Just because summer is over doesn't mean you can't take a fabulous family vacation. The secret is the weekend getaway, a two-day nugget of time when you and your kids can refresh yourselves without missing work or school. For busy families, weekends are easier to plan, simpler to schedule, and they cost significantly less than weeklong trips. Plus, you can just hop in the car on a whim and go.
As travel writers and working moms, we're not surprised that the popularity of weekend trips has increased by 70 percent in the past decade. As you'll see, we like places that are within driving distance of a major metropolitan area, compact enough to be explored in two days, offer activities for every member of the family, have several lodging and dining options, and provide plenty of outdoor activities so we can soak up this colorful season. Just remember to plan ahead, so that you don't waste precious vacation time deciding where to go and when.
One memorable getaway that your children will talk about for years to come is Tombstone, Arizona. If you're looking for western appeal and a festive air, then saddle up and put on those cowboy boots--Tombstone is a ghost town full of life.
RIDE 'EM COWBOYS
Much as we love the idea of visiting a ghost town in October, most are rather, well, dead. But not Tombstone, Arizona. Located 70 miles southeast of Tucson, "the town too tough to die" remains a real Western community of about 1,500 people. The name goes back to 1877, when a prospector named Ed Schieffelin was told by pals that the only thing he'd find out in the desert would be his own tombstone.In fact, Ed found a rich vein of silver, and Tombstone, his gallows-humor name for the place, became a mining boomtown, with as many as 10,000 residents. Fires threatened the town and floods washed out the mines, but Tombstone survived. Tourism keeps it alive these days. The famous gunfight at the OK Corral took place here in 1881, and enough outlaws died with their boots on to justify naming the boneyard Boothill Cemetery (free; 520-457-9344). Here, grave markers provide clues to the town's past (one reads "Hanged by mistake").
If you're up for a really wild time, visit Tombstone during Helldorado Days, usually the third weekend of October, when the town celebrates its past. Thousands of people show up for parades, dancing and, yes, gunslinging. Mock shoot-outs take place every day of the year in Tombstone, weather permitting, at the OK Corral (ages six and up, $5.50; free for kids under six; 520-457-3456).
Lodging options include several bed-and-breakfasts and a motel that boasts "John Wayne Slept Here." But families will do well at the Best Western Lookout Lodge (doubles, $69; kids under age 12 stay free; 520-457-2223), which maintains the only heated outdoor pool in town.
If you visit during Helldorado Days, check out the festivities on Saturday morning. Then knock around historic Allen Street. An 1881 dance hall and gambling palace, the Bird Cage Theatre (adults, $5.00; kids ages eight to 18, $4; under age eight, free; 520-457-3421) was a favorite hangout of local desperadoes. Back in the 1800s, the world's longest poker game was played here—it lasted more than eight years. Judging by the more than 140 bullet holes in the walls and ceiling, the game wasn't what you would call friendly. Nearby, The Tombstone Courthouse State Historic Park (adults, $4.00; ages seven to 13, $1; under age seven, free; 520-457-3311) exhibits toys from
the 1880s to 1920s, mining equipment--even invitations to a hanging.Stop for a sarsaparilla at Big Nose Kate's Saloon (520-457-3107), named for Doc Holliday's girlfriend. When hunger strikes, head to The Longhorn (dinner, $8 to $30; kids' meals, $3.50; 520-457-3405) for cowboy-size racks of ribs. The Ok Cafe ($4 to $7; kids' meals, $3; 520-457-3980) is a fixture for breakfast and lunch.
To really tour town in style, hook up with the Old Tombstobe Tours (adults, $5; ages 12 and under, $3; 520-457-3018); you'll get a rollicking, 10- to 15-minute ride full of lively stories about Tombstone's history.
For more information, call the Tombstone Chamber of Commerce, P.O. Box 995, Tombstone, AZ 85638; 520-457-9317.
Diane Bair and Pamela Wright write from their office in Newburyport, Massachusetts.
Please keep in mind that phone numbers, addresses, and prices are subject to change. Updated July 2005.
