I brake for roadside attractions and perhaps one of the most iconic roadside attraction in the United States is Arizona’s “The Thing.” I was thrilled to realize that we would encounter “The Thing” on our November road trip through Arizona.

I’m lucky to have a husband who is willing to support my roadside attraction obsession. Not just willing, but he shelled out ten dollars and diverted from our tight schedule for us to experience this tourist trap.

Apparently, “The Thing” has had a recent upgrade. According to TripAdvisor it is a much bigger experience and worth the stop. We had low expectations, but it is quite a large attraction. We stopped for about twenty minutes, but we could have easily spent an hour. The exhibit spans several rooms and weaves history and science, with conspiracy theories involving aliens and dinosaurs.

I loved the little alien carvings that were scattered through the exhibit. They look like they were inspired by drawings of a preschooler.

The exhibit never really states if they believe in all of the conspiracies, they just use the phrase “What If.” Personally, I think it’s all ridiculous and in good fun, but I can imagine some people taking it seriously. It’s a bit timely to tour an attraction based on conspiracy theories, when conspiracy has dominated our life in 2020. Kind of scary actually.

Finally, we reached “The Thing”…a mummified…well, a mummified thing.

Admittedly, the whole dinosaur/alien/conspiracy added a lot to my enjoyment of “The Thing.” If you’re driving through the Arizona desert you must stop. It is a quintessential part of the American road trip experience!

We discovered that the historic town of Tombstone was just a slight detour from our planned route.

We arrived as the town was waking up and most of the shops were still closed. It was no problem, because we had planned to eat breakfast at the O.K. Cafe, located right across the street from the famous O.K. Corral. The O.K. Cafe had great food and friendly service. Dan ordered oatmeal and I had an egg breakfast. My only major negative if no one was wearing masks and social distancing was non-existent. We really should have left, but we muddled through the uncomfortable and dangerous situation. I think this was the most worried that I have felt since the pandemic began. Getting covid in the town of Tombstone would have been fitting, but certain not something that I want to experience.

Arizona did have a mask mandate at the time of our visit, however, several businesses thought it was more of a suggestion than a mandate. During the pandemic we have visited several states ( Colorado, Florida, California, New Mexico, Arizona) but I have felt the least safe in Arizona. Here is a rare example of signage that we saw on a store in Arizona. Most people on the streets and shop owners were not following mask mandates.

Our timing was terrible for taking in a reenactment show at the O.K. Corral, so we skipped it in favor of just walking around the town. Tombstone is filled with preserved buildings from the 1800’s and feels like an authentic version of the ghost town at Knott’s Berry Farm.

When we were in Skagway, Alaska we saw The Days of 98 show, in which I was pulled on stage to dance the can-can. It was the corniest show on earth, but we all loved it. If we come back to Tombstone on a future trip, we will definitely get cheesy can-can pictures. Also, Tombstone has their own historic melodrama show.

If you ever meet my husband make sure to ask him to do his John Wayne impression!

Costumed actors waiting for a gun fight and stage coaches on the streets added to the authenticity or perhaps a theme park/ren faire vibe.

By far, the most interesting thing we visited was the historic Bird Cage Theatre. Previously, I was familiar with the Bird Cage because there is a replica of the building at Knott’s Berry Farm. Steve Martin even got his start in comedy at The Bird Cage in Knott’s!

Unlike the sanitized theme park version, the original Bird Cage Theatre was more than a performance space, it was also a gambling den and ran rampant with prostitution. The top level of the space was filled with little boxes, or “bird cages,” where the ladies of the night operated. Some of the women became quite well known and several leveraged their power and money to start legitimate businesses. We went on a self-guided tour of the building, where personal photography was allowed, but I’m not allowed to share my photos on my blog.

The Bird Cage Theatre and museum are worth the fourteen dollar adult admission price. It provides a glimpse into the past of a both famous and seedy establishment. It’s interesting to learn how well-known entertainers of the day performed in the same small place where fortunes were being gambled and sex was being sold. It’s hard to imagine that this was life less than a hundred and fifty years ago.

Prior to shelling out for admission, we were roped in carny-style by an employee who gave us a bit of history about the building. Don’t skip this! Although it was certainly a way to get people in the door, it was very interesting, and he was more than willing to answer questions.

We could have easily spent an entire day exploring Tombstone, but we only had a few hours. If our travels pass this way in the future, we’d love to stop and experience more of the town’s attractions. We’d also like to take the kids. Although Tombstone of the past was rife with violence and sinful behavior, the town of today has quite a few attractions aimed at engaging families.