Today, our 15th day on the road, took us 133 miles from Willcox AZ to Tucson AZ, including a 50-mile side-trip to the fabled Western town of Tombstone AZ. The roads were excellent except for one thing, that being the strong wind! Frequent gusts of well over 40 mph had cars struggling to stay off the shoulders. It was strenuous driving, with all the HIGH WIND WARNING signs illuminated along I-10. And when we checked into our Comfort Inn we heard there were Haboobs between Tucson and Phoenix. We got whacked by a Haboob some years back near Phoenix and hope we never encounter another!
Tombstone was fun. The long main street is lined with cool shops and saloons, all with a strong Western motif. The original old Tombstone courthouse is open as a State Historic site and is very interesting. The 2nd-floor courtroom where many outlaws were sentenced to be hanged is in original condition, as are the gallows within a walled-in courtyard adjacent to the courthouse. Two nooses still swing in the wind. The famous OK Coral us just down the block.
Lunch/dinner was at a Del Taco next to our Comfort Inn. Right now I'm too tired to even think about our plans for tomorrow.
Tombstone became famous because of the silver mines in the area. That of course brought in gamblers, saloons and other entertainments, mostly of a dubious character. Not surprising that gunfights and hangings resulted. The Chinatown had about 200 inhabitants and many respectable families also lived there. Mines were up to 1000 feet deep but flooding was a big problem below 500 ft.
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