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The land of breathtaking views and rolling hills.
Stop #1: Did you guess this town?
After one false start, we finally left Green Valley today and were on our way. I had left my phone back at the house, so I had to retrieve it. Fortunately, we hadn't made it all the way out of town yet, so it wasn't too much of a delay.
Prescott is a city with a rich history as a frontier gold and silver mining town.
It was on the chilly side, at 62 degrees, compared to the 82 degrees we left behind. In addition, when driving, you could feel the elevation rise to 5,400 ft. The first thing I spied getting out of the car was green grass, not the fake kind. Since I have been in an area where the landscape is primarily rocks and more rocks, I got really excited for the real deal and a bit nostalgic for the Northwoods. 
The courthouse is rather stately looking and a working one with an interesting museum inside. The town has some Asheville, NC vibes with quaint shops and restaurants. Judging from some of the shops, they are eco-friendly and health-minded business owners. Shortly after Prescott's founding in 1864, an area near the center of town began to accumulate saloons and other entertainment venues. At one point, more than 40 saloons stood next to one another in the Whiskey Row district. Today, you will find many unique shops, bars, and restaurants stretching over several blocks. The town is dog-friendly, complete with a dog bakery filled with lots of doggie treats.
We ate at an Italian restaurant whose pasta recipes are supposedly considered top secret and passed down through generations. So top secret that they had this safe installed. LOL, I found it in the ladies' bathroom.
The terrain looked tricky, as it is rather rocky, so I passed on the 5-mile trek around the lake. 
Nearby Willow Lake was almost as picturesque. It would have been nice to have a kayak today to explore the area by water rather than hiking.
Watson Lake is one of two reservoirs at the Granite Dells in Prescott that was formed in the early 1900s when the Chino Valley Irrigation District built a dam on Granite Creek. The City of Prescott bought the reservoir and surrounding land in 1997 to preserve it as recreational land. Local rock climbers use the granite cliffs above and adjacent to the lake for top-roping and lead climbing. It is a must-do on your trip to Prescott, offering stunning views of the lake and rocky landscape. My photos don't even come close to capturing the real essence of this landscape.
Reader Alert
We will reach Stop #2 on Friday.
Wait until you get to Minnesota. We are bursting green. All those rocks rimming that lake are daunting. It's beautiful in a unique way. Like you, I would have passed on trying to navigate around those rocks. Safe travels, my friend.
ReplyDeleteYes we had a safe trip back with no accidents, tickets or car problems.
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