Sierra Vista & the Huachucas — Buffalo Soldiers, Coronado & the Sky Islands

Ninety minutes southeast of Tucson, the Huachuca Mountains rise as a sky island above the grasslands of the upper San Pedro Valley, and the town of Sierra Vista sits at their foot beside Fort Huachuca — a still-active Army post founded in 1877 that is one of the most historically significant frontier forts in the West. This three-day journey braids military history, Spanish exploration, and extraordinary nature. Day one enters the fort to visit its two museums, which tell the story of the Buffalo Soldiers — the African American cavalry and infantry regiments who campaigned against Geronimo from here and were long stationed at Huachuca — and the fort's later role in intelligence and the Apache Scouts. Day two follows the trail of the first Europeans to the Coronado National Memorial, marking Francisco Vasquez de Coronado's 1540 entrada into what is now the United States, then drops to the San Pedro Riparian corridor. Day three climbs into the lush canyons of the Ramsey Canyon Preserve, a world-famous hummingbird haven, before skirting the edge of Tombstone country on the way home. All three nights are spent in Sierra Vista.