Tombstone, AZ

Tuesday, November 26th, Tombstone RV and Horse Park.

Here are some pictures of Big Nose Kate's from yesterday's lunch. We had a great pizza.

Ray called at 10:30 am and yes, our part is in. I had already stowed most of the stuff in the coach that needed to be put away to move in hopes that we could get it fixed today. Ray headed off to Desert RV, 20 minutes away, and I took the car in the opposite direction to Sierra Vista, 20 minutes away, to get some groceries before everything is shut for Thanksgiving. Tombstone really is just a tourist town, any shopping you either go to Sierra Vista or Benson.

It did not take the technician very long to put the block for the fuse back in, and Ray was back at the RV park within an hour. It was not a very expensive bill thankfully. He set everything up ... making "momma's house back the way it should be" so I could just relax and not want to go home to Lake Cowichan. lol Unfortunately this was to the detriment of his back. All our power is back online and the TV works. :)

I got back from shopping and put the groceries away, it was time for lunch so I made turkey sandwiches. In Sierra Vista they have a Fry's, a Safeway, a Food City and of course a huge Walmart, so lots of options for groceries. They also have a Lowes, plus a mall with clothing stores etc. Definitely the "hub" to go to and definitely more choice than Benson.

We relaxed for the rest of the afternoon and evening.

Wednesday morning was not as cool as forecasted at 42F and the rain held off. It's definitely cool with the wind though. After a leisurely start, we went out for breakfast at the OK Corral Restaurant and then back home to wait for the stores to open. The forecasted rain is not supposed to start until this afternoon, so we should be able to see some of the sites etc. down the main street and then come home when the rain starts ... it will be raining for the next 3 days. :( (Tucson ended up having the heaviest one day of rain ever for November ... we had that happen 6 years ago in San Diego and again 5 or so years ago in Mesa, AZ ... broken rainfall records.)

We were out the door again shortly after 10 am and walked up and down the streets popping in and out of the stores. The stores did not open until 10 so we were some of the "few" people actually on the boardwalk. By lunchtime there were more people in spite of the cold wind and rain that began.

Birdcage Theatre

Fallen Angel Sweet Sin Shop ... hmmm which one should I get for Ray?

We didn't bother seeing the OK Corral Shootout 5 years ago when we first visited Tombstone.

This smoker was at the Legion to smoke their turkey's for Thanksgiving tomorrow.

Street Scenes:

This tree did not survive our windstorm a day later. Nothing was left except some broken ornaments.

You can sure buy anything Western ... tons of quality hats and leather works everywhere. You could get an authentic Stetson hat varying from $136 to over $500 depending what the felt is mixed with, cowhide, buffalo or the most expensive with beaver hide.

Anyone need a gun holster?

How about 1900's clothing?

Purses for all occasions.

Lots and lots and lots of western boots at a variety of stores. This was the biggest display though.

We decided to check out the Tombstone Brewery. Unfortunately there was only one beer that we would have tried with low IBU and pricey at $7 a pint (remember that 80 cent beer).  They don't serve food, you have to buy from the food truck outside and it was too wet and cold to stand and wait for food. On a warm sunny day it would have been perfect. We moved on without trying a beer and went to the Crystal Palace for lunch.

At 11:30 we arrived at the Crystal Palace just as they were setting up for their lunch rush so Ray was able to take pictures without people being in the way. lol As soon as he sat down to order the place filled up substantially.

The bar is original from the 1800's

You can imagine the Can Can girls performing.

Back home, Ray walked Freya and then a "toes up" from all the walking. A miserable afternoon but, so far, not too windy. Spent the rest of the day just relaxing.

Thursday, Happy Thanksgiving.

It rained all night and then off and on all morning. Cold and wet ... other than going to the clubhouse for turkey dinner we just hunkered down inside.  We tried finding a restaurant open for lunch, but to no avail.  Lots of cars around the Legion.... looked like a potluck with the smoked turkeys.

Friday we woke up to the wind we had heard all night. I put the dish down at 1am to make sure I didn't have to worry about it. So far the predicted rain held off, so while it was still dark Ray headed into town with his camera and tripod. Forty-five minutes later he returned as the rain started.... to many drops on the lens. Currently it is 8am and extremely wet and blustery outside. I think this will be an inside day. lol  I took Freya out for her walk and noticed the wash running like a river. The forecast is to improve this afternoon though so we shall see.

The signs fuzzy due to it rocking in the wind.

Soon as Ray got back, I sent him down to the wash to take a picture. We don't see the washes flood very often in the winter. This was dry yesterday when we walked it.

The wash beside the Tombstone RV and Horse Park.

By noon it had cleared up quite a bit so we took off town town Tombstone again to have lunch at the Longhorn Inn. A fairly small pub and restaurant but had fabulous stained glass. We shared a plate of a rack of ribs and they were good too.

After lunch we walked the streets again seeing things we missed.

Once back at camp, Ray got his camera and tripod and took off to take some pictures of the Dragoon Mountains with snow. This snow seems to be following us this year. lol

Had Prime Rib with Yorkies for dinner. Love my convection oven .... when we are plugged in. lol

Saturday morning we woke up to a very chilly morning at 30F. Our water hose did not freeze but Freya's water dish iced over.

After I got all our laundry done early this morning and cleaned up yesterday's mega dishes, we took a quick trip to Sierra Vista for a few items  We ate lunch at a Vietnamese Restaurant and the food is excellent. On the way back, we stopped at the new bridge over the San Pedro River. The river is flowing really hard after all the rain. People we talk to said they've never seen it run so hard ... aren't we lucky! lol

Here are some pictures Ray took of the San Pedro River.

The new bridge over the San Pedro River

The old bridge over the San Pedro River

 Here are a couple of my pictures with the cell phone.

Ray saw this monument in the parking lot so took a picture of it. "The Battle of the Bulls". When he got home he googled it thinking it was some battle. Too funny.

In November of 1846, the so-called Mormon Battalion encountered wild cattle along the banks of the San Pedro River. Aroused by the invaders, several bulls charged the column, tipping over wagons and killing two mules and injuring two soldiers. Stunned by the aggressive nature of the beasts, the soldiers loaded their rifles and charged the chargers, killing between 10 and 15 of the wild cattle. The soldiers sarcastically named the encounter the “Battle of the Bulls.”

In preparation for leaving tomorrow, once we were back home, Ray went and filled the gas up in the car and once that was done I had the two 20 lb propane tanks filled here at the park. Quite handy. I threw in the last load of laundry here in the park, so we are all done for the next 2 weeks. Finally at 4:30 I sat down to have a frosty beverage,  Ray asked about cellphone coverage, so I decided to check out Wheelin It's blog regarding Patagonia State Park, our next destination tomorrow. Their campsite reviews are quite extensive and if they fit then we know we do. I had reserved campsite #5 which was long enough. Imagine my surprise when I checked out their blog that #5 is really steep and although long enough there is no way a 40' bus could fit! Now what!

While I drove down the road to get cell coverage to cancel our reservation, Ray went into the office and booked for 3 more days here. With all of the rain, we were unable to see Bisbee or the Courthouse museum here, so that is our "new plan" for the next few days. I will end the blog here and start a new post.