Community Forums

ulsterman50 · 12-06-2019, 09:18 AM

Have you ever done a tour that featured places related to the Old West? like Dodge City and Boot Hill, Deadwood SD, etc. My wife and I would love to hear from those of you who put together such a trip and suggestions on places to see and those to avoid. We live in southern Wisconsin. Thank you fellow RV'ers

Ulsterman50

Jean n Steve · 12-06-2019, 09:48 AM

Watching with interest.

MSHappyCampers · 12-06-2019, 09:56 AM

I would love that too!

zmotorsports · 12-06-2019, 10:20 AM

We haven't done an "Old West Trip" per se but we've been to quite a few old ghost towns our here in the west.

From Deadwood, SD to Virginia City and Nevada City all are very interesting and worth visiting.

Mike

MSHappyCampers · 12-06-2019, 10:22 AM

Maybe someone who's spent a lot of time out there could compile a list of what they consider to be the best old west towns. From that, each person could make up their route!

twogypsies · 12-06-2019, 11:35 AM

Bodie State Park off Hwy 395 in California
Virginia City/Nevada City, Montana,
South Park City, Lander, WY,
Bannack State Park, Montana
Tombstone, AZ is unique.
We really enjoy Silverton, CO (awesome for 4-wheeling, also - can rent or do a tour)
Cody, WY
Oatman, AZ.

All of these can easily be done on your own... no tour needed and RV parks are nearby.

Here's a good list of ghost towns by state. There are other lists out there. Do a Google search.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._United_States

https://matadornetwork.com/read/wild-west-towns/

Get a big U.S. map and pinpoint each place that sounds good to you and create your route.

dix39 · 12-06-2019, 12:00 PM

Like zmotorsports, we've never done a trip to see all of them at one time, but we have visited several of them on different trips that placed us in their vicinity. This was during the '80s-'90s so the memories aren't that "vivid", but it was great to see places I had only read about before.

Dodge City/Boot Hill was well worth seeing and I think we spent a couple of days there. Virginia City was about the same, but more centered around silver mining and I think we spent about a day there. We've never visited Deadwood, but we've driven by there many times on I-90, perhaps the OP has given us an idea of another place to visit, thanks. Mt Rushmore and the Crazy Horse monument are also in that general area. Another place we visited that is sort of in the same area but a little more distant is the Little Bighorn NM in SE MT.

I agree with Joe and Annette, pick the areas you would like to see, line them up in the best manner possible without excessive backtracking, and proceed. There are so many in our beautiful and historic country.

Steve

zmotorsports · 12-06-2019, 12:01 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

Bodie State Park off Hwy 395 in California
Virginia City/Nevada City, Montana,
South Park City, Lander, WY,
Bannack State Park, Montana
Tombstone, AZ is unique.
We really enjoy Silverton, CO (awesome for 4-wheeling, also - can rent or do a tour)
Cody, WY
Oatman, AZ.

All of these can easily be done on your own... no tour needed and RV parks are nearby.

Here's a good list of ghost towns by state. There are other lists out there. Do a Google search.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_o..._United_States

https://matadornetwork.com/read/wild-west-towns/

Get a big U.S. map and pinpoint each place that sounds good to you and create your route.

Tombstone is one that my wife and I were discussing as a possible upcoming trip.

Did you enjoy it and is it a worthwhile destination? It's quite a distance for us so I think my wife's waffling on it because we really haven't heard much about it.

Thanks.

Mike

Arch Hoagland · 12-06-2019, 12:29 PM

Yes we did a "Route 66" trip heading east from California to Amarillo Texas and then headed north to Dodge City and returned to California on highway 50.

One of our goals is to visit all the Presidential Museums. Have hit them all except Bush's in Dallas. In Abilene Kansas we visited Eisenhower's and Truman's in Kansas City, Missouri while on our Route 66 trip.

Grew up watching Gunsmoke so wanted to see Dodge. Now I know why they say "Let's get the heck out of Dodge."

twogypsies · 12-06-2019, 12:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by zmotorsports

Tombstone is one that my wife and I were discussing as a possible upcoming trip.

