Tuesday, January 31, 2006
Alphabet Soup
Every town in t he American Old West had a "Boot Hill" but few are as famous, or should I say infamous, as the Tombstone, Arizona - the "T" stop in Alphabet Soup.
Tombstone would have been just another mining town, in this case silver, were it not for the place you see right here. Largely unchanged since it's most famous event (save for the addition of a wall around it so they can collect money from the gawkers) this is the OK Corral - home of the most famous gunfight in old west history. I've never bothered to count up how many movies have been made about the gunfiight that happened between the Earps and the Clanton/McLaurey gang, but I imagine it is more than any other single event. The fact that Wyatt ended his life as a movie script consultant in Hollywood probabaly didn't hurt any, but the gunfight was extremely famous even in contemporary times.
In the corral they have mannequins set up in the positions of the main protagonists so you can really picture what was going in. It is terrifying to see the proximity in which these men were to each other. It's amazing that everyone didn't die, and even more amazing that Wyatt Earp came away without a scratch.
Tombstone is a thriving community to this day with both a large tourist economy, but also busy raising cattle and there is even a little mining still going on in the region.The Old West Main Street sort of sits off to the side of town now, preserved as best as possible to draw in the tourists and separate them from their cash. Only two of the buildings from Earps time still stand -- The Oriental bar and the Birdcage Theater, the later retaining some of the bullet holes placed in it by the outlaws.
The other buildings while newer, blend well with the theme of the place, and with the exception of the fact they all contain t-shirt shops or pizza joints, you'd think you were in the old west yourself -- well, that and the cars. It's a very touristy place, but the history is still palpable and visible. It's a lot of fun.
Amazingly, Tombstone is also a place of beauty. This rainbow happened just as we were leaving town and it is one of the most vivid I have ever seen.Another beauty note is that just off Main Street one of the old houses still stands with a tree rose that was planted back in the Earps day. That rose is supported by an immense netting system and now covers the entire yard of the house -- an area roughly 30' X 30'. You can walk around under it, or climb a stand and look out accross the top of it. They claim it is the largest rose bush in the world. Regardless it is quite lovely.
If you love the Old West, or even just love old western movies then Tombstone is a great visit.
Related Tags: Tombstone, Wyatt Earp, gunfight at the OK corral, Old West, travel
