b"The Gadsden Hotel enthusiastic volunteers. By appointment only. Though not exactly a town520-417-7344known for its skyscrapers,The San Bernardinothe Gadsden Hotel takes theWildlife Refugetop honor for Douglas tallestLocated about 20 minutes east of Douglas, the building and also serves as arefuge is full of outdoor activities, like wildlife historic symbol of the town. Thewatching and photography, bird-watching, hotel is located on G Avenue andhiking, biking, and even hunting, which is is still open for business like itseasonal and requires a special permit. It is has been for more than 100 years.The grounds includeopen five days a week during daylight hours. The Gadsden opened inrenovated buildingsThe refuge is home to over 283 different species of birds, November 1907; the hotel soonlike the ranch housemammals, and other riparian wildlife. The park is a became a meeting place forwhich was made of adobe, an ice house, wash house,desert and riparian zone which is largely why the area cattlemen, ranchers, miners, and businessmen. The hotelcommissary, granary, and even a mechanics garage anddraws so many diverse birds, including hummingbirds, was pretty chic for its day. Upon entering the majesticcar shed. The car shed contains a fully restored 1915herons, falcons, ducks, and hawks. There are many, well-lobby the first thing you notice is the impressive staircaseModel T Ford.$5 admission for adults, children are free.marked trails throughout the park and the best times to made of solid white Italian marble and the four massive6153 Geronimo Trail. SlaughterRanch.com.see the animals are mornings and afternoons.pink marble columns. The column capitals are handfws.gov/refuge/san_bernardinolayered with 24k gold leafing. Rumor has it Pancho VillaBorder Air Museumand his horse Seven Leagues rode up the famous GrandDouglas International Airport was the first internationalLeslie Canyon National Wildlife RefugeStaircase of the hotel lobby and left a chip in the stairsairport in the Americas. The first in-coming flight toEstablished in 1988 to preserve and protect the areas that can be still be found to this very day. Douglas was in 1911, a few short years after the Wrightvital flora and fauna this refuge lies in Cochise County Brothers made their historical flights. It was also the firstnot far from the Mexican border and covers an area of You'll marvel at the stained glass window mural of thein Arizona to have night lights and it was considered the2,765-acres. It was purposed to protect the Yaqui chub southwest desert by 5th generation artisan Ralph Baker,finest airport in the state despite its rural location. In the(Gila purpurea) and the Yaqui topminnow (Poeciliopsis who studied under Louis Comfort Tiffany, which extends1930s, American Airlines, Frontier Airlines, and otherssonoriensis) - two of the eight native fish species of forty-two feet across one wall of the massive mezzanine.were active users of this airport.the Ro Yaqui watershed. The refuge also protects a An impressive oil painting by Audley Dean Nicols isunique velvet ash-black walnut-cottonwood forest along just below the Tiffany-style window. The hotel's vaultedRichard Westbrook and his wife Irma ensured that theLeslie Creek, which stained glass skylights run the full length of the lobby.aviation history of Douglas can be seen through theis home to many Eleanor Roosevelt spent the night in the Governorsmany displays at Douglas Border Air Museum located atmigrating and nesting Suite when visiting in 1934 with pilot Amelia Earhart3200 East 10th Street. The museum includes newspaperbirds. Recent refuge to open the Douglas International Airport, the Firstarticles, original airplane photos, a Trojan airplane thatactivities included International Airportwas built in Douglas, and American Airlinesa leopard frog in the Americas.memorabilia. It houses the official letter ofreintroduction plan, TheGadsdenPresident of United States Roosevelt declaringwhich succeeded Hotel.com the airport The First International Airportin establishing of the Americas, because one could fly intothe largest wild SlaughterDouglas then taxi into Mexico, and vice-versa.population in years, RanchIt is also full of old equipment, uniforms, andwhich had suffered Museum personal accounts ofbadly due to the Slaughter Ranchpilots and aircrew,ongoing drought. Museum is an easyall connected to theAdmission to the and scenic drivebudding aviationpark is free.from Douglas and isindustry that wasfws.gov/refuge/part of the Johnsona real novelty backleslie_canyonHistorical Museum.then. The museum is Theres no betterfree and is staffed by place to check out if youd like to see how life on knowledgeable and a real cattle ranch was in rural Arizona decades ago and imagine what life was like when Texas John Slaughter rode there. Slaughter was a lawman with a reputation for impatience and a quick temper.The museum is open Tuesday through Saturday from 9:30 am to 3:30 pm.ArizonaRealCountry.com May 2021 25"