Bisbee a Must - Tombstone a Bust.....

We rolled out of our Benson, AZ, RV park by 10:00 am yesterday for points south from here.  Tombstone and Bisbee were in our plans.  Now, we had read and heard from many that Tombstone was of lesser desire because it seems to be more of a tourist trap.  Bisbee, on the other hand, has always been a favourite to any tourist.

Rolling south on Highway 80 for Tombstone.

It was nostalgia that brought us to Tombstone.  As kids watching all the old movies and TV shows that were focused on this town, it was  fun to roll in and have a look. We did not spend a lot of time here but we did walk the streets of old.  We'll let the photos tell the story.

Beautiful and historic Tombstone Courthouse

There were two or three stage coaches that offered guided tours around the town.  We chose to walk.

There is no shortage of stores - from jewellery to western wear.

I had to take a photo of the Flap Jacks......

Jeanette is following this cowboy to the OK corral.

There is a gun fight - or several, for that matter - but we had rolled out before the shooting began.

I think the locals do a good job of keeping the old western theme alive.  It is tourism dollars that keeps the town going.

Jeanette took this photo.....believing it was fitting.....!

Ah, yes, I remember stories about gunslingers, Doc Holliday and Wyatt Earp.

The gunslingers are readying for the shootout.

Only about one hour was spent looking around Tombstone before we mounted our ride and headed further south to Bisbee.  Glad we saw it!

The tunnel bored through the copper mountains - just before arriving in Bisbee.

The mining town of Bisbee was a going concern in the late 1800's and early 1900's.  The population reached about 25,000 when copper was discovered and mined.  Gold was more recently discovered here and, till only a few months back, it too was mined.  The most active mining company has shut down operations leaving Bisbee to survive on tourists.  And it does very well!  This place is worthy of a visit.  It has a lot to offer the curious.

Beautiful town built in the crevice and hillsides of the copper mountains that surround it.

Clean, organized and narrow streets.

We toured inside the beautiful Copper Canyon Hotel.  It dates back to the very early 1900's  The walls are 2 feet thick.

We did find the Christmas spirit was alive and well inside the hotel.

The museum offers great detail about this area and is heavily focused on mining.

Citizens of this town must have lived to a ripe old age.  Everywhere you go you need to walk up or down stairs and streets. We sure enjoyed getting off the motorcycle and walking around.

Following several hours of touring around this great place, we rode out back toward I-90 toward Sierra Vista.  Once on the highway above we stopped to capture this photo - and those following - to give you a sense of how this town is built.

This tourist site - north from Sierra Vista - is where Geronimo surrendered to the soldiers from Ft. Huachuca.

Today, this area is known as Cochise County - Land of Legends.  Everywhere one goes, compelling stories emerge about the settling of the West - the Old West!  The rugged terrain of this southeast Arizona country is beautiful.  One can't help but visualize the mining prospectors who toiled here; the gunfights in the towns and hillsides that settled many a score; and the high mountain countrysides that were strongholds used by the Apache leaders, Cochise and Geronimo, to evade their enemies. 

This southeastern area of Arizona is a fun place to see and experience.

Before the light of day faded away, we took a walk around the RV park.

There are three small lakes (ponds, really) that offer catch and release fishing opportunities for the interested.

Jeanette and I hiked up the hillside on the north side of the RV park and captured the photo above.

There is a forecast cooling trend, for the next few days....and we could feel the change in the weather when we stepped out this early morning.  The skies were changing too.  And....it's raining!!!!!

Knowing that today's weather called for rain, we phoned in our reservations to tour the Kartchner Caverns.  We will report on our experience on a blog to follow.

It did cool off a lot today....one heck of a lot!  The temperature is 39 degrees F.  But that will change from here going forward.  The skies are to clear and the cold front is set to push off.  

Thanks for dropping by.