I mentioned that the Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum was only partly opened, and that the restaurants my friends and I visited were opened with reduced capacity. I'm sorry to report that Old Tucson, the theme park and movie studio, was not as fortunate.
It isn't a temporary closure. According to news articles I found, Old Tucson's attendance and revenues had been declining for years. When their Paycheck Protection Program funds ran out, they closed indefinitely. In September 2020 they announced that it was permanent. I'm sorry they didn't survive, and glad we went when we did. You can read my best entry about it here.
On the other hand, it appears that Columbus, New Mexico has managed to hang on and even invest some money in improvements. The small downtown area has new sidewalks and fresh paint, and looks downright spiffy. Los Milagros Hotel, formerly known as Martha's Place, is a fine example. Maybe it took a few miracles to stay alive.
Pancho Villa State Park is only marginally open. The State of New Mexico has cut back on available campsites, perhaps for capacity limitations, and the museum and offices are closed. That's a mixed blessing. The museum has been closed since May 2020 (how can they keep operating?) but we have a lot more elbow room than we had in Tucson.
I got takeout from the Borderland Cafe, which had its soft opening when we were here 4 years ago. I put on my mask and waited inside so I could snap photos and chat with the owner, who was operating the grill.
He says they're doing steady business and the place is sustaining itself. They've hired help - at least one staff member, who took my order and my money. They have outdoor dining as well as indoor. If you look online you'll find they don't have their own web page, but you'll find menus others have posted online. Those menus are out of date. This is the current menu.
I was disappointed to find that they've taken gyros and any other Middle Eastern food they used to have off the menu. When the place first opened there was the standard "American" food (burgers and the like) and predictable Mexican food, but there were also some selections reflecting the Jordanian heritage of the husband. I asked about it and was told that the gyros (etc.) had been dropped from the menu when they hired staff, to make it easier for them. I suspect it had more to do with not getting enough sales. This is probably not a hot spot for Middle Eastern cuisine. Still, I was disappointed.
I brought home a Pershing Burger with regular fries for my darling and a Pancho Burger with enchilada fries for myself. I'd asked for all the fixings - including pickles. As you see, the burgers were huge. The buns were grilled and warm, and the burgers far better than anything we could have gotten at the ASDM's Ironwood Grill. Both sets of fries were also delicious, and I learned today that the leftovers reheat nicely although they look like something even the dog wouldn't touch.
Still. It was what I'd call standard American fare, with a nice green chile twist. I wish them well, but we'll probably save our future calorie splurges on our own food, or on less-familiar (to us) cuisine.
Gratuitous photo of a palo verde in bloom, seen enroute to Tucson. Aren't those yellow-frosted limbs beautiful?
