Nestled in the Arizona desert, Tombstone is a special place for history enthusiasts and Wild West aficionados alike. Its fame stems from real-life events like one of America's most infamous gunfights and its portrayal in iconic films like 1993's Tombstone. Established in 1879 by prospector Ed Schieffelin, Tombstone emerged as one of the final boomtowns …
Continue reading Tombstone, Arizona: The Town too Tough to Die.
As the final resting place of Wild West icons Wild Bill Hickok and Calamity Jane, Deadwood, South Dakota has rightfully earned its place in the United States' Frontier Gold Rush Hall of Fame. Established in 1876, the city earned its name from early settlers who discovered an abundance of dead wood in its surrounding valleys …
Continue reading Deadwood, South Dakota: Entertaining Guests Since 1876.
Despite lasting roughly only 30 seconds, the gunfight at the O.K. Corral propelled the establishment into Wild West infamy for all of eternity. Situated in the equally renowned Wild West town of Tombstone, Arizona, the O.K. Corral served as a livery and horse corral from 1879 to approximately 1888. It became the backdrop for one …
Continue reading The O.K. Corral: Site of the Wild West’s Most Infamous Gunfight.
Hands down my favorite part of Death Valley National Park, the Badwater Basin Salt Flat is a must-see for anyone visiting the park. Officially the lowest point in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level, it was once considered to be the lowest elevation in the entire Western Hemisphere. It is now …
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Ok, first things first: it's pronounced "Preskett" (press-skit). That’s how you say it in Arizona, and anyone who pronounces it the grammatically correct way (“Press-scott”) will be immediately outed as an obvious “you ain’t from around here”. You see, apparently, the town settlers wanted to sound as “western” as possible, so they purposely mispronounced the …
In the small(ish) town of Wickenburg, Arizona (population 7,695), sits an historic tree that was once used as the town’s jail - yes, really. In fact, “jail trees” were not uncommon during the Wild West days, especially in Arizona, as they cared little for the detainees’ comfort or wants. Instead of taking the time and …
Obviously not my photo 🤪 (from Google). As you can see, her nose was pretty average sized. Born Mary Katherine Horony, Big Nose Kate didn’t actually have a big nose. According to a nice older gentleman we met at her gravesite, she got that moniker from being a well-known gossiper who had her nose in …
Continue reading The Grave of Big Nose Kate: A Wild West Icon.
Officially the oldest bar and business still operating within the state of Arizona, the Palace Restaurant and Saloon does everything in its power to firmly hold onto its Wild West roots. It sits on Whiskey Row, in the heart of downtown Prescott (Prescott, Arizona: “Everybody’s Hometown”.) and is considered to be the most historic bar …
Continue reading The Palace Restaurant and Saloon: Step into a Wild West Time Machine.
Around 5 miles outside the teeny “town” of Glenwood, New Mexico, is an outdoor recreation area that is both family-friendly and super-duper cool. Located within the Gila National Forest (pronounced “hee-la”), it’s a super easy, approximately 2-mile in-and-out trail. The metal catwalk begins around .5 miles into the trail, which starts at the parking lot. …
Continue reading Glenwood, New Mexico: Catwalk Recreation Area.
Nestled deep within the Mogollon Mountains in western New Mexico, it was quite a feat getting to this once flourishing mining town. The tiny, former town of Mogollon sits approximately 12 miles from the nearest actual "town", Glenwood (population: 139), and only 3 miles of that is highway. The rest is a 9-mile precarious road, …
Continue reading Mogollon, New Mexico: One of the Wildest Mining Towns in the Wild West.