This is the first installment of a series devoted to the hubs and I’s USA Road Trip! In honor of our TENTH anniversary, we couldn’t think of a better way to spend it – seeing a large part of America, and knocking some things off the bucket list. It is my hope that you find this information not only entertaining, but useful in planning a road trip of your own! My husband and I always would say, “I can’t wait to go to Italy!” Then we realized that there are many things in our homeland that we haven’t seen that are spectacular and/or full of history.
Join me, won’t you? We will rest our heads in El Paso, Texas, but our first stop is Tombstone, Arizona!
Coming from Southern California, the landscape doesn’t change too much, though I noticed that things were a bit – cleaner. The air was clearer, it was HOT, but dry, the clouds provided a sharp contrast against the true-blue sky.
Along the way, we stopped at the best date shake shack on the planet (sorry Palm Springs)!
Finally, after hours of driving – some of which was right next to the Mexico border, we arrive at Boothill Graveyard in Tombstone. What a weird, yet cool place! It’s a real graveyard, even though it may look questionable. Every one who died in Tombstone was taken to Boothill Graveyard via the Black Moriah. Sounds creepy, eh? The Black Moriah was a gold-trimmed hearse drawn by horses. It’s on display at The Bird Cage Theatre, which has a creepy history of its own!
Our time in Tombstone was short, but we managed to put around in the gift shop of the O.K. Corral, and moseyed into the Crystal Palace Saloon for a snort of whiskey. Isn’t it obligatory to pony up to the local bar in a western town, and demand a whiskey-drink? After our libation, we stroll around town and mingle with the law men, and eventually end up at the Bird Cage Theatre.
We enter to a small welcome room and a tour guide giving her spiel. The place is haunted. I have never been in a legitimate haunted establishment before, so I was freaked out a bit. Then we discovered there was a self-guided tour to the rest of the place, so we jumped on it!
One of the employees stressed that we must take a lot of pictures of ourselves. Since the place is so haunted, it’s not uncommon to catch something on camera. We take our time walking through the building, and taking in it’s original paint and wallpaper, original poker tables, stage, and, well everything! Leave it to the foodie to get excited about an old lemon squeezer!
Do you see that green thing on the hubs back?! I don’t know how it could have gotten there. I’ll let you decide whether it’s a spirit or not. Spoooooky!
Before long we were back on the road, headed to Old Bisbee Brewing Company.
What a great town, with equally great people. We even met the head brewer, Paul, while we were enjoying our flight. He ended up giving us the brewery tour! It’s not too big of a place, the taproom seats about 15 comfortably, with an industrial-style bar, and a few two-top pub tables. You walk upstairs to a beautiful patio with tables and umbrellas. They have a grill off to the side, which leads me to believe that they host barbeques. Score! They don’t have a kitchen, but they do serve up some brats and potato chips.
We didn’t linger for long at Old Bisbee Brewing Company for too long, after all we had to make it to El Paso at some kind of decent hour. I had researched this vegan coffee shop called Whyld Ass Coffee Shop. The owners were great, and the food and coffee were fantastic! It is owned by a husband and husband team, Keith and Ryan, and they specialize in special dietary needs. Everything is organic, some of their dishes are raw, and the baked goodies are often gluten free. They always have something new and exciting on the menu!
The hubs and I both got coffees, to which we applied real maple syrup and honey along with a good selection of nut creamers. We got two different sandwiches, and two different sides, all of which were vegan, and equally delicious! Don’t even get me started on the gluten free chocolate chip cookie! So dang good!
Sadly we had to get moving, but we grew to really love Bisbee in the short time we were there. We even talked about it becoming our retirement town!
Stay tuned for the next adventure!
Check out this little map to get your bearings:
View Tombstone and Bisbee in a larger map
Here are the links to all the places we visited for your convenience!
- Dateland Travel Center
- Boothill Graveyard
- O.K. Corral
- Crystal Palace Saloon
- The Bird Cage Theatre
- Old Bisbee Brewing Company
- WHyld ASS Coffee Shop
Gallery
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- Sunrise on the Salton Sea
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- Pavement Ends
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- No Tresspassing at dawn
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- Dateland Date Farm – where they have the best shakes!
