February 4, 2023
Today we are going to the Mescal Movie Set. One ticket will get us the opportunity to tour the Set, walk around a Civil War Reenactment Camp, and get a demonstration of Civil War Artillery. The movie set has been used for years for a number of western movies and TV shows. Examples of the movies are Tombstone, The Quick and the Dead, and The Outlaw Josey Wales. It is also under new management like Old Tucson. The idea of movie sets is to fool the eye and the camera. Everything looks real but is very transportable. Some structures, which have no foundations, are not even complete. We saw one which looked very cool from the front, but had no back wall. The tours are conducted by volunteers that dress in period clothing (1880ish). They name several movies for the sets that they tour. We saw the houses of Wyatt and Virgil Earp from Tombstone, as well as the Grand Hotel and the livery stable. The gunfight at the O.K. Corral was also filmed here. The majority of the buildings were locked and we could not enter to see the interiors. The saloon was open and so was one other building that they set up as their gift shop. The saloon has appeared in several movies. This link will take you to the Mescal Movie website which has several pictures and lets you know what and when. MESCAL MOVIE SET
Another interesting page is the history. MESCAL MOVIE SET HISORY
The Civil War Encampment was okay but as a relatively frequent visitor to Gettysburg I have seen a lot more. The re-enactors were very good and very nice. The artillery demonstration was good. Nancy was tired of the sun and wasn’t all that interested in the demo so she found a shady spot to sit down and wait for me. She met a couple of volunteers and talked to them about RVs and Orlando, FL. He was retired Air Force Fire. We talked for quite awhile.
The artillery demo consisted of three different types of canons. One was muzzle loaded and the other two were breach loaded. They went over all of the positions and their duties and responsibilities. It was interesting. After the demonstration we were allowed to get a close look at the artillery and the ammo and the crews were more than happy to answer any and all questions.
After a long day we were looking for a place to eat. Not a food truck, which were available on site, but a place we could sit down. Several folks recommended a little hole in the wall place called the Mescal Bar and Grill. The food was great and they carried some local brews. Nancy chose a Philly Cheesesteak with sweet potato fries and I had a Southwest Cheeseburger with fries and a Barrio Blond Ale. The lunch was fabulous. Might have to go back at another time.
