Arizona – French Ethereal

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Apple Chancery"; panose-1:3 2 7 2 4 5 6 6 5 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-2147483545 3 0 0 499 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Chaparral Pro Light Ital"; panose-1:2 6 4 3 3 5 5 9 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:7 1 0 0 147 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

My husband and I spent two days exploring the town of Tombstone, Arizona and got to see the wonderful flavor and history of this Old West town that was known for its silver mining and cattle industries, saloons and bathhouses for miners and cowhands to blow off some steam in, and the occasional gunfight and lawlessness of which the West is best known…

A picture within a picture ~ the county courthouse in the background

A bit of Allen Street ~ where reenactors pace the street and “madams” and barkeeps still ply their wares drawing in today’s customers for food and drink.

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:1 134676480 16 0 131072 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Chaparral Pro Light Ital"; panose-1:2 6 4 3 3 5 5 9 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:7 1 0 0 147 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

Our first day we visited the County Courthouse where many a man was tried for his cattle rustling and disorderly conduct (think gunfights here). The courthouse houses an in-depth overview of the city and surrounding area’s history through hundreds of photographs and placards telling the stories of Tombstone. Amazingly, the main part of the town’s history really occurred over a span of a few short years ~ roughly from 1879 – 1886 ~ before the silver mines tapped-out.

“Built in 1882 in the shape of a Roman cross, the two-story Victorian structure once housed the offices of the sheriff, recorder, treasurer, board of supervisors, jail, and courtrooms of Cochise County. Today, the 12,000 square foot courthouse is a museum filled with the glitter and guns of those who tamed the territory.” ~ Arizona State Parks: Tombstone Courthouse website, http://azstateparks.com/Parks/TOCO

The roller shade curtain-pull was eerily reminiscent of the gallows below ~ definitely ugly!

A nice display of the many types of barbed wire created to house livestock.

<!– /* Font Definitions */ @font-face {font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-font-charset:78; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1791491579 18 0 131231 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Cambria Math"; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1107305727 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:Cambria; panose-1:2 4 5 3 5 4 6 3 2 4; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:-536870145 1073743103 0 0 415 0;} @font-face {font-family:"Chaparral Pro Light Ital"; panose-1:2 6 4 3 3 5 5 9 2 3; mso-font-charset:0; mso-generic-font-family:auto; mso-font-pitch:variable; mso-font-signature:7 1 0 0 147 0;} /* Style Definitions */ p.MsoNormal, li.MsoNormal, div.MsoNormal {mso-style-unhide:no; mso-style-qformat:yes; mso-style-parent:""; margin:0in; margin-bottom:.0001pt; mso-pagination:widow-orphan; font-size:12.0pt; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} .MsoChpDefault {mso-style-type:export-only; mso-default-props:yes; font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-font-family:Cambria; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-fareast-font-family:"ＭＳ明朝"; mso-fareast-theme-font:minor-fareast; mso-hansi-font-family:Cambria; mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family:"Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;} @page WordSection1 {size:8.5in 11.0in; margin:1.0in 1.25in 1.0in 1.25in; mso-header-margin:.5in; mso-footer-margin:.5in; mso-paper-source:0;} div.WordSection1 {page:WordSection1;}

Some of the good of the city were the softer things found ~ pictures of the families who came to stay in Tombstone and tried to make a living there apart from the “sinful” side of the town’s life. Cattle ranchers and hotel owners, school children, seamstresses and laundresses were also a part of Tombstone life and their memories are immortalized here in the courthouse displays.

A westerly window view ~ a lovely garden of a neighboring

Victorian home just outside the courthouse.

Lovely creamware and tea leaf ironstone china pieces

(bottom shelf) along with other tea set patterns ~ lefthand photograph.

A girl’s playthings ~ an early stuffed bear, Kewpie doll and miniature tea set pieces along with miniature silver serving pieces.