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- Boothill Graveyard, Tombstone, AZ
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- O.K. Corral, Tombstone, AZ
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- Hangin’ with the Tombstone Lawmen
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- Streets of Tombstone
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- Bird Cage Theatre, Tombstone, AZ
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- Longhorn Taxidermy at the Bird Cage Theatre, Tombstone, AZ
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- Fatima (later known as Little Egypt) The original painting of Fatima, who was an Oriental Belly Dancer, she played the Bird Cage in 1881. This was a gift from her to the Bird Cage to hang in the bar. It has hung in this spot since 1882.
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- Old cash register in the Bird Cage Theatre
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- The interior of the Bird Cage theatre. The ladies of the night would entertain their guests in the cribs that were suspended from the ceiling.
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- Interior of the Bird Cage Theatre.
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- Two of the cribs where the ladies would entertain their male clients.
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- Old fashioned lemon squeeze!
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- Old safe
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- Old Letterpress
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- The guides encouraged us to take a lot of pictures of ourselves on the tour, as the place is known to be very haunted. See the green “orb” on the hubs’ back. Could it be a spirit?
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- Bird Cage Theatre
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- Bird Cage Theatre
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- The original faro table where Doc Holliday played and dealt Faro. Doc Holliday and Johnny Ringo had their famous duel between the Faro Table and the Grand Piano.
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- Old artifacts from the 1800’s
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- Old artifacts from the 1800’s
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- The Earps.
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- Old artifacts from the 1800’s
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- The Black Moriah transported all but 6 of the people laid to rest in Boothill Graveyard.
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- The Black Moriah
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- The card table where the longest poker tournament was played.
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- These tables are in the same spot as they were when the Bird Cage Theatre closed its doors in 1889
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- Bird Cage Theatre
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- Tombstone, AZ
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- Tombstone, AZ
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- This is my “OOOoo they have OLIVE OIL?!” face.
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- Horse drawn tours in Tombstone, AZ.
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- Horse drawn tours in Tombstone, AZ.
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- It’s TOTALLY a trap!!
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- Old Bisbee Brewing Company, Bisbee, AZ
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- Flight of the goodies at Old Bisbee Brewing Company
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- Old Bisbee Brewing Company tour by their head brewer, Paul Freistedt.
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- Old Bisbee Brewing Company tour by their head brewer, Paul Freistedt.
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- Old Bisbee Brewing Company tour by their head brewer, Paul Freistedt.
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- The streets of Bisbee, AZ
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- Local street art in front of the Whyld Ass Coffee Shop
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- Whyld Ass Coffee Shop store front
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- Whyld Ass Coffee Shop store front
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- The beautiful Arizona desert
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- We’re in New Mexico!
Follow the links to experience the entire USA Road Trip!
USA Road Trip #1: Tombstone & Bisbee, Arizona
USA Road Trip #2: Odessa, Texas
USA Road Trip #3: Austin, Texas
USA Road Trip #4: Fort Worth, Texas
USA Road Trip #5: Oklahoma City, Oklahoma; Denver & Boulder, Colorado
USA Road Trip #6: Yellowstone
0.o Tombstone!! I love their pizzas.
Did you get to see the funny worded grave stones?
The best road trip of my life! I love the new galleries on your site, Devil!
Awesome photos!
Wow!
Now I feel like I’ve been to Tombstone, AZ!! Very good documentary, interesting pictures!
Can’t wait to see and experience the rest of your trip…..
Now this is a very cool road trip! Of course you had me hooked at the “Old Bisbee Brewing Company”, great round of samplers there!
Gary
This looks like heaps of fun. I would love to go to Tombstone. What a cool way to celebrate 10 years. Can’t wait to read the next installment.
I love a good road trip, especially through the west. I’m looking forward to your other installments!
Road trips rule. Love them and all the things you stumble on. There are so many places in the U.S. to visit – can’t wait to read about all the places you go. If you haven’t been to Jerome, AZ you should put it on your list.