Trip to Prescott, AZ

[nissangirl74]

This past week, all of the kids were gone to camp or Grandma's so Greg decided to surprise me with a mini getaway. He took me to Prescott AZ which is just slightly less than 100 miles North of Surprise. I had never been there, but had been told it was really nice. Although Prescott is less than two hours away, the climate is considerably different than Surprise. They actually have four seasons, the average high in the summer is in the low 80s, average lows in the high 50s. They don't have a lot of precipitation but they do get some snow in the wintertime. Believe you and me, when Surprise is pushing over 110*, weather like that sounds like heaven. Monday afternoon we headed up I-17 and actually drove through some rain and pretty angry looking clouds on the way. When we got past it though, the scenery was amazing.







Prescott Valley is known for some pretty incredible real estate, some homes going from half a million and up...way up. Here's a really nice one that was tucked away on the side of a hill. The recession hasn't seemed to have made a big impact here.


The town of Prescott reminds me a lot of the town that I lived in in Tennessee. It is historic, peaceful, and interesting. Life is laid back here, no one seems to be in a big hurry. The shops have some cool items for sale, the trees on the front lawn of the courthouse are amazing, and the food is out of this world. The Fish and shrimp at the Prescott Brewing Company is the best I have ever had, including every down home Southern fish fry I ever attended.








Prescott is also home to the famous Whiskey Row, named for the forty saloons and bars that once lined this street. Some of them are still here.




Totally random pic, have no idea of its significance


yes ladies and gentlemen, that IS an elk on top of that building


Greg got us an amazing room at the Prescott Resort for the night (for half price on Expedia - Jesda would be proud).




View from the balcony the next morning






That morning, after breakfast at ihop, we headed to Jerome. A very scenic drive with lots of these

and views like this



A very dilapidated train track. I had the zoom all the way in on these. I almost missed it.



Jerome used to be a very wealthy mining town that has turned into a tourist attraction. The population is only about 450. There are many artists who live there and sell their wares in the shops. The whole town was built into the side of the mountain. Gravity and rainwater has been its worst enemy. Many of the buildings have crumbled and slid down the side.

Notice the huge cracks










Notice the slope


Crack in one of the retaining walls


An old garage, built right into the side of the mountain.


Pig in the wall.


I have lots of pics of this town in the full Photobucket album, you can look at them if you want. It's a very neat place but definitely NOT one I would want to live in. Not enough mountain goat in my blood I guess.

I saw a few cool rides while I was up there too. Will be going back in Sept. for a Corvette meet.

Yes, this is a Ducati. The woman who owned this was awesome, she was decked out in full gear too. How cool is that?








Overall, a fantastic trip and a beautiful town. I have a feeling this is going to end up being our close-by getaway to beat the heat in Surprise when we can't even stand to be outside our house. Make sure you check out the photobucket album. There are a lot of fantastic pics in there. I was afraid if I posted anymore I would crash the server. Enjoy!

http://s304.photobucket.com/albums/nn16 ... 0/?start=0

[samxini]

Sounds like a nice trip out of this heat. At least the rains been cooling it off here a little bit.
I love Jerome, such a cool old town and lots of nice folks. Glad you guys had fun.

[ADDirishboy]

Looks fun! I love Prescott. Awesome place to get away to.

[wingFeather]

Hope you pronounced it "Preskit" LOL when I was up in Flagstaff I had a room mate who was from there. He always reminded me of the correct way to say it. My favorite area up that way is actually Sedona & Oak Creek canyon.

[AZhitman]

Good times. I'm really considering finding a little inexpensive "getaway" up there, even if it's a double-wide on an acre of land near a lake.

Sedona and Oak Creek are beautiful (that's where our wedding was), but it's a little too expensive to own a place there. Plus, the locals are kinda weird. Prescott Valley is *just* off the beaten path enough to be affordable, and still offers all the beauty and great weather, and the people are a little more "normal".

[infinitgkid]

I don't mean to threadjack, but I still can't get over the fact that the town you live in is called Surprise.