Our second day’s visit was all about the gunfight at the OK Corral. Reenactors dressed as the Earp or Clanton clans stand out on Allen Street inviting tourists to come see the famous gunfight as it happened in the now-enclosed OK Corral. This was definitely the Bad of our visit! Guests are invited to participate by booing for the bad guys and cheering for the good as actors enter or leave each scene ~ a fun show with lots of guns firing off! There are plenty of fun things for families to do afterwards from seeing real horse pens, old saddles and tack; to visiting a working blacksmith’s shop where horseshoes can be punched with loved ones’ names for purchase along with other available iron items; and surreys and wagons can be climbed into and “ridden.” Everyone can also try his or her hand at roping “cattle” inside the corral, too, which is harder than it looks. Inside the store, real 1880’s Winchester rifles and paraphernalia are on display and books and souvenirs can be bought. Tickets to the gunfight show include a short movie about the OK Corral gunfight narrated by Vincent Price as well as entrance to the Tombstone Epitaph newspaper company and museum, which is just opposite around the city block.

“Now just hold on a minute! Just put down your guns!”

And, you know the rest of the story!

And when the dust settled our actors got up,

bowed to the crowd, and quietly exited the stage.

–>

We highly recommend Tombstone as a place to visit!

Tombstone’s Boot Hill

was my previous post.

Loads of history, fun exhibits and adventure

in this here town!

Next time I’ll share about touring the

Good Enough silver mine

and

I am also cooking up a post about the

buildings and architecture

found here.

Thanks for visiting and please do

sign up and share!

Blessings to you,

Barb -]:)

Sharing with

Feathered Nest Friday ~ French Country Cottage

#BloggingFifty ~ Facebook

Uncategorized

Places to Camp ~ Tombstone RV Park

November 8, 2016June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Camping in the wilds of

Tombstone, Arizona

has met its match

here at this RV Park and Campground…

Tombstone RV Park and Campground

1475 Highway 80

Tombstone, AZ 85638

520-457-3829

Please call for reservations and pricing

Taming Tombstone, at least when it comes to camping, Tombstone RV Park and Campground is just that with well~maintained grounds taken care of by three full-time camp hosts and staff who are a delight! When you arrive, drivers guide you to your site on four-wheelers or golf carts and are nice enough to help even after the closing-hour of 6 p.m. The camp’s laundry is open 24-hours, a nice change from what we were used to at our former location! I used it the night we pulled in and it was clean and only $1.25/wash or dry. Dryers run for 30 minutes so you may need to add a second dry for heavier loads. There is a play area for children with swings and two horseshoe pits, as well as a recreation area inside the main building.

Roads are quiet and dust-free with pea gravel keeping the desert dust in check. Split-rail fencing and solar lights help keep the peace between camping neighbors as well as keeping with the western ambiance. There is a play area for children with swings and two horseshoe pits, as well as a recreation area inside the main building. The heated pool is also available and is open year-round. A special fenced area for dogs to play in and “use the facilities” in is up near the office, too.

Camping cabins are available for those who don’t own a tent or RV

but wish to come in and enjoy the camp.

Tombstones marking each campsite are one of the sweet highlights of this RV park! There is also a corral and a small riding area ~ so bring your horses! Beware tho ~ rattlesnakes are an ever-present possibility and signs are posted warning about this very thing. Also, don’t leave your cats or dogs outside alone, especially at night. Coyotes come through every night…

We found Tombstone RV Park and Campground to be a wonderful place to camp. Everyone staying the weekend we were there were courteous and friendly. Everyone was willing to visit and share stories about Tombstone. Snowbirds and long-term residents enjoy the peace and price of the park, and when long-term stays open up each year, people are fighting and dueling to get-in!

No wonder this place gets

so many good reviews!

Well, I hope you’ve enjoyed this little review

Tombstone RV Park and Campground!

It truly was a

wonderful place to stay!

I’ll be sharing about the next RV parks

we stay at soon…

For now, we are “on the road again…”

😉

Blessings to you,

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Tombstone’s Boot Hill ~ A Serene Cemetery With a Past…

November 7, 2016June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Tombstone, AZ’s Boot Hill Cemetery

is the final “home” for various

notorious inhabitants

however

there is much more to this cemetery…

For sure, seven of Tombstone’s early 1880’s residents were hanged for their crimes. Others were shot dead, of course, at the OK Corral gunfight and during other lesser known fights. There were skirmishes between residents and the local Apache tribes but not as many as one might think. There were also cattle rustling operations going on and stagecoach robberies where bandits were looking for the ultimate prize ~ silver ingots mined from the silver mines in and around the Tombstone area.

