3rd Annual Tombstone Roadster Reunion - November 21-23 2008

[richm]

On the weekend before Thanksgiving, The Tuscon Roadster club will be hosting the Tombstone Roadster Reunion for Sky and Solstice owners in the Southwest. Last year, the hotels SOLD OUT quickly, so please RSVP early.

EVERYONE is invited to participate in this FREE event, but please RSVP on the Tucson Roadsters site so we can get a count:

PLEASE RSVP HERE

Join us for a great weekend of food, drink and cars. We will have an opportunity to show off our rides, join a ghost walk, grill assorted foods, play poker and sample the fruits of the agave.

ACCOMMODATIONS: There are a number of hotels in and out of town but we've arranged group discounts at the following rustic 1950's era motor hotels, both within walking distance of the Tombstone historic district:

• Tombstone Motel - 888-455-3478 / 520-457-3478, $69+tax less 10% Group Discount
  
• Trail Riders Inn - 800-574-0417 / 520-457-3573, $65/night, All 16 Rooms Reserved - SOLD OUT!

If you are arriving at Trail Riders Inn after 8:00PM, call ahead and they will leave your key in your room, and you can settle in the morning.

The schedule of activities will be updated on the TUCSON ROADSTERS site as we add more details, but here is what we have so far:

Fri 8:30 PM - Saloon Hopping and Bar Room Brawls - We will gather at the Trail Rider's Inn to introduce ourselves to each other, and then we will mosey-on into town, stopping by some world-famous watering holes, including Big Nose Kate's Saloon (Big Nose Kate's Saloon) Johnny Ringos Bar (Tenth Street, 520-457-3961), and the Crystal Palace Saloon (Home Page), maybe ending up at the more sedate Dragoon Saloon for a night-cap.

Sat 7:00 AM - "Duel in the Dust" Car Show Setup - 5th Street in Tombstone is OURS from 7:00AM till 1:00PM, although you can arrive anytime before 9:30 AM when we do the judging. Last year, we issued the following awards:

• Brazenest Hussey (for the shiniest or best looking car)
• Filthiest Scoundrel (for the dirtiest car)
• New Fangled Contraption (for the coolest mod)
• Saddle Sore (for the car that drove the furthest to get there)
• Pony Express (fastest and highest horsepower car)
• Meanest Outlaw (the meanest looking car)
• Kappy the Kid (the newest car)
• Best Spurs (best wheels)
• Calamity Jane (bonehead)
• Boothill (highest mileage on a car = Tombstone cemetery)

Sat 8:30 AM - Tombstone Historical Walking Tour - Terry "Ike" Clanton will be in town for the Clanton Gang Reunion, and if you meet his group in front of the Bird Cage Theatre, Ike will present the historic district of Tombstone from the cowboy’s side of the gunfight. This walking tour will end at the Western History Book Exposition.

Sat 9:30 AM - Brunch in Tombstone - Please make sure that all cars are parked on 5th Street in Tombstone no later than 9:30 AM when the car show judging will begin. After you get your car parked, most people will mosey on over to the Longhorn Restaurant next to Big Nose Kate's for some brunch (Big Nose Kate's Saloon).

Sat 11:00 AM - Town Meetin' - Join us on 5th Street for a Town Meetin' amidst our new-fangled carriages to officially recognize some of the rowdiest, brazenest and filthiest cars in Tombstone, and to discuss our plans for the rest of the day.

After the Town Meeting we will split into two groups:

• OPTION #1 - Southern Arizona Ride - We are still working on this ride, but we are hoping to do something new this year.
• OPTION #2 - Free Time in Tombstone - Ride on a stagecoach, visit the shops and museums, and enjoy more than a dozen famous Tombstone attractions.

For those who are staying in Tombstone to do all of the tourist stuff (an absolute MUST if you haven't been here before), below is what we have planned.

