After two weeks in Las Cruces, I moved on to Benson, AZ. Benson is dominated by snowbirds, of which this year, I was one. There are more RV Parking spots in town than housing units. One of the reasons I went to Benson, Arizona was that it was perfectly situated between Tucson (where the Saguaro National Park is located) and Tombstone. It was my intention while I was in Benson to visit both places. My first destination was Tombstone.
Tombstone is a legendary Old West cow town with a long history of gunslingers, bank robbers, and other bad guys that Wyatt Earp and his brothers had to clean up. I prepped for my visit to the area by watching the movie, “Tombstone,” which then got me interested in the history of Wyatt Earp, a legendary lawman. The TV show about Earp was on from 1957 to 1961, was only available in black and white, and contains some fairly well-known names and faces for my grandparents.
While Tombstone is a functioning town, most of the downtown is oriented for tourists. Every day, there are several showings of the reenactment of the gunfight at the OK Corral. There are gift shops and unique food shops galore, and an amazing number of rock shops. I guess some people are still gold hungry.
A stage coach will take you on a tour of the town. Many bars and hotels exist to recreate the feel of the Old West days. Over the month that I was in Benson, I spent a couple of days taking pictures and wandering the old town.
One of the more popular attractions in Tombstone is Boot Hill Cemetery, which is owned and operated by the City of Tombstone. There are a number of famous and infamous people laid to rest there, as well as a few interesting monuments. I was there in the middle of the week in early March. The cemetery was packed. It took a great deal of effort to get photos that did not have people in them. I know lots of programs says that they can take people out, but it’s not nearly as easy as they make it seem.
If there’s a would be sheriff or gunslinger in your future or your past, Tombstone is definitely a town you should check out. Meanwhile, the sunsets of the Southwest can be spectacular.
