As a Baby Boomer, I grew up on television westerns: Bonanza, the Lone Ranger, Wyatt Earp, Gunsmoke, and Maverick. But I lived on the east coast in Virginia. My first opportunity to travel west came in my 30s, so all my expectations came from the TV shows. When I finally visited, the dusty terrain amazed me (it was so dry), and I felt ignorant of the various Native Indian tribes. I saw some people wearing cowboy boots, but nothing like my imagined Wild West. 

Fortunately, I’ve been able to make more western trips, and my most recent took me to Tucson, a first for me. I picked up a rental car at the airport and drove a little over an hour to Tombstone, passing rugged landscape and a few tiny towns.

Without a doubt, the historic town feels cheesy and tacky. But that is also part of the fun. Visitors immerse themselves in the Old West and feel like they are walking in a Western movie set.