Photos by Mark Downey Casa Manaña Restaurant

Mexican food fanatics can blaze their way through Arizona’s hottest, spiciest road trip.

I can drink a bowl of salsa. Time and again, I have proven my love of Mexico’s “special sauce” by hefting the last juices to my expectant lips because there wasn’t enough salsa left to scoop with a chip.

This may seem disturbing to those who settle for the pasty, commercially over-hyped and underwhelming salsas available at the local grocery store. But the truly devout can relate.

This is the crowd that should visit Graham County. Here, in the southeastern and perhaps most historically significant corner of the state, tourism officials have blown the cover for salsa recipes that go back three generations. Once eaten mostly by local residents, the salsas and their corresponding family-owned businesses are now part of a cleverly devised path known as the Salsa Trail.

The trail dates back to 2005, when a local resident attended a tourism conference and got the idea from a “culinary tourism” seminar. The trail’s ongoing popularity has been a pleasant surprise, says Graham County Chamber of Commerce CEO Sheldon Miller, especially when judged against birding, historical tours, mineral hot springs and other successful tourism attractions in the region.

“And it’s pretty unusual to have small, rural restaurants unite into a program,” he says.

But local merchants on the Salsa Trail say it’s been a huge boon for their businesses – especially in these uncertain economic times. Visitors have come from Nebraska, Minnesota and beyond to sample different combinations of tomato, green chiles, cilantro and other vegetables and seasonings. Restaurant owners are happy to oblige, and their wares are the subject of a new book by Arizona author Christine Maxa titled The Foodie’s Guide to the Arizona Salsa Trail, which was slated for release in May. So tell these salsa chefs, “I’m here for the Salsa Trail.” And don’t feel guilty about slurping.

Owner of Gimee’s

Getting There
With the exception of a few locations in Greenlee County and one in Cochise County, most of the Salsa Trail winds around Safford, a mining town that sits about 170 miles southeast of Phoenix.

There are two routes: Take Interstate 10 east toward Tucson and follow the signs to the US 60 east to Mesa. Continue toward Globe and Miami and follow the signs for US 70, which covers the remaining 77 miles to Safford. The drive is 168 miles one-way. [Check the Arizona Department of Transportation Website for construction updates on US 70. At press time, crews were blasting near the highway in order to widen the road, which created a 30-minute delay.]

The alternate route adds about 25 miles to the drive but follows I-10 east for most of the trip. Pass through Tucson and stop in Willcox to visit Salsa Fiesta restaurant. Gorge on the salsa bar, say hello to co-owner Gladys Olsen, then follow the signs to US 191 and head north to Safford. This 33-mile drive features sweeping views of the San Simon Valley on the right and the rugged Pinaleño Mountains – home of Mount Graham and University of Arizona’s observatory – on the left.