Here lies Billy Clanton, and brothers Tom and Frank McLaury killed in the OK Corral incident. Billy Clanton is buried, here, just to the right of his notorious father, Newman Haynes “Old Man” Clanton. The Clantons had a successful cattle ranching business but never registered a cattle brand with Cochise County {where Tombstone is located} and were known to have been rustling cattle from Mexican ranches on the other side of the Arizona/Sonoran border. The McLaurys were hired hands at their ranch. For more information about Old Man Clanton and his family, see Newman Haynes Clanton. Information for this section gained from this article on Wikipedia.

Mrs. Stump is the woman who is buried in this ornate iron mausoleum. Some women and I discussed why her grave was thusly decorated.

After finding her name in the little $3.00 pamphlet I had purchased at the Boot Hill Cemetery entrance, we learned that Mrs. Stump passed in childbirth. Perhaps her death was forever immortalized by a loving husband and family in this “crib” surrounding and protecting her and her baby…

There are seven rows and their inhabitants are listed if their names were known. Graves are remarked as gravemarkers deteriorate. Looking at all of the desert plant life thriving among the buried dead here at Boot Hill, the cemetery houses a wonderful xeriscape garden with a wide variety of native plants from pipe organ cactus to creosote bushes which grow everywhere around Tombstone.

One of the women I met at the cemetery told me a story: the oil harvested from the creosote bush was used to oil and lubricate railroad ties back in the 1800’s. There are a couple of distillations of creosote oils which were used to treat wood and are now considered toxic, but back in the day it was a useful substance.

She also shared that when you crush the leaves and smell your hand, creosote has a lovely scent! We decided it would make a lovely perfume {if it weren’t so toxic}. I remembered the story of Moses and the Burning Bush. The creosote bush was probably the Biblical plant that would catch on fire but wouldn’t burn up that God spoke through to Moses.

It was evening time and the light cast on these cairn graves was beautiful. Each stone, marker and cross glowed in the evening’s God~light. Perhaps this is why the Jewish people originally buried their dead up on this hill ~ which leads me to the photograph at the beginning of this blog post.

In an article written by Eileen R. Warshaw, PH.D., titled What Became of the Jews of Tombstone?, Ms. Warshaw writes about the many Jewish settlers and merchants who lived in Tombstone back when this area was first used as a cemetery. Town records were lost in two fires; however, newspaper articles state that two Jewish men may be buried here: Mr. Rosenthal and Mr. M. M. Steinthal. There are a number of graves which have no names as they were lost to time or were originally {or intentionally} unmarked. For more information, please refer to her article. I was unable to link to it due to this program’s limitations. Please find her article at: http://azjewishlife.com/what-became-jews-tombstone/.

This top photograph shows the standing marker for The Jewish Cemetery and Memorial and I was moved by the stones visitors have placed on its top spar. Do you know the significance of this? If you have seen the movie Schindler’s List, about Nazi wartime Germany and how Oskar Schindler helped save hundreds of Jews whom had worked for him in his factory, then you already know part of the story.

Rocks are placed on top of graves of Jewish people who have died as a symbol of permanence ~ of memory ~ that their souls will be remembered. In Jewish custom, flowers fade just as life, so flowers are hardly ever put on a Jewish grave. Instead, rocks have permanence and never will fade; therefore, they are placed upon a loved one’s grave as a symbol of remembrance. A beautiful, beautiful custom ~ one that is sooo endearing to this author!

So just how did Boot Hill Cemetery gets its name? From the saying of how a lot of the inhabitants DID die: They died with their boots on. This final photograph shows the glorious commanding view from Boot Hill across the San Pedro Valley to the Dragoon Mountains. A peaceful and serene final resting place for everyone buried here, beneath their rocks of permanence…

I’ll be writing more about our visit to

Tombstone over the coming days.

Please leave a comment as I’d love

to hear your thoughts about this and other posts,

and do

check back for further posts.

🙂

We will be traveling the next three days

so I hope to get some more

posts up for you

when I have down~time.

Sharing with

Blogging Fifty ~ Facebook

Create Link Inspire ~ The Crafty Blog Stalker

WOW Us Wednesdays ~ Savvy Southern Style

Feathered Nest Fridays ~ French Country Cottage

Blessings to you,

Uncategorized

Places to Camp ~ Mayflower Park, California

November 6, 2016June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Mayflower County Park and Campground along the Colorado River

Today I’m reviewing
Mayflower Park and Campground
in Blythe, California
for you!
Come along as we travel across the states
with our move to Texas!

