April 21, 2008
I recently read Tough Towns by Robert Barr Smith which documented how upstanding and well armed citizens contributed to establishing law and order, especially from bandits who preyed on banks, stores and trains. One of the bandits mentioned was Dirty Dave Rudabaugh who spent time in the Tombstone area of Arizona including one suspected shoot out with Wyatt Earp. Tombstone is about three and a half hours from Phoenix; hence on the cards came a fun and beautiful road trip through plains and desert south of Tucson.
Tombstone itself is a mix between old Sydney Town and Ballarat. The main part of the historic street is chained off from cars and tourists lazily walked down the street under beautiful weather looking at the museums, stores and carriages being pulled by horses down the street.
The history at the OK Corral is appealing however the real star of the road trip was the landscape. The area around Tombstone is the South West USA at its most rugged and gorgeous.
Rather than join the tourists in the OK Corral, or in the stores, I ended up sitting down several times on Allen St in the bench chairs and simple enjoying the weather and the view. I wasn't alone several others were too; including many in period dress who were spruiking services, shows, and history re-enactments in the town.
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