As I’ve said before, I LOVE history! We were so looking forward to this part of our trip and I must say, we were NOT disappointed! Tombstone, Arizona is one of those towns that I recommend everyone sees at least once. It is such a throwback, if you will, to how America used to be. In so many ways times were simpler, and sometimes not so much. The “Old West” has always fascinated me, which is probably why my favorite t.v. shows are Bonanza and Gunsmoke. 😛
Tombstone is a very small town that stretches along one street and is only a couple of blocks long. The road is still dirt and a few people walked around in period dress. Man, I bet they were hot in 100º!!! There are a few original buildings but quite a few were rebuilt after a fire in 1886. After the fire it nearly became a ghost town, according to research (i.e. the internet and the tour guide for the ghost tour).
One of the coolest things about this place is the fact that it’s haunted. Whether you believe in the supernatural or not, the town definitely has a certain vibe when you walk through, especially at night. We found a little “ghost tour” and I quote that because it was just a walk-through and there was nothing supernatural about it. THAT was $10 well spent (*eye roll…) and a total waste of 20 mins. I really wanted something better since I’m into this supernatural stuff, so Will and I decided to take a ghost tour at the famous Birdcage Theater. Ok, so if you’ve never heard of this, it’s pretty cool. This was where the towns people would be entertained…when they weren’t at the bars or brothels, of course. 😉 As legend has it, the cowboys in the crowd would fire their guns when they enjoyed the show…and when they didn’t. THAT wouldn’t confuse anyone, right? LOL
Funny story about this bar. It was made and shipped from France (from what I recall) and it took forever to get there. Well, when it arrived it was too large because someone had obviously measured incorrectly and they had to make space for it. Needless to say, it’s never been moved and has been there ever since.
These balconies were used by the wealthier customers. This is also where the women would entertain the men. 😉
***Ok, here’s the story about the tour group photo. We were in complete darkness, so when someone wanted to take a photo, he/she had to say, “flash” so we’d know what was happening. Well, the looks on their faces are priceless, especially that guy smiling at the camera. For some reason that makes me LOL. Enjoy the photos!!!
The coolest thing we did in Tombstone (besides the ghost tour, of course…) Dude, look at my legs! Yes, I’ve been working out…thank you for asking.
Ok, there was one thing that upset me while we were there. You know those people who are just buttheads? Well, the day we arrived at the RV Park, which was obviously in the middle of nowhere, we decided to have dinner in town. We left probably around 6pm and got back home before 9pm. The guy that was parked a few spaces away from us (there were no RVs in between so there was a lot of space) was waiting outside when we got back. Welcoming Committee. :-/ He shined his flashlight at Will and started griping about our dogs barking. Honestly, I get that. It can be a little annoying. Will was very apologetic and told him that we have an old, blind, and deaf dog inside that just gets a bit scared when he’s alone. The guy actually said, “I don’t care what it is…you need to do something about it so it doesn’t happen again!” Whaaaaaaa?!?! Seriously?!?!? First, THEY’RE DOGS! Second, it wasn’t even NINE yet! We believe he was seriously just sitting outside waiting for something to complain about. If our dogs are barking incessantly that’s totally unacceptable, but we really didn’t think that was the case. We left the next afternoon and recorded them alone in the RV. It was mostly quiet with a few little barks. I think the most barking lasted about 15 mins, but we were gone for a few hours. I’d say that’s not too bad. Also, THEY’RE DOGS! It’s not like we left them chained outside like some people do. We CAN’T STAND those people! So, yeah, that guy is not my favorite and I’m so glad he came up to Will and not me. I probably would have pissed him off even more. LOL Needless to say, we’re a lot more aware of people around us now and have talked to our neighbors about the dogs. Guess what? Everyone is OK with it and understands that…you guessed it…THEY’RE DOGS! Sheesh. Ok, I’m done. 😉
And one more thing…this just kills me. LOL
Next stop…HOME!!! (for a couple of months)
Tombstone left an impression on me after we stopped there when I was 13 and on the way to see the Jones family in Bisbee, AZ. I remember the Birdcage and that freakin’ gi-inormous bar! You and Will look the part perfectly in the Wanted poster 😉