Hidden Gems: Must visit places in or around your post!
Military Life
Sir,
You hit the nail on the head with Ft. Huachuca. I'm a Sierra Vista resident, and you nailed some of the great places to check out, which makes me happy because all I ever hear from soldiers is how much my hometown sucks. Some other additions for Ft. Huachuca:
The German Cafe - Right next to Paul's Pub on Avenida Cochise. *Awesome* food, highly recommended.
Paul's Pub - I used to work here! Very military friendly; the owner is a retired MAJ, and the head bartender is super awesome; make sure you tip her well! They also hold a chili cookoff in memoriam of a patron that used to go frequently; if you ask about it, I'm sure they'll be more than happy to tell you when it is. Only downside: no draft beer :/
Chiricahua Mountains - It's a couple hours east on I-10, but it's completely worth the drive. Echo Point is easily one of the most gorgeous places I've ever been to. Bonus points if you can watch the sunset over it in the summer.
San Pedro River - Super easy to get to; just head east down Highway 90 and find the San Pedro House turnoff. Very easy hike, and in the spring/summer, the cottonwoods are absolutely gorgeous. Bonus points if you're big on birdwatching; the San Pedro is literally the center point for about four different ecological biomes that converge in one area, so the biological diversity you see is pretty unparalleled.
Vinny's - Usually a really quiet pizza place, and they used to much better before the owner passed away a few years ago. However, the Homicidal Hot Wing challenge is pretty good. They're hot enough to clear your sinuses from ten feet away, so be careful and make sure you have a free weekend to recover.
Indochine Vietnamese Cuisine - Nice little Vietnamese restaurant on Fry Boulevard next to the fire station. The owners are good folks, and the pho is pretty good for when you get that fix.
Bunbuku - Easily the best Korean restaurant in Sierra Vista. I really recommend going here at least once, if nowhere else. The food is affordable, pretty authentic, and they do the entire banchan spread for each meal.
My Home Sierra Vista - Another great Korean restaurant (Sierra Vista has a really large Korean population). The inside of the restaurant is a little austere, BUT, the food is extremely good, almost better than Bunbuku. The bibimbop is incredible.
JR's Bar - I used to work here part time as the karaoke DJ on Wednesday nights. We usually have a better draft selection than pretty much anyone in town. Fridays and Saturdays can get pretty crowded, BUT, if you check out the Facebook page for the bar, we sometimes have live shows on the weekends with our kind of de facto house band, Powered Wig Machine.
In Bisbee, some places I like to go:
The Bisbee Grand - A lot of folks choose to go to the Copper Queen Hotel, but I prefer the Grand. The liquor selection is a bit better, the atmosphere is much more open, and it's just overall a pretty good time.
The Bisbee Stair Climb - There are a lot of stairs in Bisbee. In the olden days before refridgeration was invented, Bisbee residents would have to use ice tongs to carry giant blocks of ice up the stairs. The Stair Climb is basically a race to see who can climb the stairs while carrying the ice. It sounds silly, but it will seriously kick your ass.
The Screaming Banshee - Just go. This is the best pizza place near Ft. Huachuca. Dear lord, this place is great, and it's also a great spot for dates.
Castle Rock - There's a hidden staircase up the street from the Grand that leads you past a couple houses. Once you get up there and hit the street, turn left and keep walking up. Castle Rock is just a rock outcropping that overlooks all of Old Bisbee. I used to do some of my best writing and thinking up there, good enough for me to drive the thirty minutes to get to Bisbee.
The Bisbee Breakfast Club - I personally haven't been here, but I have a group of friends that goes every couple of weeks and swears by it.
The Bisbee Brewery - Good little microbrewery. I usually go to Bisbee for New Year's Eve every year, and some of my best memories are from the outdoor patio here.
St. Elmo's - If you like dives, this is the place. Be careful though; this place can get really rough, really quick if you're the loud, obnoxious type.
EDIT: Added Bisbee section, revised some places in Sierra Vista.
Now for the places to avoid like the plague:
Sierra Vista:
The Glass Bottom - This is a no-go. Post policy bans you from going to this smoke shop, and I can't see why anyone would want to. Seriously, don't ever go here.
The Sorry Gulch - To be fair, this place usually isn't that bad. I think what I'm talking about is their Amateur "Exotic Dancer" night. Literally every ne'er-do-well in town comes here that night, and it's pretty likely that a fight will break out.
Hana Tokyo - Intel students or anyone with an ounce of consideration for OPSEC should not be going here; I'm just going to leave it at that. A lot of underage AIT kids go here to try and drink; don't be one of them, and sure as hell don't encourage it.
Dillon's - Normally a country bar, but has a hip-hop night on Thursdays. I mention them because of Thursdays. Without fail, every cheap, low-class meathead in the world comes out to Dillon's on Thursday night because it's two-for-one drinks. I don't really care for this place anymore, mostly because of that crowd.
Any chain restaurant - It's going to happen. You're going to get together with classmates and decide to go somewhere "classy", like Applebee's. People go because it's familiar to them and because of the happy hour. I discourage this. Not only are the food and service usually terrible, but you're also strangling local businesses like crazy. Furthermore, these are usually the big IET hangouts in town; I try to dodge this out of respect for AR 600-20.
This might also be good information that could get people to explore more than just food and entertainment venues around the bases.
This is a good idea
Fort Knox, KY:
Not much going on in the local Fort Knox/Radcliff area other than it's an hour away from Louisville (KY's largest city) but Fort Knox itself has mini golf, a small water park, bowling, and skating.
Landing Zone- small club/bar on post. Not much in the way of night life on post but this is something at least. They have organized events like Bingo which can be fun.
Christy's Cafe- (off post) small diner that has just about everything, and GREAT desserts
4th Street Live (louisville)- Closed off street designed for bar hopping. A lot of fun, it has a mechanical bull, bowling, dancers, good food and good drinks.
Bardstown road (Louisville)- Larger than 4th Street, but not closed off. More of the same.
Um, Red Rock canyon... 7 falls, 11 mile... pikes peak, cripple creak... there's too many to tell... lol
But you make a very good point. One of the things I like to do is look at each assignment as a tourist opportunity and see as much as I can in or near the town I'm living. I've been to Seattle, Atlanta, NC and DC. All have many great things to see and do. Get out of your comfort zone and check the area culture, history, cuisine and activities. You will be amazed at what is available.
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