The day use area with some tent camping spots beyond

Mayflower Park

4980 Colorado River Road

Blythe, CA 92225

**** 4.1 stars/5 per reviews {I agree!}

Call a minimum of 24 hours ahead for

reservations ~ 1-800-234-PARK (7275)

Mayflower Park and Campground is part of the Riverside County Parks system and is a hidden jewel of a campground. Right on the Colorado river with a boat marina providing access for canoes, kayaks and fishing boats, it couldn’t be easier to float, paddle or motor your way up or downriver. There are fees for fishing and launching of watercraft payable at the main kiosk as you enter the park.

The campground itself has 152 roomy RV sites (140 water and electric RV sites ~ with a separate dump station available for use as you leave the park; 12 full hook~up sites) and another 27 additional dry tent camping sites available to campers. We arrived just after dusk so mosquitoes were out. Keep that in mind if you come in the fall before the cold kills them off and bring plenty of bug repellant for the evening time. A good campfire will help ward off insects, too.

By morning, though, the pests were replaced with just lovely cool fall weather and the pleasant smell of freshly-cut alfalfa breezing in from nearby farm fields. I took this bug-free opportunity to check out the river while walking my dog and spotted small bass and trout looking for their morning feed in the cobblestones lining the launch ramp.

A gentle slope affords people with walking limitations easy access without fear of falling. Grooves in the pavement help prevent slipping. My knees are beat up from old sports injuries and I found it easy to walk down and back up.

Tiny schools of fish swim near the water’s surface enjoying the morning sunshine’s warmth.

The best feature of Mayflower’s campsites ~ eucalyptus and other trees provide much needed shade for those hot weather months. Park staff and camp hosts were friendly and the park is well maintained. Definitely a place to return to in the future when we have more time to play!

I hope you’ve enjoyed this

campground review!

Next camp review, I’ll be sharing our

stay at Tombstone RV Park as we

make our way across to Texas…

*Please let me know if there are any other parks

you’d like me to review in the future or that

you’ve stayed at and have really liked!

Happy Sunday to you!

Barb 🙂

Uncategorized

Places to Visit… Evelyn Hallman Park, Tempe, Arizona

March 26, 2015June 21, 2019 French Ethereal

Ethereal daisy-like flowers on a wild lamb’s ear-type plant

Springtime in Arizona
is really pretty!

I am no good at growing desert plants, but
I love the wildflowers
one finds out in America’s beloved deserts!!!

Amazing earth-colors!

My husband and I drove out to Tempe, Arizona

for the weekend
to see our son and his track team
compete.

When the meet was all over, and before we drove home
on Sunday,
Hubby and I drove around trying to find a
living desert garden
I had found two years ago.

We didn’t exactly find the one I knew was close by,
but we did find the
Evelyn Hallman Park!

Just over the Salt River there in Tempe,
this little oasis
is an ethereal little fishing place!
Quite a few young men and some older men with their children or families
were taking advantage of the fishing.
It was around 10:30am
and the day was beginning to get hot,
so the fishing was probably done for the morning,
but these folks were happy just casting away…

We saw another sign that said each adult

could catch
two of each type of fish ~ trout and catfish, I believe
(except perch, of which one could catch five!)
each day.
My son would be in fishing heaven!!!
🙂

Students, retirees, and families
were out
running, hiking and bicycling
around the lake
and onto trails
which wind beyond the lake
and onto lands owned by the
local water treatment plant/company.

We spent an hour or so walking here and there

with me photographing
wildlife, the scenery and fauna in spring bloom!
Hubby even took a few photos of me.
🙂

Hope you’ve enjoyed this little

paradise!
Tempe, Phoenix, Chandler and Scottsdale
are all right next to each other
and are lovely places to visit in late fall, winter and spring.

Blessings to you,
Barb
🙂

Tag: Arizona

Tombstone in Two Days ~ the Good, the Bad & the Ugly

Like this:

Places to Camp ~ Tombstone RV Park

Like this:

Tombstone’s Boot Hill ~ A Serene Cemetery With a Past…

Like this:

Places to Camp ~ Mayflower Park, California

Like this:

Places to Visit… Evelyn Hallman Park, Tempe, Arizona

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this:

Share this:

Like this: