Ajo, Arizona - A Hidden Gem in the Desert

Our day...

We absolutely love Ajo and have visited it many times over the last 10 years.

This year we headed into town from Organ Pipe National Monument, where we were camping, to attend the Saturday Farmers Market. Oh how I LOVE farmers markets! After chatting with the numerous vendors and looking at their wares, we walked across the historic plaza to my favorite coffee shop, the Oasis, for the best coffee, pastries and friendly service. I got an oat milk latte and Jeff, of course, got a chocolate frappe...so darn good!

The day just got better because we found out that the annual quilt show was happening at 9 am, put on by the Ojo Piecemakers. This was a fabulous quilt show that even Jeff enjoyed.

It becomes even more exciting as we found out that the 47th Annual Old-Time Fiddlers Contest was happening at the Ojo Country Club. We headed to the country club where the fun began at 1:15 pm. The highlight of the competition was a 9-year-old girl who captivated the audience, until her older sister competed and took first prize with an amazing performance! Every fiddler who participated was exceptional, and we enjoyed it so much that I wished it could go on forever. All and all it was the perfect day spent in Ajo.

A little history...

In early history, Ajo was a meeting place of several cultures: Native Americans, Spanish and Europeans all met here for trading. Later, Ajo opened up to ranching and mining. There is a lot of Spanish influence in the architecture around Ajo .

Nowadays...

Ajo is home for many opportunities for dispersed camping. A map and information can be obtained at the Ajo Chamber of Commerce visitor’s center located in the historic Ajo Plaza. While visiting the plaza be sure to stop by Oasis coffee for a delicious cup of coffee and pastries, as mentioned previously. (We are not affiliated with the shop but love to share a good find!) A library is also located on the south side of the plaza. There is an IGA Market and Ace hardware in the same building, gas and propane and a few restaurants that we would recommend checking hours, before visiting.

Cheers!

Liz