Travelers may want to find their old ten-gallon hat and holster before heading to Tombstone, Arizona. A boomtown in the United States' western cowboy heyday, the relic village encompasses the best of the West.
Tombstone is one of the most famous of America's old mining camp towns. When Ed Schieffelin set out to strike it rich, friends told him he'd be more likely to find his tombstone. After Schieffelin found his first piece of silver, he decided to ironically name the town after his friends' dire predictions.
The city's most famous block is Allen Street. Homeplace of the O.K. Corral, this wide, dusty street was the place of many major gunfights and showdowns. Many choose to don their cowboy gear when strutting down this historic avenue, so guests can choose their own fashions as they see fit. Historic parlors and saloons still serve up some might fine sarsaparilla here as well, and while much of the interiors remain in the 19th-century designs, prices are 21st-century appropriate.
Tombstone Courthouse Historic Park is another quintessential stop in town. The trial spot of many crooks and criminals of the age, the gallows, complete with their roped nooses, still swing menacingly out front.
Strap on your steel toes in Tombstone
Posted on Monday, March 12th, 2012
