Tombstone, Arizona: The Toughest Town Of The Wild West

by Sean McLachlan on


Of all the Wild West towns in America, Tombstone, Arizona, stands out as legendary.

Tombstone got its name from a mining claim filed in 1877. Prospector Ed Schieffelin had been told by local soldiers that the southern Arizona hills were crawling with Apaches, scorpions and rattlesnakes and that he’d only find his tombstone there, so he thumbed his nose at their pessimism by naming his claim Tombstone. Schieffelin discovered the area was rich in silver and the dusty hillside soon became a boom town. Within two years Tombstone had a population approaching 1000.

One early resident, Clara Spalding Brown, wrote that Tombstone was, “. . .an embryo city of canvas, frame and adobe, scattered over a slope. . .The only attractive places visible are the liquor and gambling saloons, which are everywhere present and are carpeted and comfortably furnished. . .The camp is one of the dirtiest places in the world. . .The sod lies loose upon the surface, and is whirled into the air every day by a wind which almost amounts to a gale; it makes the eyes smart like the cinders from an engine; it penetrates into the houses, and covers everything with dust. . .The mercury gallivants around in the nineties, with altogether too high-minded ideas. . .we cannot obtain desirable food for hot weather; fresh vegetables are scarce, and the few fruits in the markets require a very large purse. . .The camp is considered a remarkably quiet one – only one murder since my arrival.”

That low murder rate was about to go up. Scattered in nearby ranches and villages was a loose-knit group of cattle rustlers dubbed “the Cowboys.” They’d cross the border into Mexico, steal cattle, and sell them cheaply in Tombstone. In most of the West, “cowboy” simply meant a drover from Texas. Now in Southern Arizona the name took on a pejorative meaning, distinct from the respectable “rangemen” or “cattlemen.”

%Gallery-159476%The cowboys engaged in worse crimes too, including stagecoach robberies. They numbered perhaps 200 but were never a rigid organization. They only came into Tombstone to sell their stolen beef and whoop it up in the saloons. The locals generally tolerated them. Their stolen cattle lowered the price of beef and they spent lots of money.

Into this Wild West town strode the Earp brothers. Virgil was appointed U.S. Deputy Marshal. Wyatt rode shotgun for Wells Fargo stagecoaches and moonlighted as a gambler. Morgan was also a shotgun messenger and sometimes a special deputy. One-armed Jim tended bar. A fifth brother, Warren, drifted in and out of town.

The Earps were not impressed with the Cowboys. Virgil said, “As soon as they are in funds they ride into town, drink, gamble, and fight. They spend their money as free as water in saloons, dancehouses, or faro banks, and this is one reason they have so many friends in town. All that large class of degraded characters who gather the crumbs of such carouses stand ready to assist them out of any trouble or into any paying rascality.”

The battle lines were soon drawn, with complex political machinations further dividing the boomtown. It all came to a head on October 26, 1881, with the famous Gunfight at the OK Corral. Virgil, Wyatt, and Morgan Earp, joined by Wyatt’s friend Doc Holliday, faced off against five Cowboys, killing three.

This only worsened the feud. Cowboys shot and crippled Virgil, and soon killed Morgan. Wyatt Earp launched into what’s known as his Vendetta Ride, hunting down and killing Cowboys. Eventually he left Arizona, but his legend remained.

Today Tombstone is a huge tourist draw and an easy day trip from Tucson. The famous gunfight, which actually happened just outside the corral, is reenacted every day, as you can see in this video. There’s also a cheesy animatronic recreation.

Much of the town’s historic buildings have been restored and you can see the Bird Cage Theatre and its 120+ bullet holes left by rowdy patrons, the Boothill graveyard, and many other fun sights. You need a whole day to see it all. Check out the gallery for some glimpses of a place where the West really was wild.

