Dusty Road to Tuscon and Why Tom Mix Died in the Middle of Nowhere

The scenic route 79 south to Tuscon

Well is started off scenic and then we had to take a detour due to road repair. Thank goodness it was a small detour because it was a dirt road and the truck in front of us was kicking up DUST.

Phew, back on the road and I spot a horse on a monument at a small rest stop at Florence. We didn't know we were at Florence at the time since you can't see a town from the monument spot. It looks pretty desolate and almost no other traffic, which made it confusing as to how Hollywood's first cowboy megastar, Tom Mix, could have had a car accident in the middle of nowhere.

Tom Mix Died Here, Florence, Arizona

Hollywood cowboy Tom Mix sure could handle a horse. Unfortunately, he couldn't handle a car quite as well.

So if you read the article they are not kidding about bullet holes, they are all over the place, including the rubbish bin. 

EEK!

Yes of course it got eyebombed ;)

If you wondering why such a monument exists, just watch the video, he was quite a character and had a rich history BEFORE be became a mega movie star.

We had no idea before we set out about the Tom Mix monument so it was a delight to come across, particularly since Tom Mix was a major comic book character my husband loved as a child. Back on the road to Tuscon but we got diverted at Oracle Junction. 
More about that another day.