This historic day trip from Phoenix to Tombstone is like traveling back in time from a busy, modern urban metropolis to the days of the old Wild West. Here in The Town Too Tough To Die, hear the tales of debauchery and crime from this legendary frontier mining camp, where wooden buildings and dusty streets make it feel like it’s still 1880.
While wandering the streets full of damsels and outlaws, stroll past Big Nose Kate’s Saloon that was once the Grand Hotel, which was built in 1881 and owned by a woman who was rumored to be the girlfriend of the feared gunfighter Doc Holliday. Make a stop by the OK Corral and hear about the infamous shootout, which some have called the world’s most famous 30-second gunfight.
You’ll also see the Birdcage Theater, a strange combination of a theater, gambling parlor, saloon and brothel — the type of building that typified life in the old Wild West. At the Tombstone Historical Courthouse, see inside the home of Wyatt Earp and his gunfighting friend Doc Holliday, and travel up to Boot Hill Cemetery where famous frontiersmen are buried.
On the winding drive back north to Phoenix, stop outside Tucson for one of Arizona’s most popular Mission attractions: The White Dove of the Desert, Spanish-style Mission at San Xavier del Bac. The Catholic Mission was often referred to as 'the place where the water appears,' since the subterranean Santa Cruz River flows up to the surface nearby. After touring the historic Mission grounds, relax in comfort in the luxurious van as you enjoy the drive back to Phoenix with the earthy colors of the Sonoran desert racing just past your door.