Airline Fees: You Get What You Pay For Or Weapons In Travel Class Warfare?

by Meg Nesterov on

Last month, the media was abuzz over increased airline fees for pre-assigned seating, with many concerned that it would especially affect families who want to sit together for no additional cost. Even New York Senator Chuck Schumer got involved, asking airlines to waive fees for families traveling with children. Rather than look for victims or call airlines “anti-family,” however, look at the bigger picture. Airline seat fees are nothing new, but they are increasingly being used as another weapon in the arsenal against the airlines’ least desirable customer: the infrequent flier. If travelers will choose airfares based on a difference of nickels and dimes, does this force the airlines to nickel and dime the traveler?

The real divide in travel now isn’t between business and leisure travelers, families and singles, or even first class and coach; it’s between frequent fliers with airline loyalty, and price-conscious consumers who won’t hesitate to switch carriers for a cheaper fare. Savvy travelers who fly more than a few times per year understand that it pays to be loyal to one airline. In addition to earning miles for future trips, frequent fliers can jump to the top of upgrade lists, skip long check-in and security lines, and even waive many of the fees not included in the base fare. Travelers who fly only a year or less are more likely to book the cheapest ticket they find, even if the difference between carriers is just a few dollars, assuming the service will be similar (or worse, the same as they remember the last time they flew). What’s the incentive for airlines to give such passengers anything for free if they might never fly them again? “The customers that are more loyal, who fly more often, we want to make sure they have the best travel experience,” said American Airlines to Associated Press.

People are quick to call airlines greedy, and while they are looking to make money, running an airline is hardly a lucrative business these days. The Wall Street Journal recently ran a nifty graphic breaking down the cost of an average flight, showing that on a 100-person flight, the airline is making a profit off only a single seat. Between the rising costs of fuel, staff, security, insurance, and maintenance, most airlines are struggling to avoid bankruptcy or just stay in business. While you shouldn’t feel sorry for the airlines, understand that the alternative to fees is increased base fares, where you may be stuck paying for amenities you don’t need or want.As I’ve lived abroad for two years, I’ve become loyal to Turkish Airlines. They not only have the most flights from my current home airport in Istanbul, but I know I’ll always get a meal even on short flights, never have to pay fees outside of excess baggage, and even be able to use a dedicated check-in desk for travelers with children at Istanbul’s Ataturk Airport. I’ve often paid more to fly on Turkish Airlines than other carriers on the same route to guarantee the same standards of service. This makes me a valuable customer, and the more money I spend with them, the more perks I receive.

Earlier this year, I was looking for tickets from New York to Austin for a friend’s wedding. It was slightly cheaper to fly on American Airlines (my preferred carrier when I lived in New York) than Jet Blue, but as a solo traveler with a baby, I knew I’d be checking a bag and wanting to take my stroller up to the gate. Jet Blue would offer these services for free (American wouldn’t let me gate-check the stroller, but I could check it at the counter for free), and the overall cost would be about the same, plus I’d get free snacks and entertainment. In the end, I chose Jet Blue and was even given a priority seat without charge because the flight was relatively empty. If I were still based in New York and flying frequently, it would be more worthwhile to me to fly American to build my frequent flier status and miles for places I’d like to go.

As a parent who travels frequently with my child, I understand the potential nightmare separate seating could cause, but I also understand that airlines can’t make exceptions without making some passengers unhappy. If airlines were to waive a seating charge for families, travelers would complain about special treatment. Fliers with elderly parents would ask for exemptions to sit together, people with a fear of flying would want their travel partner close with no fee, and single travelers would feel they were being forced to subsidize everyone else.

Over at Huffington Post, my colleague (and fellow baby travel expert) Corinne McDermott contacted all of the major airlines regarding pre-assigned seating fees. Only Spirit Airlines explicitly said families should pay fees to be guaranteed adjacent seats. In fact, much of the hype about families being separated might really just be that: hype. Most airlines will try to accommodate people traveling together, just reserving preferred aisle and window seats to reward frequent fliers, or sell for an additional fee. It makes sense for an airline to offer a premium like preferred seating for free to a loyal customer, and instead try to make as much money as possible for a customer they may never have again.

