Reviews
Recommended by Lonely Planet 2013 and by National Geographic as a Geotourism Site
Frommer’s Arizona Travel Guide listed us in the Best of Arizona section as ONE OF THE TOP TEN Bed and Breakfasts in Arizona for the last 12 years.
December 16, 2001
A Soothing Jaunt in Rugged Arizona, by Judith Anderson
TWO things I truly appreciate about the southeastern corner of Arizona: It’s not crowded and it’s not cute. I can get out of town — any town — with ease, and when I do, the Great Outdoors is open, unpredictable, dispassionate. I feel free.
…I drove … to explore yet another attractive lodging place…
About 15 miles south of the Interstate, off Forest Service Road 84 in the Dragoon Mountains, the Cochise Stronghold Bed and Breakfast occupies one of a few private properties in Coronado National Forest. Cochise, of course, was the great chief of the Chiricahua Apaches who fiercely resisted the incursion of Anglo settlers. This was his territory.
In 1862, the United States launched a systematic war against the Indians, but for more than 10 years, Cochise and a band of 200 followers fought a guerrilla war, raiding and melting into the Dragoons. After he died in 1874, Cochise was buried somewhere in the stronghold.
John and Nancy Yates carved their bed-and-breakfast out of the manzanita chaparral in the shelter of the stronghold itself. They followed principles of sustainable technologies, employing straw-bale walls, passive solar heat, gray water and rainwater from the metal roof…. The property also includes … a hot tub under the stars.
This was a version of low tech that appealed to all the senses. A polished antique table was set for breakfast frittatas and fruit smoothies. Sheepskins, down comforters and big old-fashioned bathtubs suggested cosseting. Enveloping everything was the sweet silence, the scent of warm juniper, and a sense of deep peace.
…My soul had smoothed itself out, freshened and fluttered.
Sunday, January 27, 2002
Follow the Reader, by Rachelle Resnick
While visiting Tucson, we rented a car and drove 90 minutes to Cochise County — a beautiful area surrounded by mountains.
The Cochise Stronghold Bed and Breakfast is in the Coronado National Forest area. Owners John and Nancy Yates built a straw bale lodge on the property, where they live.. We loved the Agave Suite with its view patio, radiant-heated stone floors, king-size bed and kitchenette. The Manzanita has a private bedroom and full kitchen….
Breakfast, ordered the night before from an extensive menu, featured entrees such as cornmeal pancakes, smoked salmon or quiche – we added our choice of eggs, meat, potatoes, beans, pastries, smoothies and juices. We had enough leftovers for dinner. They used locally grown foods, and they were delicious.
Hiking trails are nearby. Tombstone and Bisbee are less than an hour away. The Yateses are extremely knowledgeable and helpful with directions. It was a perfect retreat into nature for us.