It took us about 2 weeks before we settled in to the realization that we could take our time on this trip and take a good, long look at everything along our way.

We rested in Buckeye AZ for about a week before we decided to venture out. We chose the Comfort Inn at Benson, AZ as our home base and did our exploring from there. Benson was central to everything we wanted to see, so it was the logical choice for a home base. Our room was clean and comfortable, service was great, and we enjoyed the expanded continental breakfast each morning before we headed out exploring.

After visiting Bisbee, AZ (covered in a previous post), we headed out to Tombstone, AZ. Tombstone is viewed by many as a kitschy tourist town, but this doesn’t detract from the history one can experience here. 

From seeing gunfighters and other old west personalities strolling the plank sidewalk streets, to museums, to gunfights, to saloons, to bawdy houses, and to famous hotels – we found it easy to spend a full day. 

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Photo ops abound with the actors and various props.

It was cold when we visited, so we enjoyed a piping hot Irish Coffee at the Crystal Palace and stopped for a “brew” at famous Big Nosed Kate’s Saloon, Much of the architecture in these old haunts has been restored or refurbished, but a few “original” features remain. 

If you’re a history buff (as we are), or even if you’d just like to experience a day of entertainment wild-west-style, I’d highly recommend checking out Tombstone. Once you immerse yourself in the history vibe,  it’s easy to forget the touristy bits.

“For my handling of the situation at Tombstone, I have no regrets. Were it to be done again, I would do it exactly as I did it at the time.”  —Wyatt Earp, lawman