Photo by Adam Klawonn Dos Cabezas WineWorks in Sonoita

Sometimes it’s difficult to imagine an inconvenient life, one without interconnecting freeways, cookie-cutter homes and look-alike power centers. Like a comforting blanket, these things lull one into wondering, “Is this what Arizona living is all about?”

That’s why the drive around southeastern Arizona is such an awakening.

Hills choked with wild, yellow grass roll gently up into majestic mountains that once protected Cochise from the U.S. cavalry. Spanish missions and historic military forts dot the landscape. Cattle graze lazily in pastures that border vineyards.

The whole scene is timelessly Arizonan. And it’s luring more Phoenicians every year, thanks to a few modern conveniences that haven’t killed its character.

“We’re out here 45 miles from the grocery store, but we have 8 [megabytes] of broadband for our telephone,” says Rod Keeling, 55, a wine grower who used to manage Mill Avenue projects for the City of Tempe. “That’s better than we had in Tempe. Here, the Milky Way comes out 30 minutes after sunset.”

Sure, the scenery is alluring, but don’t forget about the quirky subculture: Canadians, Algerians, ranchers, New York City artists, eccentric beekeepers, winemakers and more.

“There’s a lot more culture and sophistication here than I ever thought there would be – on both ends of the spectrum,” Keeling says.

Translation: There’s something here for everyone.

Getting There

From Phoenix, take Interstate 10 east to Tucson. When you reach the “Old Pueblo,” plan for delays because the city is expanding the freeway near downtown and some lanes are restricted. After passing the downtown area, take Interstate 19 toward Nogales (which is only a slightly less beautiful drive than State Route 83 south into Sonoita and Patagonia, a good second option).

The first few stops set up the trip’s historical perspective. Nine miles south of Tucson sits San Xavier del Bac, an 18th-century mission founded by Father Eusebio Francisco Kino, a Jesuit missionary who created similar outposts elsewhere in the Southwest. The old mission is a mix of Moorish and Byzantine architecture and looks fresh these days, thanks to a recent makeover.

Farther south lie Tubac and Tumacacori. The presidio in Tubac was one of the early forts that Spanish explorer Juan Bautista de Anza established in the 18th century on his way west to San Francisco. Tumacacori National Historic Park includes the ruins of three other Spanish missions founded by Kino (whose building is the best-preserved) and other Jesuits.

Continue south to the border for a culture shock. Ambos Nogales, as the twin border cities are known, hosts about 20,000 residents on the American side and up to 500,000 people on the Mexican side. The town dates back to 1880, when a Russian trader established an outpost there and the U.S. Post Office opened a few years later.

Though not all of the goods and services crossing its border are legal, Nogales is still worth a look for those seeking authentic pottery and ceramics from true Mexican artisans.

After parking and walking to the turnstiles into Nogales, Mexico, head east for three blocks, turn left and head south for three more. That’s where Peter Lopez runs Maya de Mexico, a tidy shop stuffed with pottery from Mata Ortiz and other artisans from the heart of Mexico.

Pottery pieces sell for up to $1,000. Lopez’s crew actually spins them on the glass countertop to prove they’re well balanced and legitimate. Catrinas, skeletal figurines used during Dia de Los Muertos ceremonies, are perched on shelves throughout the shop.

The best of them are made by Adrián Luis Gonzáles, a renowned Mexico City artisan whose macabre caricatures pay homage to bandidos, mariachi, debutantes, mothers and more for up to $300. Each piece has a hidden meaning that Lopez happily deciphers.