Thursday, 3 May 2018
Point of Rocks RV Campground — Prescott, Arizona
Temps: 68F (20C) / 42F (6C)
Cold morning … only 36F (2C) when I got up at 6:00a. But, unlike yesterday, sunrise led to blue skies and the warm rays of the sun streamed in through the windshield to keep us toasty. There was little in the way of wind … which made all the difference in the world.
We had received a note from the PoR RVC management that they would be doing repairs to the water lines in both the upper and lower loops today … water was expected to be off between 9:00a-4:00p. So, first thing this morning we did a couple of loads of laundry since our next three stays will be one-nighters on our way to Oregon. Mui made sure the freshwater tank was filled and unhooked us from the water supply. We’ll use our water pump for the rest of our stay through tomorrow morning … we don’t want our pipes to be filled with the inevitable debris that gets into the water supply after such line repairs.
In addition to wanting to experience the beautiful Prescott landscape, we have an ulterior motive for our stay here. While we are not ready to put down roots, one of the purposes of our wanderin’ lifestyle is to figure out where we want to eventually settle down. This area is on the list of possibilities.
So, today we went looking around some of the new-build subdivisions in Prescott Valley and Prescott. We saw some lovely model homes in popular areas where only one or two lots remain available … and all larger than what we’re hoping to buy eventually. Nonetheless, a profitable morning of seeing what’s available and what’s planned.
Taking advantage of the nice weather, a wander around Prescott was next. But first … we treated ourselves to lunch. Taking one of the free parking spots that rim the Yavapai County Courthouse Plaza, Mui checked his trusty TripAdvisor app and came up with El Gato Azul [the Blue Cat] as the top contender to feed us.
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Sculptures at the Yavapai Country Courthouse Plaza.
Left: In recognition of the area’s ranching heritage.
Right: Honoring Yavapai County veterans for their sacrifice to their country.
El Gato was hopping when we showed up at the door. We got the last table on the patio … covered with plastic tenting … which was good since cottonwood pollen was a-blowin’ today, creating puffy piles in nooks and crannies. The place itself is very casual and nothing to speak of, but we found the food to be excellent. The menu has a whole page of tapas selections, which is what we ordered. Crab cakes … calamari … parmesan-mushroom-basil crisps. We wrapped up with a chocolate ganache … think of it as a thick wedge of fudge on a crust of crushed nuts. Yummy!
An excellent lunch at El Gato Azul.
After lunch, we strolled around a bit, checking out historic Whiskey Row … so named because of the numerous saloons that popped up in one place when the area was rebuilt after the 1900 fire destroyed the entire block. Why so many saloons? The goal was to attract settlers, cowboys, prospectors, and the like who were in the area due to the gold rush. Today this part of the city is filled with shops, galleries, restaurants, and more to draw tourists.
A portion of an “Art for All Mural.”
Designed by R.E. Wall, Margaret Dewar, and mosaic artist Mary Schulte, with input
from Prescott citizens and research found in the Sharlot Hall Museum Archives.
The sign in front of this section of the mural identifies the people portrayed here.
Sitting under the lacy arch is Sharlot Hall; next to her in the black hat is Tom Mix;
the man at the easel in the top right is George Phippen … just to name a few.
When we returned home, we opened the awning and I settled myself in the shade on the patio for an afternoon of R&R while Mui took a nap. Tomorrow we’re back on the road again.
© 2004-2018 Two to Travel's Phaeton Journeys. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED by ERIN ERKUN.
Surprised to hear it was that chilly in Prescott in early May. Good call on the water. I was in Prescott for a conference years ago and loved it.
ReplyDeleteYou know how they say location, location, location. Here I would add ... elevation, elevation, elevation.
DeleteWonderful mural! I love that "overlapping images" appearance, similar to the Latin murals that we have seen farther south. Prescott is definitely high desert. Cold nights hot days and lots of wind and dust and pollen sometimes. I do also love all the cottonwoods, even those little piles of cotton that you spoke of brought back some fond memories of the short time I lived north of Prescott on the Keikehoffer Ranch, working as a caretaker, milking cows and listening to the cottonwoods.
ReplyDeleteAnd. I have no right to be hungry this morning, but that food look absolutely wonderful!
ReplyDeleteWe have a friend who chose to retire there, who lived in Miami for years. He loves it there.
ReplyDeleteThere’s a lot to ❤️.
DeletePrescott was on our short list for some time. It has all the stores we want and some nice hiking. But the cold weather is a little too long, most of the hiking outside the Granite Dells is in the forest, and the airport is way too far with family all on the east coast. So we moved it down the list. But it is one of the better places to settle.
ReplyDeletePrescott was on my list, too, before I chose Ashland 20 years ago. And now, here we are on the road for the past five years (but still with our home in Ashland for when we decide to settle down again). Before that time comes, though, we have lots more exploring to do!
ReplyDeleteThose murals are wonderful. And the food. I think it's time for us to make another trip to Prescott in our travels.