Postcard from Prescott – An Oasis of Coolness

I spent the better part of three days and two nights this last weekend in a lovely city that sits high above the surrounding desert and offers a break from the June scorching heat. Prescott, Arizona, about 100 miles northwest of Phoenix sits up at 5,300 feet.

While I was there, the high for each day was around 75 and the high 40’s at night. It was perfect for camping, which is exactly what I did. There is a very nice Forest Service Campground about three miles south of town.

Prescott became the first territorial capital of Arizona in 1864 until it was moved to Phoenix three years later. In 1877, the legislature again moved the capital back to Prescott for 12 more years…until it was finally moved back to Phoenix for the final time. Remember, Arizona did not become a state until early in the 20th century.

It is a very interesting city and has been called the most Midwestern-style city in all the Southwest. In the center of the city is the county courthouse, surrounded on all sides by a lovely park. When I was there this last weekend, there was a large art festival going on in the park, which for me, brought back many memories. (Photo #2)

But the most famous part of Prescott is right across the street…the infamous Whisky Row (Photo #3). Until 1956, it was the Red Light district. In 1900, a great fire destroyed most of the buildings on Whiskey Row. As legend has it, the patrons of the various bars simply took their drinks across the street to the Courthouse square and watched it burn. Today, you will find several drinking establishments still flourishing quite nicely.

On the more positive side, the city is blessed with many Victorian-style homes. In fact there are 525 buildings in the city listed on the National Register of Historic Places.

Getting to Prescott is easy from Phoenix as there is a beautiful highway that runs right off of Interstate 17. However, as I was going to Prescott from Blythe, CA (where I had been visiting my son), I chose Highway 89 which turned out to be a steep and twisty road for the last 20 miles or so where I could seldom get above 25 mph.

But it was all worth it as there are some beautiful pine forests up at that elevation that lead all the way into town. And being so close to town, I never actually cooked at my campsite…I just headed into town for meals.

While I really enjoyed myself in this fair city, it was the weather that was the real bonus for me. On my last morning there, I wore two coats to stay warm. But, as I headed down towards Phoenix, it wasn’t very long before the van’s A/C unit was running full blast.

Here are just three photos that I took this weekend, but more will follow shortly. Eventually, all the good Prescott photos will be on my Web site.