Off The Beaten Path

Sometimes you just have to get out of the house and off the beaten path.   Generally that means you are in for a  drive, but as long as my air conditioning is working, I'm down for a jaunt.  At least this time I had a half decent road to travel.

While checking out a map of the local area, I spotted a road between Tombstone and Sierra Vista.  Looking at satellite images, I saw two interesting locations.  Monument Road and Tombstone Monument Guest Ranch.  Hmmm ... must be SOMETHING out there!!

After my hot and sweaty visit to Tombstone, a nice drive with my AC blasting away sounded like a good thing.  That's how I accidentally found the current Tombstone Cemetery.  Past that, this was my view.

 There's nothing more inviting than a long dirt road to nowhere.  Curiously, a lot of these dirt roads just dead end.  I imagine they were wagon trails to someone's dream home, or possibly that million dollar mine.  Be careful here ... DO NOT ENTER WHEN FLOODED.

That's when I spotted THIS!  The Tombstone Monument Ranch.  Well this is weird, out in the middle of nowhere is a Dude Ranch.  It's a beauty from the looks of corrals full of cattle and horses.  I'll have to investigate that more.  I quickly checked ... they are having a special on rooms right now ... $92.00 a night.  I'm thinking that includes food, lodging and maybe a horseback ride.

That will be an investigation for another day.  Just up the road and off to the right, I found a little jewel in the desert.  Remember Ed Schieffelin who discovered silver here?  They told him as he wandered the desert in this direction, that all he would find was his tombstone.  Here's his iconic photo.

 

Well they were right in a way.  He started out at 17 years of age in Oregon, wandered through Idaho, Nevada, Death Valley, Colorado and New Mexico.  Eventually his wandering landed him in Camp Huachuca at the age of 30. 

 

Geronimo, Victorio and Cochise were his neighbors, having killed 22 men near the cabin he was working out of.   After finding a few pieces of silver ore in a wash, and with only 30 cents in his pocket, he persuaded a friend to file the mine claim paperwork for him.  He then proceeded to locate his brother who had the funds to start mining.  The rest is history.  He became a VERY rich man!!

One thing Ed did like was pictures.  He had LOTS of picture taken of himself ... can't hardly blame him.

 

After having accumulated over a million dollars from mine buying, working and selling, his REAL passion was the hunt.  He spent the rest of his life chasing the gold rush to every boom town in the West, including Alaska.  He finally married in 1883, building a mansion across the San Francisco Bay in Alameda.  

In 1897 he purchased a ranch in Rogue River Oregon where he prospected until his death.  He had a heart attack and died on the floor of his cabin.  He was buried nearby.  Later his family found out he wanted to be buried in his prospector garb with pick and canteen about three miles outside of Tombstone in the rocks he loved so much.

 

 

 He requested a tombstone that resembled what miners would build to mark their claims.  Sure enough, the family complied and here lies Ed Schieffellin.  Who knew? 

 

 

 There's lots more to the story, he died incredibly rich for that time, but never could give up the hunt.  His wife sold everything he left her (about half) and moved to New York.  

 

 It was rather interesting that I spotted something flitting about the monument.  Hey Ed ..... is that YOU?  I've no doubt it was.  This little cactus wren never left the side of the monument, but walked around the entire thing, following me with every step I took.  Watch out for snakes here ... it's very rocky, their favorite haunt.

Ed has a very nice view as I looked back towards Tombstone.  There's a picnic table here, the perfect spot to stop and smell the roses, or maybe the cactus.  

 

 That was a fun find, but it was getting late and time to hit the road for home.  You can't help but wonder about the early people who came here looking for riches.  I mean really, just walk around and kick a few rocks with one small canteen of water and little food to get a feel for Ed.  

Nope ... not going to happen.  I like exploring, but it's just too hot out.  Nowadays all the land is owned by someone anyway, and you're liable to get shot!!  Just don't go too far off the beaten path.