Next stop....Tombstone!

Saturday, March 31st.  It's sunny again, in the mid-80's, a beautiful day for a short trip.  We stayed in Huachuca City just off Rt 10.  Sunday, we drove into Tombstone and took the trolley tour to learn about this historic town.  Wyatt Earp, gunfight at the O.K. Corral, Boot Hill.  Lunch was at Big Nose Kate's Saloon, once the Grand Hotel (when the town was a thriving silver-mining town).  Big Nose Kate was Doc Holliday's girlfriend.  The boom in Tombstone lasted less than ten years, but it's known as "the town that wouldn't die." 

Big Nose Kate's Saloon

We drove south to Douglas on the Mexican border.  It was interesting to see the wall that separates the two countries.  They're currently building a second wall about 12 ft from the first wall to better deter the Mexicans from climbing over.  
  

Border walls

The dark brown was the first wall (it's higher), then there's a cement culvert, and then the tan colored wall is the new one they're building.








We walked through the grand Gadsden Hotel which was built in 1907.  At that time, it was built with the best materials...reinforced steel, concrete, copper plumbing. 



An authentic Tiffany stained glass mural extends 42 ft. across one wall of the massive mezzanine.  Vaulted stained glass skylights run the full length of the lobby.  The staircase is set with solid white Italian marble and it has four huge marble columns; it's so beautiful.  

Copper Queen Hotel

In the afternoon, we toured Bisbee, home of one of the richest mineral mines in the world producing gold, copper and silver.  By the early 1900's, Bisbee was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco.  Many of the original buildings have been preserved or restored, including the grand Copper Queen Hotel.  The town thrived until the mid 1970's.  As the mining employees left, many artists and "free-spirits" found the town an attractive place to live.  Many of the buildings now house quaint shops and galleries.

We enjoyed lunch at the Bisbee Breakfast Club, a cute cafe' at the edge of town; great food and atmosphere.  Later, we stopped at the Copper Queen Mine (but didn't take the tour...90 ft down into the mine...no way!)    Keith and I both decided that we'd like to see more of this quaint town in the future.

Copper Queen Mine

  be one of the richest mineral sites in the world, producOnce known as “the Queen of the Copper Camps”, this Old

Bisbee Breakfast Club

Brewery Saloon

On the "Hippie" side of town

 West mining camp proved to bve one of the richest mineral sites in the world, producing nearly three million ounces of gold and more than eight billion pounds of copper, not to mention the silver, lead and zinc that came from these rich Mule Mountains. By the early 1900s, the Bisbee community was the largest city between St. Louis and San FranciscoOnce known as “the Queen of the Copper Camps”, this Old West mining camp proved to be one of the richest mineral sites in the world, producing nearly three million ounces of gold and more than eight billion pounds of copper, not to mention the silver, lead and zinc that came from these rich Mule Mountains. By the early 1900s, the Bisbee community was the largest city between St. Louis and San Franciscoing nearly three million ounces of gold and more than eight billion pounds of copper, not to mention the silver, lead and zinc that came from these rich Mule Mountains. By the early 1900s, the Bisbee community was the largest city between St. Louis and San Francisco