Tombstone: Guns and Cowboy boots

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Tombstone

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A scenic route to the Southeastern part of Arizona leads to the 'historic' (19th century imitation is considered old in these parts) town of Tombstone. The main street of the small town is completely transformed into the Old West, where men and women in costumes greet you with 'hi there, folks' and where you can almost see the hay whirling round the streets and hear the Ennio Morricone tunes in the wind. The horse and carriage standing ready is just the finishing touch.

The big attraction of the town is the reenactment of the famous gunfight in the O.K. Corral, where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday fought the semi-outlaw group of Cowboys in 1881. Even though these names didn't ring a bell in our European ears, this apparently is the most famous shootout in the history of the American Wild West. The story goes that at exactely 3 p.m. on October 26th thirty shots where fired in thirty seconds and it came to represent the 'wild' in wild west, and gave the American frontier it's image. So three times a day a group of actors do it all over again ( for 10 bucks a person ) with a lot of loud bangs and a good sense of humor.

Other than the gunfight there is a street full of shops and saloons. Nice if you've always wanted to buy those leather boots, jackets or the famous American cowboy hat. And if you don't like shopping, you can always hop on the carriage for a guided tour around town.

So when you are near Tucson, make sure to not skip the 'old' town of Tombstone for a beer in Big Nose Kate's Saloon and a good old gunfight!