A Visit to Tombstone...Day Three and Four...

Thursday we planned a day in the car traveling through the countryside. While on the Good Enough Mine Tour, Forrest told us about an abandoned town they were starting to restore. We determined we would make a big loop of a drive so we could see this town and also go further south to find Cochise's Stronghold. It is a good thing we planned our trip this way. The night we arrived at the hotel, Claude stubbed his long toe on the little refrigerator. The next morning he awoke to a black and blue toe that was very swollen. He walked on it our entire day in Tombstone and really didn't need to walk on it another day. So a day in the car was quite in order. 

We left our hotel going north on Hwy 80 like we came into town. When we reached the intersection with Hwy 82 we turned left and followed it to Fairbank, Arizona. This is the abandoned town. Only a few buildings have been restored. There is a hiking path from the town to the cemetery and down to the San Pedro River and back around to the town. With Claude's toe, that was not happening. He was very gracious and said he would wait for me if I wanted to walk it. I assured him I didn't think doing that without another person with me was a good idea. And I was really happy seeing what we did and being together in the countryside. He sat on a park bench while I took a few pictures in the area we saw. The schoolhouse is really a museum but it is only open on the weekends. It would have been interesting to see the inside of it. The teacher's home was across the street. The other large building is the commercial center and would have housed the city jail, the city hall, and shopping. It was a pleasant stop in Fairbank and the fresh air was excellent.

This is the San Pedro River. An essential water source for all this very arid area. Water is precious in the high desert.

From Fairbank we got back on Hwy 82 till we found Hwy 90. This Highway took us north till it intersects with I-10. We stopped here. Our plan for the drive would have us spending a good bit of time in the country that might not have access to water or fuel. We decided to fill our car with gas and get bottles of water. We also had a quick burger and fries just in case we couldn't find any where to eat. Then we got in I-10 headed east. This would take us right by Hwy 80 to Tombstone. We continued east on I-10.

The landscape started to change to lots of huge boulders. About that time we came to a rest stop and Claude asked if he should pull in so I could take some pictures. Well Yeah!! So Claude pulled in and found a parking space. I took my camera and went for a walk. Such beautiful landscape. It was the Texas Canyon Rest Stop. We were looking at the Texas Canyon area. This is easily one of the prettiest rest stops I have ever visited. 

Back onto I-10 we drove east again until we got to Hwy 191 going south. This highway would take us south to Cochise's Stronghold. The first picture is from the dirt road to Cochise's Stronghold. We didn't get into the stronghold. There was construction on the road as you got to the base of the mountain. Would have been fun to get there. There is supposed to be a hiking area that you can take with markers telling you the story. Their are also drawings on the rocks. It was fun for me to see that the spot in the mountains I had been looking at since we arrived was indeed the place of Cochise's Stronghold. This is a lovely place in the mountain and the rocks are red and full of beautiful boulders. 

This is the dirt road going away from Cochise's Stronghold and back to Hwy 191. Amazing country. 

We saw several of these interesting rock formation on hills. They looked like stegosaurus plates. 

At the end of Hwy 191 you find this barrier. On the other side and down a bit is Mexico. We turned right on Hwy 80 going north toward Tombstone. 

As we drove north, we came to a town named Bisbee. There is an open pit copper mine. Didn't know that was there and it was a pleasant surprise to see. This is a non-functioning mine. There is a pull-off with places to take pictures along the fence and a covered area with descriptive markers. It was called the Lavendar Pit Copper Mine because it was named after a man whose last name was Lavendar. 

We drove on past the town of Bisbee, through the tunnel and out the other side. Down the highway till we eventually made it back to Tombstone. 

After about 300 miles, we went back to the hotel a rested for a little bit. Then we went back into Tombstone. We found China Mary's home to check out its museum of oddities. I will post one picture of an oddity. This guitar was made by a man in Kentucky who was in prison. It is completely made of toothpicks. That's right. All toothpicks. 

We went back to Longhorn Restaurant for dinner. It was...shall we say...entertaining. That was a couple old than us (I'm just sure of that) sitting at a table across the dining room. She was clearly not happy with him and she was chewing him a new one. He was taking it. I thought I was the only one that noticed it but I looked over at Claude and he too was aware of their increasing loud argument. It was pretty one-sided with her doing the brunt of the talking and assuring him how miserable his life would be if this and if that. I simply turned to my hubby after and extended period of listening to them that, if we ever needed to have a discussion like that, we should do our arguing in a more private place. Happy 50th Anniversary to us!!

To end our last evening in Tombstone I requested Claude take me back to our hotel to the gazebo in the back so we could watch the sunset. It was just lovely and a perfect end to our visit.

Friday morning we got to sleep in as check out was not until noon. We packed up and headed back to Tucson. We found a Chili's to have a nice meal at before we went on to the airport. Then we returned that lovely rental car and went inside to check our bags and find our gate. Our plane was on time and we were off for the return trip to Atlanta and then Lexington and then home.

This was a wonderful trip. A great change of pace for day-to-day life. A great celebration of our time together and the things we love to do together. I truly love this so much more that the big party things. Very happy we were able to do it.