BackRoads: Tombstone Arizona

Tombstone, Arizona has an uncanny fascination about it. It truly is the icon of the old west. Merely hearing the name of the town too tough to die instantly conjures up a cornucopia of potent, familiar images that include Doc Holliday, bawdy saloons, Wyatt Earp, gunfights, Curly Bill, hanging judges, Boot Hill, and, of course, the infamous gunfight at the OK Corral. Hollywood moguls realized the powerful connotations of the town’s name when simply titling the movie with Kurt Russell, Val Kilmer, and Michael Biehn, Tombstone – which says it all. And the diligence and exuberant enthusiasm of Tombstone’s current residents have ensured that our two-wheeled horses take us to a place surprisingly similar to what the old hay-burners once carried and pulled strangers to visit.

Basically, all the action that is Tombstone today can be experienced by walking the length of historic Allen Street — both sides. Allen Street is just one block west of Highway 80, the road you’ll come to town on, and one block east of Toughnut Street. While hoofing it down Allen Street, you’ll pass by, or stop and visit, Big Nose Kate’s Saloon, The Crystal Palace, the OK Corral, and too many other fascinating locations to list. There are also some uniquely interesting shops along Allen. You can buy souvenirs of just about anything relative to Tombstone or the old west. Unusual gold and silver jewelry, as well as some fine arts, are also available – with the accent on rare and unusual Native American pieces.

One of the coolest things about Tombstone is that many of the shop owners, employees, and residents dress in exceptionally authentic period garb: circa late 1800’s. But they don’t just dress the part, many live it – or act it so well that I couldn’t tell the difference. Saloon floozies quickly sit down on your knee, wrap an arm around your neck and strike up conversations, while just outside two armed citizens start a dispute that doubtless will end in gunplay. Friendly, weathered, handlebar-mustached Marshals grace many street corners, and are as good with giving helpful directions and making conversation with kids as they are at quickly quelling minor disturbances caused by local riff-raff.

Many unique city-sponsored activities occur in Tombstone throughout the year. See the sidebar for details on how to find out about these unusual events – such as Wyatt Earp Days.

There are only a few ways to get to Tombstone, and they’re all good for riders. Using Tucson as a starting point, the fastest way is to head east on I-10 and take exit 303 South at Benson. This puts you on Highway 80, which is a smooth, very well maintained two-lane road running right into Tombstone. The whole ride is only about 85 miles, with roughly 26 miles on the two lane. It’s a very enjoyable ride. A mere ten miles outside of Tucson, unobstructed mountain and desert views will start to engulf you. The entire ride down 80 is bordered by some very unusually contoured mountain ranges, and some of the most awe-inspiring high desert plains in the world. Selected hilltop views make it clear to visitors how Geronimo and his band managed to evade over 15,000 Cavalry troops for so long.

My favorite ride to Tombstone from Tucson is through Nogales, Arizona – and this trail offers the attractive option of a quick jaunt into neighboring Nogales, Mexico. Nogales offers its visitors numerous restaurants, bars, and shops. If you want to buy some turquoise jewelry or Native American crafts, this side trip can be well worth the time.

The Nogales route is about 150 miles, but will take nearly 3½ hours because of towns, traffic, etc. Off of I-10 in Tucson, head south on I-19 until it ends, then go northeast (left) on N. West Street until you hit Elm, then turn right. Follow the signs for Business I-19, which is also Grand Avenue. When you get to highway 82 (Patagonia Highway), go east – all the way to Tombstone. By the way, the trip through Nogales will only take about 15 minutes, and traffic is usually very light on weekends. If you want to shop in Old Mexico, turn south at the end of I-19 and follow the signs to the border crossing, but expect more traffic in this direction. I’d suggest parking your steed (and locking it up) on the US side, and making the short walk across the border...

We hope that you enjoyed reading this excerpt from "Tombstone Arizona". If you would like to read the entire article and more, you can order a back issue of Jul / Aug 2004 where this article was originally published.

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