Did you enjoy it and is it a worthwhile destination? It's quite a distance for us so I think my wife's waffling on it because we really haven't heard much about it.

Thanks.

Mike

I wouldn't make a separate trip to do it but there are many good things to see in the area if you stay around there for a week or so. We used to winter in the area so driving to Tombstone on a whim was easy. We just enjoyed walking the dirt road (short walk) and looking at the old buildings, poking in the stores and perhaps having lunch or a beer. There's usually a stagecoach on the road giving tours which makes it a little more authentic along with the many cowboys and cowgirls dressed in period clothing. Spending a few hours there is worth it if you're in the area.

Kartchner Caverns State Park is worthwhile. It has a nice campground and hiking and the cave tour is awesome. (We gave them)

In nearby Bisbee you can take a mine tour which is great. You don a yellow slicker and hardhat with a mining light on top. You get on a mine car which takes you into the mine. The tour is given by ex-miners and has very good information.

Another day trip nearby is to Chiricahua Nat'l Monument for very unique rock formations and good hiking.

If you're a birder the canyon walks around Sierra Vista are very productive for unique species.

Patagonia Lake State Park is a nice place to stay, also. Yes, there's water in Arizona.

Of course, 50 miles west is Tucson with lots to do.

zmotorsports · 12-06-2019, 01:37 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by twogypsies

I wouldn't make a separate trip to do it but there are many good things to see in the area if you stay around there for a week or so. We used to winter in the area so driving to Tombstone on a whim was easy. We just enjoyed walking the dirt road (short walk) and looking at the old buildings, poking in the stores and perhaps having lunch or a beer. There's usually a stagecoach on the road giving tours which makes it a little more authentic along with the many cowboys and cowgirls dressed in period clothing. Spending a few hours there is worth it if you're in the area.

Kartchner Caverns State Park is worthwhile. It has a nice campground and hiking and the cave tour is awesome. (We gave them)

In nearby Bisbee you can take a mine tour which is great. You don a yellow slicker and hardhat with a mining light on top. You get on a mine car which takes you into the mine. The tour is given by ex-miners and has very good information.

Another day trip nearby is to Chiricahua Nat'l Monument for very unique rock formations and good hiking.

If you're a birder the canyon walks around Sierra Vista are very productive for unique species.

Patagonia Lake State Park is a nice place to stay, also. Yes, there's water in Arizona.

Of course, 50 miles west is Tucson with lots to do.

Thank you for the info.

Mike

WyCamper · 12-07-2019, 06:56 PM

This isn't directly related I guess, but when I was growing up my Grandpa read Louis L'Amour paperbacks and gave them to me when he was done. Pretty sure I've read every one he wrote.

When I was in the Army and stationed in Colorado Springs I used to take off on weekends and try to find places he'd written about in CO. Once spent a very cold night in my car on a pass where William Tell Sackett had holed up after being wounded in a shoot out. Many other passes, gold mines, towns, etc. as close as I could figure out.

Louis L'Amour books were all fiction, but all of the places they took place were real. Most would still make a pretty good Old West Tour.

dix39 · 12-08-2019, 09:46 AM

I read a lot of his books back in the '60s. He would describe the settings in such detail that I could almost feel like I was there. I think he could do that because he had been to those places. Because of his writings I still want to visit the Mogollon Rim, perhaps this coming summer.

Steve

Cliffy · 12-08-2019, 10:11 AM

The best part of an old west tour is the reading before you then you have some idea of what you are seeing when there.
Even Tombstone with its touristy feel comes to life after reading some history on it.(take a town tour there its worth the fee)
Bodie CA is way out of the way and across miles of dirt roads but one of the most interesting places to see. The history of that part of CA is very compelling.
Goldfield NV isn't pretty or organized but its interesting (My Dad lived there).
Try Columbia CA and the Gold Country around there then up to Virginia City NV.
One can spend months poking around there.
There is the Llano Estacado that Billy the Kid roamed in Texas and New Mexico.
You've got the Alamo to see and so much else.
You need to study up and go to where you want and not what others tell you to do.
As was mentioned- once there- get the hell outta Dodge :-)