Sat 12:00 Noon - Bird Cage Theater Self-Guided Tour - In the afternoon, we will meander over to the Birdcage Theater for a tour. The group cost for a self-guided tour will be $7.50 per person, although we are exploring some other options as well. In 1882, the New York Times referred to the Bird Cage as, "the Roughest, Bawdiest, and most Wicked night spot between Basin Street and the Barbary Coast." Today, it is a museum, and there is more info at: Tailings Of Old Tombstone-Birdcage Theatre Collection

Sat 1:45 PM - Gunfight at the OK Coral - After touring the town, we will gather for a re-enactment of the gunfight at the OK Coral, performed by The Wild Bunch and Hell's Bells (520-457-9465). The cost will be $7.50 per person, and you will want to arrive early to get a good seat. And, if you are really into the whole gun-fight show thing, or if you have seen this one before and want to do something different, you might want to also visit the Helldorado gunfight performance at 11:30AM.

After the gunfight, we will be saddling up and heading out for a driving tour of outer Tombstone before it gets dark.

Sat 3:30 PM - Tombstone Area Roadster Tour - Just down the road is the famous Tombstone Boothill cemetery, which will be our first stop on the Tombstone Area driving tour. Boothill is the permanent home of some famous gunfighters, and some who were not so fast on the trigger but made famous by their epitaphs, such as "Here Lies George Johnson, Hanged by Mistake, 1882, He was right, We was wrong, but we Strung Him Up, and Now He's Gone"

Sat 6:30 PM - Eat-My-Dust BBQ - After a long-and-dusty day in Tombstone, we will gather for a wagon wheel BBQ dinner at Trail Riders Inn next to the hot tub.

Sat 7:30 PM - Hellraiser Poker Contest - The rules for this poker contest are a bit more "wild-west" than most, because it's dealer's choice, which means that basically, the dealer gets to make up the rules as they go along. So, there might be some authentic old west "faro" games, plus "all even cards are wild," and some politically incorrect "indian poker," maybe even a hearty round of "go fish" (see Rich's PDF Poker Crib Sheet). To enter, you must wear a hat, preferably a cowboy hat, but the rules are pretty relaxed, and since there really isn't much room in our trunks for a cowboy hat, you can just put anything on your head and say "howdy pardner". The stakes are low (2-bits/4-bits), and the winner... well, mostly the winner wins bragging rights, so no cheatin' and check your guns and knifes and other dirty-rotten-lyin'-scum fightin' instruments at the door.

Sat 9:00 PM - Drinkin' or Nappin' - Some folks will no-doubt be out carousing and stirring up trouble in some of the old drinking haunts in Tombstone, and some will be in the hotel, taking an after-dinner nap before going out ghost-hunting.

Sat 10:30 PM - Ghost-Hunting Tour of Tombstone - Ike Clanton, an actor, realtor, and fourth generation descendant of the famous Tombstone Clantons, has invited us to join his "family" on a ghost tour of Tombstone. This event is FREE and promisses to be a lot of fun. We will meet at the Birdcage theater, and will be walking the streets of tombstone till the bewitching hour, visiting ghostly haunts and the sites of famous gunfights, so put on some walking shoes, dress warm and bring your camera to capture some ghostly orbs on film. For more information on the Clanton Reunion, visit this link:
2007 Clanton Days Rendezvous Tombstone Arizona Nov. 14-18, 2007

Sun 8:30 AM - Hotel Checkout - For those of us who stayed up and did the ghost-tour, Sunday morning will come too early and many will have a long drives ahead of us. But, grab some dark coffee and toss your bags in your car and meet us in the parking lot.

Sun 9:00 AM - Drive to Karchner Cavern - We have reserved a private Rotunda tour (16 people max) for 10:40 AM at Karchner Caverns State Park, just 30 miles north of Tombstone. Last year, we tried to do this in November, and all of their tours were sold out. Visit the Tucson Roadsters RSVP page to get the status on these tickets.

