One of the few specific requests The Husband made during this part of the trip was to stop in Tombstone, AZ. Since I had just learned on the Alaska cruise that Wyatt Earp was a real person, I had no idea what to expect. Turns out, I wouldn’t have imagined it correctly anyway.
For those who are western-history-ignorant such as myself, Tombstone is a silver-mining town that is famous because of an 1881 gunfight at the O.K. Corral. Wyatt Earp, his brothers, and Doc Holliday fought an outlaw gang in a 30-second battle that would become (apparently) one of the most famous gunfights in American history.
Today, it is a commercialized touristy mecca for those who want to know what life was life in the 1800’s Wild West. From the dusty roads to the gun-slinging cowboys, Tombstone really leaned into their 30 seconds of fame.
Despite having no background knowledge (or interest, if I’m being honest) it was kind of fun to walk the town. The cowboys heckle you as they try to get you to buy a ticket to the gunfight reenactment (one called The Husband my father!) and many of the buildings are still standing as they did in 1881.
We skipped the gunfight reenactment. We could hear it from the street and it sounded too cheesy for even The Husband to enjoy. But we did do a tour of the Bird Cage Theatre, and it was pretty interesting. A lot of the furniture and memorabilia were original, including Doc Holliday’s faro table (card game).
Everywhere you looked, there was some kind of kitschy Western-themed staging. My grandma would have loved Tombstone (I’m sure she visited it at some point).
And Wyatt Earp’s house is still standing.
Overall, if you are a fan of Western American history or movies, it was a fun little stop. The Husband had a good time and his dad loved the postcard we sent him, so for us, it was worth it.
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