Instead of spending time writing angry comments online, spend that time educating yourself about the full cost of an airline ticket and decide where your priorities lie: do you want to pay the absolute lowest fare and expect nothing more than a seat, or do you want to pay for service instead surprise fees? The old axiom “you get what you pay for” is the new reality in airline travel.

How To Spot Deceptive Hotel Websites And Fraudulent Trip Advisor Reviews

by Dave Seminara on

I was seduced by a lovely brunette lounging in what looked like a gorgeous pool. But I was looking for a hotel in Naxos, not a date, and should have known better. The website of the Aeolis Hotel looked superb, the price was right, and when I read a review of the place on Trip Advisor, which claimed the hotel offered “5 stars rooms,” I was sold.

But when I showed up at this hotel with my family a couple weeks ago and saw the pool (see photo above), I immediately knew we were in for some surprises. It was a tiny little affair, completely surrounded by the building on three sides, with just a couple feet of walking space. Clearly the hotel had a very clever photographer who was able to mask how humble this little pool was.

Our “junior suite” was advertised on the website as a “spacious suite” with a Simmons mattress but was, in fact, cramped and featured a bizarre, broken bed canopy that was hanging by a thread, drooping into our faces (see photo below) and an old mattress about as comfortable as a bed of nails. Shortly after checking in, I logged back into Trip Advisor to read the “5 stars” review that had stuck in my head. The review, allegedly written by one David Lockett from Liverpool, England, is pasted here in its entirety:

“Excellent holidays in this hotel”
Reviewed March 20, 2010
it is an excellent hotel with comfortable 5 stars rooms and bathrooms. The breakfast was very good, and so was the service.The owener was very friendly and cooperative. My family and I are looking forward visiting again the hotel this summer!Why hadn’t I noticed that this was the only review “David Lockett from Liverpool” had written on Trip Advisor? How had I not noticed the broken English? Clearly someone affiliated with the hotel wrote this review but I hadn’t caught the deception on first glance. After suffering through this hotel’s appalling breakfast for four mornings, I was 100 percent certain the review was false because no one in the their right mind would make a point of commending the Aeolis’s breakfast.

Trip Advisor claims that it monitors reviews and attempts to weed out bogus ones but they obviously miss some, including this one. Additionally, they refused to publish my review of this hotel because I referred to the bogus review from “Liverpool.” On the other end of the spectrum, they also cave in to business owners in removing negative reviews without justification.

Two years ago, I left a negative review for a truly awful Mexican restaurant in Big Fork, Montana. Trip Advisor published the review but days later it, and 3-4 other awful reviews from other diners were mysteriously all gone. If you look at this restaurant’s reviews on Trip Advisor now, they’re all 4 and 5 stars, apparently because the owner somehow intimidated TA into deleting the negative ones.

I complained at the Aeolis hotel in Naxos and was offered a 5-euro per night discount and, in fairness to this hotel, the place was adequate for the price we paid. It just wasn’t nearly as nice as the website and the bogus review I’d stumbled across suggested. I’ve been burned by deceptive websites and bogus reviews on many occasions. Here are a few tips to try to avoid a similar fate.

Don’t assume the hotel will be as nice as it looks on the website. Photographers know how to use wide-angle lenses to make things appear more spacious than they are. Be suspicious of hotels that show photos of just a fraction of their pool. Several years ago, my wife and I stayed at a place called Enchanted Waters on the island of Tobago, and were sucked in by a photo of a seemingly luxurious pool with a waterfall next to it.

The reality turned out to be a very small little pool with a non-functional waterfall that was situated right next to be a very busy road. Take website photos with a massive grain of salt and also be very suspicious of hotels that show photos of everything but their actual guest rooms.

Look at the traveler photos on Trip Advisor for an unvarnished look at the hotel. Clicking through the traveler photos on TA can be tedious, as some people put up extraneous photos of themselves posing with iguanas and other nonsense that does nothing to inform one’s hotel selection decision. But you can also see the reality of what you’re getting into, unedited by hotel management. If we had looked at the traveler photos of Enchanted Waters on TA, we never would have booked there.