Sun 1:30 PM - Lunch at El Charro in Tucson - For those who are doing a more leisurely drive home, the Phoenix club will be hosting a lunch gathering in downtown Tucson. The plan is to depart from Karchner Caverns at 12:30 PM (twenty mins after the 10:40 AM tour is over), and drive up to Tucson for lunch at El Charro Cafe (Welcome to El Charro Cafe - Tastes and Traditions of Tucson). El Charro is the NATION'S OLDEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT, and is located at 311 N Court Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 Tel: 520-622-1922

[Polar Wind]

I missed this event last year and heard it was a hoot. I bet your sis and bros next door in New Mexico would love to represent. I'll pass the word.

[G8TR]

Sounds like a great time, maybe be able to get out there after we retire.

[EndiSky]

I may just show up so that I can justify my "Hung Loose" award from San Diego with the new "Brazenest Hussey (for the shiniest or best looking car)" award after a few changes.!

[EndiSky]

FYI : Main hotel is almost booked up already!!! I just booked the 10th room!!!

[MidniteBlues]

IF I could go to one of these, THIS would be the one..just to dog gone far from me..

[richm]

Originally Posted by MidniteBlues

IF I could go to one of these, THIS would be the one..just to dog gone far from me..

Check flights into Tucson. We will have PLENTY of extra passenger seats, and maybe even a couple of extra cars. Besides, on Saturday, about half of the people stay in Tombstone for the cool stuff to do there, while the locals who have done Tombstone many times tend to go on the rides. Most everything in Tombstone is in walking distance (or stage-coach distance), except Boot Hill Cemetery, which we will probably drive to, although their parking lot is not that big.

I just called and the Trail Riders Inn is now SOLD OUT (we have taken ALL 16 of the rooms at this motel). However, rooms are still available at the larger Tombstone Motel next door, as well as at other chain hotels around town (in case you are not a fan of 1950s era motor hotels).

[richm]

So far, 21 cars and 36 people have registered for Tombstone. We are setting the limit to 60 people on the RSVP, because there are no restaurants in Tombstone that can handle more than that, and the two-block area where will we have a permit to do our car show cannot not handle more than about 40 cars.

[richm]

KARCHNER TICKET UPDATE: All but ONE of the 16 TICKETS for Karchner Caverns at 10:40 AM are SOLD OUT! However, as long as there are tour slots available, you can call Karchner directly and book an earlier or later tour and at our group rate of $16 instead of $18 (with FREE parking). To book your tickets, call 520-586-2283 during the day and tell them that you want to add your tickets to our group confirmation #226718, and that you want the 11:00 AM or the 10:20 AM tour (or any other time you desire) on Sunday, November 23rd. Then, give them your credit card for the additional tickets.

[richm]

We just added a lunch gathering to Sunday after the Tombstone Run.

Sun 1:30 PM - Lunch at El Charro in Tucson - For those who are doing a more leisurely drive home, the Phoenix club will be hosting a lunch gathering in downtown Tucson. The plan is to depart from Karchner Caverns at 12:30 PM (twenty mins after the 10:40 AM tour is over), and drive up to Tucson for lunch at El Charro Cafe (Welcome to El Charro Cafe - Tastes and Traditions of Tucson). El Charro is the NATION'S OLDEST MEXICAN RESTAURANT, and Rich calls this restaurant the Winchester Mystery House of Mexican Restaurants because it appears that as the restaurant grew they acquired neighboring homes and businesses and joined them together as best as possible. Therefore, if you show up late for lunch, allow extra time to "find" the group. The restaurant is at 311 N Court Ave, Tucson, AZ 85701 Tel: 520-622-1922

Also, here is a link to a Tucson Roadsters thread announcing who is attending what times at Karchner Kaverns:
Tucson AZ Saturn Sky Pontiac Solstice Club - Re:Karchner Caverns Ticket List - Forum

[richm]

As of today, the event count is 58 people and more than 30 roadsters. Attached is the current version of the printed agenda, which has a few changes and additions.