Places That Were

Dozens of decommissioned Cold War era ICBM missile silos exist across the country, but very few are accessible these days.



Several days and a few hundred miles from my ultimate destination, a Titan missile silo complex in Colorado still open for exploration, I had a raging case of ICBM fever. Hoping for temporary relief, I stopped to check out a partially unearthed Titan II in Southeastern Arizona.

The morning after my ride into Tucson, I enjoyed a hearty breakfast at Mother Hubbard’s Cafe. The waitress seemed to be having a rough morning, so I tried to brighten her day by being extra polite and smiling a lot. I must have given her the wrong impression because as I was leaving she slipped me her number. It happened so fast that I didn't get a chance to tell her that I'm already spoken for and that I'm not into women. I sure did appreciate the compliment though. Hopefully she wasn't too heartbroken when I never called.

I navigated a series of rural highways until I reached a little dirt road out in the middle of nowhere. There was a simple gate of two thick metal bars to keep vehicles out, but no signs warning away trespassers.


I jumped the gate and wandered the property with a few interesting features, including a rusty metal thingamajig,


An odd cement bucket thing,


a monolithic concrete cube,




several giant concrete cylinders protruding from the ground,





and a rusting metal dome.







I had finished taking pictures and was about to head back to my car, when a white police pickup truck pulled up. The cop, a guy of retirement age with a grown-out crew cut, was quite friendly.

I told him I was there to take a few pictures and didn't realize I was on private property. He said that people often steal the no trespassing signs, which is why none were posted. We talked for a while and he told me he’d like to own a missile silo, but they’re ridiculously expensive because they’ve become collectors’ items. He said I should check out the Titan Missile Museum in Sahuarita, Arizona. I was tempted to check it out, but didn't have enough time if I wanted to be in New Mexico by the day's end.



Next stop: a creepy miniature golf course outside Willcox, AZ.

Nickerson Farms Family Restaurant stood abandoned for decades before the structure finally collapsed in late 2013.

I decided to stop and have a look at the ruins since they were just off the freeway. I'm glad I did because there were two more abandoned places adjacent to it. The restaurant lay in a huge pile of rubble, but the red pavilion next to it was still standing.


And as an added bonus, a decaying billboard.


The Nickerson Farms franchise operated from the 1960s until the early '80s. At one point there as many as 60 locations, most of which were along interstate freeways in the Midwest. The franchise was born when a former franchisee of Stuckey's convenience stores decided he was fed up with the rules and regulations and struck out on his own.

Each Nickerson Farms consisted of a restaurant, gas station, and gift shop that sold honey made from bees on site. They even had a window into the beehive so customers could watch the bees as they went about their business.


Next door to the ruins of Nickerson Farms is the remains of another local attraction, The Picacho Peak Trading Post.



The place burned down in 2002. A neighbor, who witnessed a sudden flash just as the fire broke out, attempted to fight the blaze with a garden hose until fire fighters arrived. Attempts to save the trading post were unsuccessful. Now all that remains is a stone foundation and part of the legs of the giant statue the once welcomed customers.

image from http://roadsidepeek.com/roadusa/southwest/arizona/azroadside/azroadmen/index.htm

I headed toward Tucson, stopping to appreciate an abandoned restaurant and the beautiful sunset.







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Ghost stories and rumors of strange encounters surround the mysterious dome-like structures that sit abandoned in the desert of Casa Grande. A closer look at the site reveals its incredible beauty and clues as to why so many people swear the place is haunted.


South of I-8, a long stretch of pavement known as Thornton Road cuts through the parched Arizona desert. The landscape is monotonous and unremarkable as far as the eye can see, until you approach the bizarre cluster of UFO-like buildings known as the Casa Grande Domes.


Four hollow structures, one flying-saucer-shaped and three long and caterpillar-like, share the plot with the unfinished foundations of three others. A network of narrow tunnels runs beneath.




Stories tell of whispers in the dark, strange echoing footsteps, and a mysterious figure that wanders the grounds, lurking in the shadows to stalk intruders. Visitors parked on Thornton Road have heard tapping noises on the outside of their cars. Some have even reported hearing the distant muffled cries of children.

What dark history does this site possess that would account for such eerie phenomena? What gruesome events left the indelible stains that draw malevolent visitors from the netherworld? The truth is far less interesting than you might imagine.


The unusual shape and composition of the structures was chosen for its relatively low cost, speedy construction time, and efficient insulation. Each structure took approximately six weeks to build and cost about $150,000 apiece.

Construction went something like this: After the foundations were complete, giant balloons were mounted onto them, supported by steel skeletons. A coating of polyurethane foam was applied to the outside of each balloon, which hardened to form a layer several inches thick. An additional three inches of concrete was then added to form the outer shell.


As is the case with many abandoned properties, the land has been used as an illegal dump site for large pieces of trash such as furniture and tires.
The site was purchased by Daniel and Karon Peer in 2006. Ownership quickly became more of a burden than the Peers had bargained for. The government ordered them to clear the land of all the waste that had been illegally dumped over the years. It proved to be a costly and time-consuming job. The Peers also had to deal with the liability of a relentless stream of vandals, ghost hunters, and UFO enthusiasts entering the unsound buildings. It didn't help that the site was seen as an ideal location for parties, raves, and underage drinking.

With so any people stopping to check out the place, it is no surprise that visitors have witnessed elusive figures lurking nearby. I wouldn't be surprised if the suspicious dark figures were actually trespassers trying to hide when they noticed others entering the property.

Many of the reports of strange noises can also be explained. The unusual shape of the structures causes normal sounds to bounce off the walls in distorted echoes. Wind rushes through the hollow buildings, producing bizarre sounds as it passes through doorways and holes in the ceiling and beats sheets of rusting scrap metal against the walls.

After exploring the awesome Casa Grande Domes I headed toward Tucson, where I happened upon the interesting remains of several abandoned restaurants and tourist traps. Come back next week and I'll tell you all about them!


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