Tombstone, the Town Too Tough to Die, 1/26-27/2020

Everyone who loves the Old West, should visit Tombstone, AZ!  Our last visit was in 2015 and when we were in Tucson, we knew we wanted to take a detour to travel the 80 miles south to Tombstone. Staying at Wells Fargo RV Park (again) enabled us to walk just a couple of blocks into the historic town. And our friends, Liz and Mike, joined us for a few days of our one-week stay. 

Even though we have been here before, I always find it really helpful to stop by local visitor centers. The folks that work in them are always knowledgeable and provide great info about local things to see and do. 

 

Liz (with pink shirt) and I stopped in for a wine tasting offered by Silver Strike Winery.  Nice!

And we perused some of the stores that feature southwestern decor. The guys bought a couple of cowboy hats; and, John enjoyed meeting the hard-working stagecoach horses.   

Lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon is a must when you are in Tombstone as well as cocktails at Doc Holiday’s, The Oriental Saloon and other historic bars.

The Shootout at OK Corral is re-enacted three times a day with many exhibits in the area where the actual shoot out took place. The performers do a great job and it is always fun to experience. 

The showdown was a result of several months of threats, romantic rivalries, robberies, pistol whippings and arrests between the "cowboys" and the "law" in Tombstone. The Police Chief was Virgil Earp. He deputized his brothers Wyatt and Morgan Earp as well as Wyatt's good friend, Doc Holliday, to help him deal with the cowboys who were waiting for a confrontation. Within 30 seconds 30 shots were fired and three cowboys, Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury, and 19-year-old Billy Clanton, were killed. Virgil and Morgan Earp were badly wounded. Doc Holliday suffered a minor hip wound. Wyatt Earp was unscathed.

 

The position of each individual involved in the actual shootout are shown in this exhibit. I was surprised to see just how close they were to each other when the shooting began. 

Our last stop was the infamous Bird Cage Theater (reportedly haunted). Initially the owner presented family-friendly shows but had to turn to more rowdy entertainment to fill the house with the locals (mostly miners). A poker game was played continuously in the basement and several prostitutes used rooms downstairs for business. Bullet holes can still be seen on the stage! 

For additional information about Tombstone, go to tombstoneweb.com. We always have fun when we visit!