Southern Arizona

The next morning we thought we'd head down to the Airplane Graveyard, which we never did find. Admittedly we didn’t look very hard. We did go to Tombstone, Arizona and wandered in during Wyatt Earp Days. Mock gunfights in the road, wooden sidewalks, authentic costumes and sawdust on the saloon floor all lent to the old west feel of the place. 

At Big Nose Kate’s Saloon where we had lunch, we were seated at a table that was already in use. The occupants were standing in line to have their authentic old west picture taken (for a nominal fee of $30) and their waitress thought they had left. Fortunately, there was a kindly young Asian family that offered us the use of their two empty seats. 

For those of you like me who are not up to date on Tombstone’s history, Big Nose Kate was Doc Holliday’s girlfriend. She ran a saloon and hotel, though we all know what the hotel was used for. Waitresses wore typical garb of a very uncomfortable looking corset, frilly skirt and boots. 

yee haw

Tombstone, Arizona. More info HERE

We then drove through the nastiest Indian Reservation we've ever seen on our way to Organ Pipe Cactus National Monument in southwestern Arizona, but after seeing Saguaro cactus for 50 miles along the roadway, we thought it might be anti-climactic and so changed our course.

Tall and spikey, just like organ pipes, well except for the spikes

Saguaro Cactus in Tohono O’Odham Indian Reservation, Arizona

 
The most notable thing about that Reservation was that the roadside was grossly littered with empty beer bottles. Along 50 miles of straight flat roadway we saw not 10 consecutive feet of land that wasn’t full of discarded bottles. There were also a lot of skid marks and memorial cross markers along the roadside, it appears as if drinking and driving is a major pastime. We were happy to leave the reservation behind and go to Phoenix, aptly named as it is located just five miles south of the sun. 

back to the map
 

 

Florida Road trip, American Road trip, touring the USA, American National Parks, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Grand Tetons, Lake Tahoe, Redwood Forest, Boston, Washington State, Mount Rainer, Yellowstone, Lake Powell, Las Vegas, New York, Montana, Road Trip America.