Border Patrol Check Point AZ

As we were heading back to Tuscon from Tombstone we were checked by the U.S. Border Patrol on AZ 80.  At this point think we were about 30 miles north of the Mexican border.

Tombstone, Arizona

Tombstone reached its pinnacle of riches and fame and then faded, all within the span of just eight years.The West's wildest mining town owes its beginning to Ed Schieffelin, who prospected the nearby hills in 1877. Friends warned him that all he would ever find would be his own tombstone. But instead of an Apache bullet, he found silver - ledges of it - and the rush was on.
Miners soon built a shantytown on the closest level space to the mines, then known as Goose Flats. Remembering the grim prophecy given to Schieffelin, and with tongue in cheek, they changed the name to Tombstone.

The Gunfight at the O.K. Corral was a roughly 30-second gunfight that took place at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, October 26, 1881, in Tombstone Territory. Frank and Tom McLaury and Billy Clanton were killed; Morgan Earp, Virgil Earp and Doc Holliday were wounded and survived. Wyatt Earp was the only individual who came through the fight unharmed. It is generally regarded as the most famous gunfight in the history of the Old West and has come to represent a time in American history when the frontier was open range for outlaws who were confronted by law enforcement that was often sparse, or nonexistent

 In it’s heyday, this  building was the Grand Hotel, where the Clantons would stay when they came to town. In fact, Ike Clanton and the two McLaury brothers were registered guests, the night before the famous OK Corral gunfight, October 26, 1881."Big Nose Kate" is synonymous with Tombstone history. "Big Nose Kate" Elder or Fisher, as some called her, ran the first combination saloon and brothel in Tombstone. Kate is also known for her turbulent relationship with the gambling former dentist, John Henry "Doc" Holliday. For many years Kate was "Doc’s" live in girlfriend. To some peoples dismay, Holliday was never married to "Big Nose Kate."

Walking Around Tombstone, AZ

As Tombstone's population grew, so did its political power. In 1881, the Arizona Legislature established Cochise County. No longer would the nearest county office be a long two-day ride. Built in 1882 at a cost of nearly $50,000, the Cochise County Courthouse was a stylish building as well as a comfortable symbol of law and stability in those turbulent times. It housed the offices of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, and the board of supervisors. The jail was at the rear, under the courtroom

"Doc Holliday" and Big Nose Kate in front of the Historic Bird Cage Theater   Legend has it that 26 people were killed in The Bird Cage during it reputed eight years as one of the wildest and meanest places in Tombstone. Over a Hundred and Twenty bullet holes remain in the building .   .

Boothill Graveyard Tombstone, AZ

"The Tombstone Cemetery" was laid out as a burial plot in 1878 and used until around 1884.  Because of the many violent deaths of the early days,  the cemetery became known as Boothill Graveyard.

Buried here are outlaws with their victims, suicides and hangings, legal and otherwise, along with the hardy citizens and refined element of Tombstone's early days.

Billy Clanton, Tom McLaury, and Frank McLaury part of the 1881 O.K. Corral battle, which took place between the Earp Brothers, with "Doc" Holliday and the cowboys.  Three men were killed and three were wounded.

Years of research and hard work by interested citizens of Tombstone have helped to preserve the main art of the cemetery. The stories of those buried here  have been checked with available resources to compile an accurate history.

One of the Tombstone tour trolleys.....

The Pink Ball Pals & wives reunion

Colby and Joe's New York City Trip

Colby and Joe went to visit Cameron over a long weekend at the end of Sept.  These are a few of the photos that Joe shared with us. Joe, thanks a bunch!!!

Why are all thos people running after Cameron and Colby...  Did they skip out on a restaurant bill?  Looks like they have quite a lead on the crowd... Run kids,  run....

El Charro Cafe Tucson....

El Charro Cafe was established in 1922 by Monica Flin is the Nation's Oldest Mexican Restaurant in continuous operation by the same family.  The definition of the word "Charro" is a name given to the peasants of the province of Salamonca....

Monica Flin, who started El Charro is the originator of the Chimichanga, which means "thingamajig"....

We had a great meal with a Kilt Lifter AZ beer for Ted and frozen Margarita for Jan.....

Saguaro National Park

Enormous cacti, silhouetted by the setting sun, for most of us the Giant Saguaro is the universal symbol of the American West. And yet, these majestic plants are only found in a small portion of the United States. Saguaro National Park protects some of the most impressive forests of these sub-tropical giants, on the edge of the City of Tucson. Saguaros starts where the sidewalks end. Two park districts bookend the city of Tucson......Rincon Mountain District on the east side and Tucson Mountain District on the west.  

Ted and Jan along the Cactus Forest Loop Drive in the east district. The scenic loop is an 8 mile paved road featuring several trail heads, scenic vistas and pullouts.

A Road Runner hiding in the pear cactus.

Red Tailed Hawk searching the vista for his next meal.

We were visiting Saguaro NP during the 2011 bioblitz, which was sponsored by National Geographic and centers on a 24-hour race to count species

Davis-Monthan AFB and Tucson, AZ Sunsets

     Immediately after World War II, the Army's San Antonio Air Technical Service Command established a storage facility for B-29 and C-47 aircraft at Davis-Monthan AFB. Today, this facility is the 309th Aerospace Maintenance and Regeneration Group (309 AMARG), which has grown to include more than 4,400 aircraft and 13 aerospace vehicles from the Air Force, Navy-Marine Corps, Army, Coast Guard, and several federal agencies including NASA. With an original purchase price of more than $35 billion, this aerospace fleet provides a unique savings account from which military units throughout the world may withdraw parts and aircraft. The government earns additional income by selling aircraft to our allies.
     The chief reasons for selecting Davis-Monthan as the site for this storage center were Tucson's meager rainfall, low humidity, and alkaline soil. These conditions make it possible to store aircraft indefinitely with a minimum of deterioration and corrosion. In addition, the soil (called caliche) is hard, making it possible to park aircraft in the desert without constructing concrete or steel parking ramps.

               Red sky by morning, sailor take warning. Red sky at night, sailor's delight!