Visit to Prescott, AZ

Friday a.m.

Started this last night and was only 15 to 6 and it was almost dark already. Yesterday we took a drive to Prescott – went there via the Interstate and came back over the mountains on 89A through Jerome.  
The first time we ever went to Prescott was way back in the early 70s and we were there around Christmas time. In the center of town is the courthouse square and all around the square were luminaries and Christmas lights in all the trees. So Christmas Card looking. Another time we went there there was an art contest and show going on. The whole courthouse square was full of artists and art. Today it was kind of quiet.

And actually looked a little depressing. Lots of older unkempt looking men literally laying around on the court house lawn. One block of the main old town area.

Couldn’t resist this sign in one of the windows.

Or this dress. Imagine wearing something like this.

Information on the St. Michael Hotel on Montezuma St.

The hotel today taken from the courthouse side of the street.

The street the hotel is on, Montezuma St was know as “Whiskey Row” because of all the saloons on it.

Today there are still a whole bunch of them. Some dating back to the late 1800s.

Along with the saloons are the “galleries” or “gift shops” – some had really nice stuff – some were pretty tacky. Couldn’t resist taking a picture of this entrance to a “gallery.”

The front of the Court House on Gurley St. Very pretty around it with the trees turning gold and orange.

Some of the older buildings. This is a old bank building.

The Masonic Temple.

Back to the court hourse side of the street. This pine tree was planted the day Arizona got its statehood. February 14, 1912.

The big sidewalk leading from the street to the front of the court house has a very interesting – for lack of a better word – inserted time line in it. It forms a big U-shape of Arizona’s history. The date and the event – just some small portions of it. In the beginning

1857 to 1867 – Remember the camels at Quartzite. Through the Civil War

Statehood 2.14.1912 with the flag of Arizona. Also when Clarkdale got its post office designation.

1951 to 56 – The Korean Way and the Atomic testing in Nevada – they felt it in Arizona!

This poem is near the end back out by the street.

 This was a really interesting thing to see – lot of effort and thought went into it.

Walked around a little more then back into dirty Willie. We took the route through the mountains 89A – very twisty and turny- back through Jerome. Coming down on the Jerome side of the drive we could look out over all of Verde Valley. The brown is smoke from a fire somewhere in the hills.

Into Jerome – the parking is dug into the hills below the houses.

Then back to the RV.

Today – Friday – we aren’t doing much. Went to Home Depot to get a replacement for a dowel that broke and to WalMart for some groceries. I got myself a piece of carrot cake to enjoy later.
Looks like our travel plans might change again. We planned on leaving Monday but it is supposed to snow again in Flagstaff that day….don’t need to deal with that. Tonight it is supposed to rain here – we’ll see…it is getting colder and pretty windy.