hotel was first established in 1914 in the town of Duncan, the last stop before the New Mexico boarder and along the Old West Highway, and was prosperous until the interstate opened in 1940. When the Gila River flooded, the hotel was almost destroyed with water reaching table hight. Over the years, a few different owners tried to renovate the place but never succeeded untill 2005 when family friend Deborah Mendelsohn took on the project. After six months of demolition and two yeas of construction, the Simpson Hotel opened as a beautifully renovated B&B.


Each morning Deborah makes an amazing breakfast for her guests with local produce from the Farmers Market she established last year. Fresh eggs from the chickens outside stock the fridge and baskets of local fruits and vegetables decorate the kitchen. It's a Green hotel, or at least old fashion, drying the linens by hand and drinking water from the nearby well. Leftover food is composted and given to the goats, Pepper and Thelma, and the chickens. The place is renovated to look vintage but has a homey and comfortable feel.

Here are some of my pictures from the weekend we spent there, exploring some old gold mines, eating amazing home cooked food, and enjoying a place I never knew existed.



For more information click here
and book an affordable night out in the old west.

No comments:

Post a Comment