Tombstone, known as the town “too tough to die,” is like a movie set with a stagecoach ambling down the dirt streets while the driver is heard giving his passengers the historical low-down on his microphone. There is a little old-timers band dressed in period dress playing on the street corner. The famous Crystal Palace Saloon is still serving drinks and eats. But Tombstone is empty and ghostly in stark comparison to its heyday of lawless activity with horses, whores, gunfights, and gambling. The town burned twice. Silver mining was the big draw until finally the tunnels were too unsafe due to flooding and had to be closed.

At this time of year and because of covid there were only a handful of other visitors. I got there just a tad too late to see the re-enactment of the famous bloody 30-second gunfight at OK Corral, but the 30 shots rang true in my imagination standing at the actual showdown site in an alley (not a corral) now cordoned off with life-size figures of Doc Holliday, the Earps, and the outlaws known as the Cowboys. Standing there I wished that I could be transported back in time to witness the rough and tumble boom time of Tombstone. Would have been exciting and probably a bit dangerous. Reluctantly, it was time to unsaddle my imagination and leave for Tucson to rejoin Jody.

In Tucson, we went to the Saguaro National Park, known to have some of the largest stands of saguaro cactus in the world. These are the tall cacti that look like people with outstretched arms. Took a hike and then hung around until sunset for photo ops and for the moonrise. Nice popular park on the edge of Tucson.

Next day we backtracked to Elgin, AZ, a dot on the map 15 miles from the Mexican border to visit a friend at her piece of heaven on 20 acres with horses, dogs, a cat that thinks he is a puppy, chickens, etc., etc. Sue turned a shed that was on the place into her small sanctuary. She is an honest to goodness cowgirl but recently learned that people think of her as the hippie in the town with her teepee, prayer flags, words to live by posted everywhere, and various other “hippie” adornments. But mainly it is her lifestyle, philosophy, howling to the moon and just general unabridged embrace of life that makes her stand out. Fun visit, devine lunch, fascinating stories. Then it was time to head off to Phoenix for the night in a Walmart parking lot. Next day was a shopping day at Whole Foods and a catch-up lunch with another co-worker from our Visit Anchorage days. Fun.

Next destination: the red rocks of Sedona.