Shades Of The Old Days

I'm not sure how everyone else fared with the hurricane that was predicted over Southern California ... sounds like the latest in catastrophic movies ... but we only got the normal little downpour, then nothing.  I was hoping to turn the sprinklers off!!  The critters must have thought something was up though.  The birds completely disappeared in the late afternoon.  That's usually a pretty good sign.

So here we are back in HOT Tombstone.  This little town lives at a higher elevation than I do, so I expected it to be cooler.  It was a good lesson in what the old west residents had to endure in their long dresses and six petticoats.  

The little town of Fairbank west of Tombstone was the railroad hub of the territory.  It had not one, but FOUR railroad companies vying for the mining business.  In 1882, a two mile graded right of way was constructed heading east towards Tombstone, but no tracks were laid.  The parent company, the Atchison Topeka and Santa Fe, decided to abandon it.

In 1902, the El Paso and Southeastern Railway built a branch line to Tombstone on the same right of way, finally bringing train transportation to the area.  On April 12, 1903, the first train lumbered into town to this station.  When the mines slowed down and cars became affordable, the railroad shut down the station.  In 1961 they donated it to the City of Tombstone, who turned it into the first permanent Library.  The children named it The Reading Station.

A little further down and around the corner, you will find the Longhorn Restaurant.  There is one thing to note about walking the streets of Tombstone in summer.  Even if you go inside, you're not going to be very cool.  Most buildings don't have great air conditioning and many just have swamp coolers, making it muggy with high humidity.  I digress .....

I've told this story before, but I love the early pictures, so I'm retelling it.  On December 28, 1881, while Virgil Earp was crossing 5th Street, he was shot down like a dog.  Assassins were hiding in the new Myers Brothers Clothing building, still under construction.  He was severely wounded and lost the use of one arm, but survived.  They fired from the second story windows to the far left.

With such a bloody reputation, it soon became a saloon named Buckets of Blood.  I admit, there is no absolute proof that this was the building, but it makes for a good story.  There were buckets of blood on the floor from shootouts.  I'm going with it.

In 1909 it was remodeled into the Owl Cafe and Tourist Hotel.  It doesn't exactly look like it would be my first hotel choice but there are cars there, so someone liked it.  The building almost burned down when the Tourist Cafe operator returned to his room to find it on fire, probably lit by a cigarette he left behind.  Luckily, he was able to put the fire out.  This was their business card.  It's the perfect tourist draw, right?

There was another small fire in 1930, and finally in 1942, it burned to the ground.  The corner was left empty for over ten years, when Joe Rossi built an Italian restaurant and small hotel on the spot.

A little more remodeling and voila!!!  They added a top story to restore the building to its prior elegance.  They've got good food and serve big portions if you're hungry.

DETOUR ... I cannot lie ... I'm all about ice cream.  There is one tiny store on Fourth Street that I never pass up.  They have the best tasty cold treat!  This is my favorite butter pecan.  Eat it fast or it will melt.  I sat on the boardwalk and savored every bite.

Next, across the street, I popped in to Arlene's to take advantage of the shade.  You don't usually see much NEW in Tombstone, but this was one eye catching exception.  A new artist is carving and firing pottery.

They are absolutely amazing in person.  Sorry, I didn't get the artists name, nor did I ask the price.  I know when it's beyond my means!!

And of course on my little walking tour when it was now 103 degrees and I was sweating like one of my horses after chasing a runaway cow, I grabbed a picture of the Birdcage Theatre.  I no longer pay to walk through in search of Madam Ghosts or gold bearing miners, as it seems the better portion of the most interesting memorabilia has been sold off.  So sad to see this happen.  BUT the atmosphere is still there, and if you've never been inside, it is definitely worth seeing at least once.  Yes, you do exit through the gift shop amid copious pictures of the "ladies" who worked there in the old days.

What I was REALLY after was the new bakery in the back of the Tombstone Antique Mall located on Fremont Street.  Park on the side street, walk in the door and head straight to the very back.  You will find Jane's Coffee Cafe and Bakery.  She's a very nice gal who is trying out a new business.  I like nothing better than donating to such a cause, especially when it involves pastries.

I'm not a fan of brownies, but that MINT brownie was pretty tasty.  As for the cannoli ... OH YEAH!!!  It was delicious!!  The lemon pastry was eaten two days later, but it was still worth the effort to find it.  She had cookies and even cakes in the cold case.  If you get a chance, stop in and support a very nice lady making tasty treats.  They also serve breakfast and lunch.

Finally ... back to my AIR CONDITIONED truck.  It was a nice ride heading over the mountains, in spite of the black cloud I drove through.  It is rather disconcerting when you see rivers of water running down the side of the road.  Just before my turn off, I had to drive through this one too.  It's okay, my truck needed a good wash.

It was a perfect getaway for the day and Mr. Cooper was very happy to meet me at the door.  We are supposed to be inundated with eight days of thunderstorms, but we shall see.  For now, it's time to grab my camera and capture the morning sunrise.