Yaqui Hideout: Pearce's Lavender Farm & Bed and Breakfast

By Larry Scott

It’s a sort of walled compound. Patrick said, “When you arrive at the blue bench, text me, and I’ll come out and unlock the gate.”

I found the blue bench, parked nearby, and sent Patrick a text. Sure enough, he came out and let me in. Not your typical B&B, I’m thinking.

Inside Yaqui Hideout, the walls are high, covered with murals by local artists, more of which can be viewed at https://www.exploredouglas.org/pearce-murals/.

“The walls are not there to protect against wild buffalo or foreign invasion,” Patrick jests. “They do provide welcome protection against the wind.” To me, it suggests a sort of near-east ambiance.

Certainly, it creates the perfect environment for astronomy buffs. The location, in the desert just off Kansas Settlement Road, is remote — quiet, and peaceful. Where the night sky is black and the stars clear and bright — as at Chiricahua Astronomy Complex in the Turkey Creek area nearby. The courtyard walls block any man-made light from the surrounding region.

Exactly right for setting up your telescope to look deep into space. And, when you finish taking in the wonders of heaven, in the early hours of a new day, your guestroom is right there — a few yards away.

Birders particularly love the location, in the flight path of the Sandhill Cranes and other birds between the Willcox Playa and Whitewater Draw. It's a world-class birder’s paradise. Looking to the South, more than 300 species of birds have been identified over recent years.

From out front near the Blue Bench, one can look back up the road, directly into the awesome cliffs and rock formations of Cochise Stronghold — a dream destination for hikers, photographers, birders, and (crazy) mountain climbers.

Yaqui Hideout also provides the perfect refuge for folks who just need an escape from the rat-race. With only three guest rooms available it’s never overcrowded; generally, there are no more than six guests on the property at once.

While partners Patrick and Bob have no aspirations to run a theme park, there are certainly attractions.
 

Kids of all ages love the Great Pyrenees dogs, Marshal and Miss Kitty. And those crazy donkeys, Ravioli and Cannoli. There are also sheep, but they aren’t particularly interested in socializing — a bit skittish, actually. And the owls in the barn — look but please don’t disturb.

There’s a Basket Weaving Studio, where Bob does his thing! His baskets incorporate hand dyed reed and various weave techniques, which make for colorful creations. He sells baskets and teaches basket weaving and loom skills at local arts and crafts festivals as well as to guests and friends of Yaqui Hideout.

Bob teaches locally and at guilds — Basket Artisans of Arizona, Bisbee Fiber Arts Guild, and at Missouri Basket Convention. Twice, he’s competed at the World Wicker and Weaving Festival in Poland.

Yaqui Hideout is also known as a Lavender farm. Lavender is an aromatic evergreen plant that is native to the Mediterranean region, including the countries France, Spain and Italy. While the fragrance of dried lavender is wonderful, it’s more than just a pretty fragrance - some claim health benefits — that the oil and calming scent can help reduce stress and improve sleep.

At Yaqui Hideout, guests enjoy a continental breakfast which includes Lavender Scones or muffins, fresh-baked with the just enough culinary lavender to wow - but not overwhelm - one’s tastebuds. Amazing!

Photos courtesy of Yaqui Hideout Lavender Farm