Shoot out at OK Corral

Well, we are off to Tombstone.
On the way we drove through Saguaro National Park, 92,000 acres that preserve the fauna and flora, including the giant saguaro cactus, of the Sonoran desert. The winding paved 8 miles had lots to see.
There are many trails, but Maryann's knee is still quite sore so we only did a  couple of very short hikes.

 Little Red Dog was enthralled with the size of these giant saguaro cactus.

Next stop, Tombstone. Everyone has heard of the shootout at OK Corral. It happened in Tombstone. Tombstone is a total tourist town full of pretend cowboys.

Ed Shieffelin was a scout with the U.S. Army who liked to search the wilderness for valuable ore samples. When a friend learned what he was up to he said "The only stone you'll find out there is your tombstone" When he discovered a silver vein, he staked a claim and named it "Tombstone". The town grew around his claim. Tombstone was a rough tough own frequented by outlaws looking ot make a quick buck. Probably most famous for the shootout in which lawmen Virgil, Mogan & Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday killed Tom McLaury, Frank McLaury and Billy Clanton.

The main street is closed to traffic. The only vehicles allowed are the stagecoaches that are used for historical tours of the town. We did not take the stagecoach tour although Little Red Dog really wanted to.

There are at least 4 shoot out shows with different slants. One is a comedy one but Little Red Dog preferred the one in the theatre that was 4 vignettes of 4 different shoot outs that supposedly happened in Tombstome. I think the actors took a certain amount of artistic licence.

We preferred the outdoor show in the "OK Corral". Little Red Dog was less impressed.

Maryann got to go for a gallop around the OK Corral.









We thought that Tombstone was just a tourist trap. I think that we would have enjoyed it more in high season when more people would be there and a little more action. Both shows that we saw only had a few people in the audience. And the streets were almost empty. Main street is lined with souvenir shops and restaurants. There are a couple of saloons that have been in operation since the boom times.

We scored a real find for the a place to stay. Just outside of town is a dude ranch. The accommodations are in buildings that look like old Tombstone.

We stayed in the Wells Fargo suite. They even had live music in the saloon across the street. After a beer and some music we bedded down for the night.