Willcox Travel Guide

Willcox may be a small community, but walking around it could be hazardous to your health. For one, it's very warm in Willcox during the spring, summer, and early fall, so you could get dehydrated easily. The sun is relentlessly bright, which contributes in great part to that risk of dehydration. Late summer is monsoon season, so you could get soaked in seconds. It's horribly windy during the spring and fall. Most people who live in Willcox drive, too. They tend to stare when people are walking on the side of the road, so that might cause an accident, too. These are all reasons to drive. Another reason is that, since everything you need in Willcox is so close in proximity, there's really nowhere else to walk to. You certainly have to drive to get to all of the National Monuments, and you definitely have to drive to get TO Willcox!

They sell books, antiques, cosmetics, Western films, books by local authors, jewelry, and tons of other goodies. This shop is special because they give funds from books to the Public Library. Also, the books are VERY cheap here--and not all of them have been used.

What to pay: On books, anywhere from 10 cents to 5 dollars a book, and I've never seen one for 5 dollars! The other things sold there cost a bit more, but it's all worth it.

Most people in Willcox are pretty friendly, and will talk to you willingly. However, if someone LOOKS like a crazy character (or anyone you wouldn't want to talk to), then you should probably trust your instincts and end the conversation before it begins. The local yokels aren't all bad--just a select few.

Apple Annie's gives you that real-time country feeling--you can pick your own fruit and vegetables, dine on apple burgers and apple ice cream, and buy country-themed trinkets from the loft. Thousands of people come through every weekend--which makes it really hectic and...sometimes claustrophobic. The canned preserves are kind of expensive, as is everything else. It's all well-worth it. Just be careful where you park, and don't buy a little of everything--you'll go broke.

Unique Suggestions: Sit in the shade if you eat, park on the edge of a row (so you don't have any accidents or have your car smashed into), wear comfortable clothing (I've seen people picking fruit in stilletos and dress slacks), and enjoy the atmosphere--just have fun.

Luggage and bags: Backpack

Clothing/Shoes/Weather Gear: Jeans or shorts (depending on the time of year or your planned activities), tennis shoes, an umbrella (summer), sunglasses, maybe even a bandanna if you're super allergic to dust.

Toiletries and Medical Supplies: Band-aids are good anywhere, I always say. If you go out to the farms or monuments, there's a chance of getting scraped up--just a simple First Aid Kit will do.

Miscellaneous: Don't forget water. Willcox is in the desert, it's hot and dry and sunny--and sooo easy to get dehydrated. Even the people who live in Willcox get dehydrated!

On Railroad Avenue, across from Rex Allen Park, is a little store called "Friends of the Library." There is a table of old, dusty books out front, and the door is a bit difficult to open. Inside however, are hundreds of books for super-cheap prices, Avon products, Western movies, tourism information, and tons of other stuff. This little treasure trove is a place you should definitely step into. I guarantee it'll be a while before you step out of it!

Hiking in the Chiricahuas is fun, refreshing, often challenging, and most importantly, a great way to observe the intense beauty of the Chiricahua National Monument. There are several trails ranging in difficulty from easy to hard, and all of them going right through the heart of the Wonderland of Rocks.

Equipment: All you really need is comfortable shoes and clothing, lots of water, a camera, and perhaps a snack if you think you'll be gone a while.

Favorite thing: It may be one of the things I complain about as a resident of Willcox, but that good old fashioned country lifestyle truly is the best element of Willcox. Places like Apple Annie's Orchard really showcase that lifestyle and make it available for tourists to enjoy.

Fondest memory: My fondest memory of Willcox is filming documentaries in Rex Allen Park for my Arizona History class. Trust me--if you ever pass through Willcox and see a bunch of kids filming in the park (maybe even dressed up like cowboys or Native Americans...or even dead presidents), it's for a class project. I got to play a drunken Levi Strauss in the park...if anyone was in Willcox at that time and saw me, it was all for the grade!