Tucson (The Town Next To The "Town Too Tough To Die")

We spent some very pleasant days in Tucson.  The weather was really nice while we were there, and we were able to sit outside in the afternoons and evenings in the way that we have envisioned from the start of our adventure.  We can definitely see why many people have chosen to have a residence there.  We also enjoyed our space in the RV park.

The streets were wide, paved, and easily navigated.  Landscaping was of the typical southwest variety.  This particular park offers complimentary RV Driver Confidence Training classes to all who stay in the park.  SheM jumped on the opportunity.  Up to this point, she had not been behind the wheel of the rig at any time.  After the course, she drove the rig for about 45 miles during the next move; she will continue to relieve HeM on occasions when the route is easy--negotiating interstates in large cities is not on her list yet.

Saguaro National Park is easily accessible from Tucson.  We've not kept track of how much our Senior Pass to the National Parks has saved us thus far, but it's mounting with every stop we make.  The park is dedicated to preserving the saguaros, but truthfully, we saw more of this cactus outside the park, all around Arizona.  And many of them appeared to be in better health than those within the park.  In any case, they are impressive in their size and shape.  It takes 50 years for a saguaro to begin growing an arm.  After the first arm is grown, there's no correlation in years to additional arms.  The cactus in the picture below is likely older than HeM, which makes it even older than dirt, some may say.  (You know who you are.)

We made the drive to Tombstone -- the "Town Too Tough To Die".  The town prides itself on being able to survive after its initial industry of mining collapsed.  Embracing its notorious western history and making tourism the main industry, the town has indeed persevered.  Main Street has the look of an old western town, complete with characters roaming the streets in period dress.

We had lunch at the Crystal Palace Saloon which dates back to 1879.  Then, after buying a couple of hats, we moseyed down to the O.K. Corral.

The actual site of the famous gunfight is much smaller, and the exchange of gunfire was much shorter, than Hollywood has lead us to believe.  It's estimated that the entire fight lasted less than a minute rather than the 14+ minutes in the movie.

We visited Boothill Graveyard, of course.

The tombstones have been redone, and some are purposely more amusing than their originals.  The stroll through was worth a few minutes and a few pictures.

The last sightseeing we did in Tucson was to Old Tucson Studios just outside Tucson, the site of many western movies and TV western productions.  Many of the original buildings were lost to fires over the years, but have been rebuilt for this tourist attraction.

There is a locomotive onsite named The Reno.  It is a celebrity in its own right, evidenced by the sign in front of it, which states that its passengers have included the likes of Ulysses S. Grant, Theodore Roosevelt, John Wayne, James Stewart, Katherine Hepburn.  It has appeared in over 100 movies and TV shows, including Rawhide, The Twilight Zone, Wild Wild West, The Life and Times of Judge Roy Bean.

One of the highlights of our visit to Tucson was getting together with friends Susan and Dwight who have a home there.  We so enjoy seeing friends and relatives as we travel.  Also, being locals, they entertained us with some colorful insider Tucson facts and sights.  As mentioned at the beginning of this post, we do see the appeal of spending time here.  From Tucson we moved north to Mesa.