Wild, Wild West.

When I told my sister that I was coming to Tucson, she knew exactly what she was in for - a long weekend with a Grade A tourist. No matter where I go, I try to do any and everything that makes that place unique, whether it's an attraction, food, etc. In typical fashion, I did copious amounts of research before my trip out west and came armed with plans for every day.

I'm a complete sucker for all things history and movies, so our plan for my second day in Arizona was probably my favorite: Tombstone.

Before setting off on the hour-long journey to Tombstone, my sister and I went for breakfast at Little Anthony's Diner, a precious '50s-style diner near her apartment. By happy accident, the restaurant happened to be hosting an antique car show that day, so we checked out the sweet rides and took some hilarious pictures in front of the Gaslight Theater next door before eating.

The ride to Tombstone was about what you'd expect - lots of cacti, open sky, adobe buildings, and border patrol cars. Upon arrival, we parked in the overflow lot and made our way to Allen Street, the main drag in town. For me, it was love at first sight. Sure, Tombstone is a tourist trap, but the shtick is everywhere and it's pretty darn good. If it weren't for the occasional car driving by on the cross streets (Allen is a pedestrian- and horse-only thoroughfare), I absolutely would have felt transported back to the silver boom of the late 1800s. Costumed characters roam the streets, enticing tourists to come in for food, ghost tours, or mining trips. Horses pull stagecoaches past the famous Bird Cage Theater while the sound of distant gunfire rings out across the town.

I searched everywhere for Val Kilmer, but to no avail.





We did, however, find another Doc Holliday impersonator (as well as Wyatt, Virgil, and Morgan Earp) at the site of the O.K. Corral. After paying a small entrance fee ($10/person), we walked through a museum of sorts that included props from Tombstone (the movie), exhibits on life in the Old West, and explanations of the events leading up to the infamous Gunfight at the O.K. Corral. We watched a 30-minute reenactment of the shootout and I couldn't help myself - I had to get a picture with the actors.

By this point, it was really threatening to rain, so we stopped for lunch at Big Nose Kate's Saloon, which was originally the Grand Hotel built in 1881. (If you're curious, "Big Nose" Kate was a prostitute and Doc Holliday's girlfriend). The western decor and live music set the perfect saloon-like vibe in the place. Tombstone was playing on repeat and an older gentleman, who played both keyboard and saxophone, had us cracking up with his cussing and banter with the waitstaff between songs. When I asked our waiter if they had Dr. Pepper, he said, "Nope, but we have Doc Holliday," which ended up being the same thing. Denny and I both ordered their famous reuben and fries and it was honestly one of the best I've ever had.

After lunch, we made our way down a spiral staircase to the basement, where a vendor was selling ladies' period clothing. More interestingly, the basement, which is supposedly haunted, is home to the opening of a tunnel that an old miner dug into a nearby mineshaft back in the 1800s. Next, we stopped by the home of the Tombstone Epitaph, the most famous newspaper in the Old West, to collect our souvenir reprint of the 1881 paper that detailed the gunfight at the O.K. Corral. It was fascinating to hear the story of the founder and see original articles about the capture and death of Geronimo.

Sadly, the rain had become more of a storm by the time we left the Epitaph museum, so we decided to call it a day. I could have easily spent several more hours exploring the town and checking out Boothill Graveyard (where the three men who were killed at the O.K. Corral are buried). It's always nice to have a good excuse to go back, right?