Ask if there are specific photos of the room you’ll be staying in. If you’re staying in a big chain hotel, chances are there isn’t much variation in rooms, but if you’re staying at a smaller, independent place, the differences between rooms can be very significant. Many hotels will just vaguely say, “Look at our website,” but try to pin them down more if you can.

Last week, I booked a “family room” at the Halepa Hotel in Hania, Crete, and was enticed by the photo you see on the right. But when we checked in, we were given two rather small, very ordinary looking connecting rooms that were nothing like the photos we saw that were labeled “family room.”

“We have lots of different family rooms,” the manager said.

When I pointed to the photo of the family room I saw on booking.com they said, “Oh, that’s a mistake, that is our executive VIP suite.” False advertising to be sure, but if I had to do it over again, I would have asked them if the photo I was looking at was indeed the suite I’d be getting.

Use Google Maps and Google Earth to pinpoint the location, not the hotel website. Almost every hotel claims to have a central location but in some cases, a place will claim they’re a ten minute walk from the center, when in fact, Usain Bolt couldn’t sprint there in ten minutes. Also, use Google Earth and user reviews of the place to determine if the area is pedestrian friendly and if the walk might be uphill or unpleasant in some other way.

Read the 1 and 2 star reviews of the place on Trip Advisor and disregard 5 star reviews from users with only 1 review. Let’s face it, some people are never satisfied and they trash nice hotels online for bizarre reasons. Read through the bad reviews and determine if their complaints are pertinent to you. If reviewers note that the place is not how it appears on the website, be very leery. Likewise, it’s probably safe to disregard glowing 5 star reviews from reviewers that haven’t reviewed anything else on Trip Advisor.

Video Of The Day: Rush Hour At Boston Logan Airport

by Meg Nesterov on


Today’s Video of the Day brings you a moment of Zen from an unlikely source: Boston Logan Airport at rush hour. Boston-based Chris Eagle made the time-lapse video from about 40 minutes of airplane runway footage, and with the accompanying music by Little People, it feels almost peaceful (probably much more so than if you were on one of the planes waiting to take off). The video is a sequel of sorts to another time-lapse from Logan last year, but the original has a much different feel, watching the airplanes rocket off into the sky.

See any cool travel videos? Share them in the comments below or on the Gadling Facebook page for another Video of the Day.

Where To Have A Weird Dining Experience In Denver, Colorado

by Jessica Festa on

What do you get when you mix a 300-pound gorilla, giant skulls, a 30-foot waterfall, battling pirates, ’50s-era carnival games, taxidermy, flamethrowers, a mariachi band and mediocre Mexican food? The Denver area’s kitschiest restaurant, Casa Bonita.

Once you enter, you’ll go through an amusement park-style line system. For some reason, the restaurant thought it would be a good idea to have guests order their food at the door, before waiting in line with a tray for food and then a separate line for a drink. Oddly, you still get an assigned waitress once you sit, to do what I’m not sure. The host will put a flag on your table, and when you need something you raise it.

While the food and service are subpar, what you really go for is the atmosphere. A mix of tacky play land, circus performance and “Alice in Wonderland” surreality, you’ll be wondering what could possibly come next as you pick at your overpriced burrito. During my meal, I saw two pirates ferociously fight over a princess, Olympic-skilled divers flipping into an indoor lagoon, fire eating dancers and a giant ape chasing a safari guide with a butterfly net. I was even serenaded by a Mariachi band. Moreover, I had a caricature drawn, was hit by a pink light saber, wandered over an indoor wooden bridge, got lost in a bubblegum pink tea room and stared out a submarine window at plastic fish bobbing in a milky man-made ocean. Basically, it’s a lot of fun, and worth a few hours just for the shock value. Just make sure to bring your inner child, and a fully charged camera.