For some reasone, I just find that fascinating.

Sorry for being simple-minded, back to the original topic at hand!

[AZhitman]

I don't mean to threadjack, but I still can't get over the fact that the town you live in is called Surprise.

For some reasone, I just find that fascinating.

Sorry for being simple-minded, back to the original topic at hand!

The city was founded in 1938 by real estate developer and state legislator Homer C. Ludden, who named it after his hometown of Surprise, Nebraska. Although there were only a few houses and a gas station on the one-mile-square parcel of land when Ludden subdivided it to build inexpensive houses for agricultural workers, it was incorporated in 1960 and Surprise has experienced tremendous growth in the years since. (I believe it was the fastest-growing city in the US one year.)

[wingFeather]

Arizona has a bunch of cool names. The best I saw was Wet Beaver Creek :P

[Jesda]

Friggin awesome. Those views are amazing! I love gold rush remnants. Like the remaining pieces of Route 66, those old railways and structures tell a story about what brought people west.

[Mr1der]

looks nice. what's the elevation?

[nissangirl74]

looks nice. what's the elevation?

Prescott is 5,347 feet, Jerome is 5,200 feet. Some parts of I-17 we drove on were over 6,000. It varies quite a bit around there. When we were climbing the streets of Jerome, I could really tell that all of our exercise happens around 1,500 feet. It's almost like you can't take a full breath. I was really tired when that day ended.

I don't mean to threadjack, but I still can't get over the fact that the town you live in is called Surprise.

I figure Wes will live here one day, just so he can say he did!

[sx moneypit]

Great pictures Becky.Prescott would be a nice place to live.I have thought about moving there(my father lived in Sedona for about 20 years).By the way,what part of Tennessee are you from?

[nissangirl74]

Great pictures Becky.Prescott would be a nice place to live.I have thought about moving there(my father lived in Sedona for about 20 years).By the way,what part of Tennessee are you from?

I am from Greeneville. It's a small town in upper east Tennessee about 40 miles northeast of Pigeon Forge, +/- 70 miles from Knoxville. I had an aunt who lived in Sedona for years who moved to Prescott and then to Sun City. All beautiful places.

[Beancooker]

I see you made it over Mingus to Jerome. I lived there for a while. I was born down the hill in Cottonwood. Damn I don't miss that place until I see the pics.

We met Maynard Keenan of Tool right where you took the pic of the "Garage in the mountain" with the Prescott sign. Right when he moved into town, we were above the road in the park right next to that garage, and were snowballing cars as they drove past. His was one, he got out and flipped us crap. Turned out to be a pretty cool guy. Then he became famous.

[nissangirl74]

I see you made it over Mingus to Jerome. I lived there for a while. I was born down the hill in Cottonwood. Damn I don't miss that place until I see the pics.

We met Maynard Keenan of Tool right where you took the pic of the "Garage in the mountain" with the Prescott sign. Right when he moved into town, we were above the road in the park right next to that garage, and were snowballing cars as they drove past. His was one, he got out and flipped us crap. Turned out to be a pretty cool guy. Then he became famous.

When's the last time you were there?

[Otto.]

Looks like a really fun time. Thanks for sharing!

The carpet in the hotel room is pretty ugly.

That old train track up on the hill is amazing. Hard to believe that it ever supported a train. You positive that it was ever in use?

[AZhitman]

Hard to believe that it ever supported a train. You positive that it was ever in use?

Nah, in Arizona we just hang train tracks on the side of a mountain for decoration.

Actually, it's a rail line for ore carts, I believe. Part of an old mine system.

[Otto.]

Hard to believe that it ever supported a train. You positive that it was ever in use?

Nah, in Arizona we just hang train tracks on the side of a mountain for decoration.

Actually, it's a rail line for ore carts, I believe. Part of an old mine system.

I was right for doubting that a train ever used it.

[nissangirl74]

I was right for doubting that a train ever used it.

I sure as hell would have never rode in it.