TOMBSTONE, AZ

If any of you didn't know, we live about 20 minutes from Tombstone, AZ. Yup, the famous place where Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday fought the famous shootout in the OK Corral. It's a very small town now, but used to be a booming mining town back in the late 1800's.

My mom and dad came to visit a few weeks ago to bring the girls home from California (aren't they wonderful?). I realized that they had never been to Tombstone with us, including the girls. Every time Brian and I have taken guests, the girls have been gone out of town. So! we made the trip!

(Yup, the City Park is that tiny little block right behind them. Too funny.)

We tried talking ourselves out of going though. It was 95 degrees outside and the girls had no idea, had never heard of, Tombstone! So they weren't all that interested.

I just couldn't fathom that people, including my own kids, hadn't heard of "Tombstone". Who HASN'T seen the famous movies of that town? Who hasn't fallen in love with Val Kilmer as Doc Holliday and wished they had gone to the theater dressed in fun old Western gowns. I thought to myself that before we moved, the girls HAD to experience it, even if I had to drag them along.

Well guess what? They LOVED it. The first thing they said as they caught a glimpse of the main street was, "Mom, this town is like in the movies when they say (and they took on the low voice of a bad guy), 'This town isn't big enough for the two of us!' Right?" And then, "Mom, I LOVE this place. I want to come back again." (When we hadn't even begun our tour.)

There are only a few streets left of the original buildings (due to fires and floods), but the "OK Corral" is still there, as well as the "Birdcage Theater". It's the original theater with everything still in tact. One day, everyone just got up and left, card games still in motion immediately stopped, and the doors were closed. Many years later, someone bought the theater and left everything in its original place. It's very eery but super cool. Definitely a highlight of the trip.

The girls, at one point, stripped down to their bathing suits since it was so hot. Sorry if they look white trash. I just shrugged my shoulders. Whatever.

Can you tell that Spencer takes after me? We both turn immediately bright pink/red when we get too hot. I look quite funny when I'm exercising/working out. It's a bit embarrassing.

I won't bore you with too many pictures of all the sites and setups, but this next little setup was one the girls and I laughed at. It's a cowboy bathtub. They basically just sat their butt in it and their legs and everything were hanging out. Efficient I guess.

The girls reenacting their favorite quote. (the one I mentioned above). "This town isn't BIG enough for the both of us."

My little cowboy.

Grandpa bought everyone ice cream cones. Smart thinking dad! It cooled us all right down. Xanthe still needs to learn how to eat (look at the front of her bathing suit...the purple one).

Then some random guy (we later found out he was from the Harley Davidson store) came walking down the street with this parrot to show people. I'll admit...coming from California, I was a bit nervous he was some bum trying to peddle money. hahaha

Anyway, they were super girl. In the next picture, the parrot was "playing dead" after the guy had said, "Bang, you're dead!"

Seriously. How funny is this sign? Sorry, it's right in the middle of the parrot moment, but that's exactly when I took it. I was watching the girls and saw the sign right behind them.

The girls were fine with the parrot getting on their shoulder until the guy said the parrot might start playing and pecking at their ponytail. (He thinks it's another bird.)

So, that's our trip to Tombstone. I didn't get any pictures of the OK Corral this time around. We have quite a few already.

Tombstone is definitely a must for anyone who comes into town. For those of you who have visited me and we never made it over there...so sorry. We'll have to go in three years after our trip to Germany. And for those of you who haven't visited, and need more of an incentive... might I tempt you with more sites there, like the Guiness Book of World Records largest rosebush, or the Boothill Graveyard that houses graves of so many famous old Western people, and is said to be haunted. The town even has Twilight Ghost Tours where you visit all the places in town that have had reports of paranormal activity. Too cool. Come on out. (you might have to wait til 2012 though).