TOMBSTONE, Ariz. (KGUN) — Southern Arizona's small towns enjoy their biggest tourism boost in the springtime months of March and April.
But even as the summer months heat up, there's still a lot of reasons to hit the road to the more rural corners of the state.
Tombstone, Arizona is a tourist town. Whether you're looking for a place to rest your head or wrap your head around where the infamous were laid to rest, there's always something to see.
"We've got panning for gold, miniature golf, we've even got a shootin' gallery, that's right," says one cowboy recruiting tourists to the nearby shows and shops.
Ah yes, the attractions of the Old West mixing with what's new and hi-tech and entertaining for families and weekend warriors alike.
But among all the "bad men of tombstone" there have to be a few good guys, right?
"Obviously when you're thinking Arizona history, it doesn't get better than Tombstone."
Jeff Fox is one of those men who rode into town over the parched desert landscape...
"We've got several different room types here and they were built at different times..."
... and decided to spruce up a space from a more lawless era.
"That's the original two foot thick adobe walls that we exposed during the renovation. But that's the original structure. The ceiling up above are the old original timbers from the 1880's when this building was built," Jeff told me.
His concept properties ... The Inn History brand of hotels are hot spots for those who want a little more of the story beneath the surface.
In fact, Tombstone is just the next stop on his mission to educate and inspire Arizona's homegrown tourists and visitors from abroad.
His mini cabins near the Grand Canyon were the first experiment in the roadside pit stop meets civic and historic engagement idea with a few amenities.
"We decided that we wanted to have all the modern conveniences and make it comfortable and modern as far as the accommodations," Jeff said.
"This is a building that dates back to the time of Wyatt Earp and the ok corral?" I asked him.
"Yep, for real."
When you book a room here, it's hard to avoid getting thrown back in time.
But your phone sure comes in handy as QR codes dot the walls and photos and decor.
"You're surrounded by history of not just the space but tools, the newspaper," I noted.
"We try to make everything interactive," Jeff said.
One scan and you're learning about Tombstone as it was when the Clantons and McLaurys, the cowboys and the Earps counted themselves among those vying for Cochise county power and prestige.
"This takes immersive history to a new level," I told Jeff. "Mining history, gunfighter history, economic history, agricultural history, every thing that kind of ties in. Native American history that predates all of this."
But unlike the violent clashes between locals that once defined the "town too tough to die," Jeff told me cooperation and mutual admiration now marks this treasure of the Southwest and they need each other to move forward.
"The town and the business owners, we have to work together to improve this town and make it an attractive place for people to come visit."
A year and a half in and business is booming with instagrammable locales and an all new event center for parties and weddings with the perfect view.
"Lots of nice outdoor spaces. This patio that people can use for part of their events... you can see the Dragoons from here. There's the Dragoons."
The guests love it.
"Would you recommend it?" I asked Milan, visiting for the first time from San Diego.
"Yeah, it's easy access to everywhere in town and it's really quiet," she told me.
And Jeff's committed to create a way for you to take a walk through the past and get in history, too.
Check out Inn History properties here
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Dan Spindle co-anchors Good Morning Tucson on KGUN 9 and is an award-winning storyteller whose work has earned him honors from the Rocky Mountain Southwest Emmys, the Associated Press and the Utah Society of Professional Journalists for both anchoring and reporting. Dan is passionate about history and loves to explore the Grand Canyon State. Share your story ideas with Dan by emailing dan.spindle@kgun9.com or by connecting on Instagram, or X.
