Tucson-Wickenburg-Prescott-Tucson, Arizona

April 19 - 23, 2023: 

This is to be a five day road trip, sort of a shake down cruise, to the northern Arizona areas of Wickenburg and Prescott which I haven’t explored much.  This area is north of Phoenix which I'm trying to avoid as much as possible.  The alternate route is bypass routes 202 and 303 which loop around the outskirts of the city and then reconnect to AZ-10 on the northern part of Phoenix.  I’m not sure this was beneficial as this route seemed to be so much longer and also was very congested in places.  It’s also a little depressing riding these bypass routes and seeing nothing but new development and miles of distribution centers to support the ever expanding metropolis of Phoenix.  Much of this development is replacing former farm country, it will all be gone in another decade or so. Oh well, that’s progress ? Eventually I get onto route 60 heading northwest into open country.   

Approaching Wickenburg, AZ I pull into a roadside rest area where are interesting signs about the adjacent Hassayampa River, the former indigenous people, early settlers and local history.   I wanted to see the river, but it was out of sight and the area was securely fenced. As I traveled a few more miles I then saw an entrance to the Hassayampa River  Preserve and pulled in.  It turned out to be an area managed by the Nature Conservancy, an amazing organization.  Their visitor center is an impressive old building once owned by a former resident who had developed a campground on the site.  There are walking trails in the preserve to the river but most were temporarily closed due to recent flooding.  I was still able to take a nice loop trail through a forest of Fremont Cottonwoods and Mesquite trees and magnificent stands of towering California Fan Palms.  The area is lush with vegetation with very swampy areas and lots of bird life.

Upside down river ?

The palms are towering

Lush green waters in Arizona

Arriving in Wickenburg, Arizona I find an attractive town with a heavy, cowboy culture / rodeo / dude ranch flavor.  There is the old railroad depot, in beautiful condition, now the visitors center with an old retired steam locomotive out front.  Wickenburg started with the coming of the railroad as did most towns in the west. A block away is the Desert Caballeros Western Museum, actually is more of an art gallery.  It’s having a special exhibit, "Cowgirl Up !", quite impressive, but after a hundred or so rodeo and horse paintings I'm done.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wickenburg,_Arizona

Lots of great art on display

The museum entrance is very Cowgirl

I then do a walking downtown tour and eventually find my way to the Hassayampa River where the original bridge is now a pedestrian walking bridge.  A sign tells how the rivers elevation has risen necessitating the new higher highway bridge.  It appears that the river was nearly flooding a few days ago with signs of water across the entire wide flood plain.  

Interesting legend, was Trump here ?

The River view

There are several interesting buildings on the main street, the Saguaro Theater and a couple of saloons were appealing to me.  There is an attractive Mexican restaurant on a side street that looks interesting until I see the nasty political signs at the front entrance.  They won't get any money from me !

Beautiful Theater with equally good neon at night

Classic gas station on Route 60

A good western vibe neighborhood bar

The Jail Tree is highlighted on the walking tour guide, it's historic

Beautiful mural

Nicely done locomotive exhibit

 

On day 2, I head on route 89 towards Prescott, Arizona with a planned stop at the ghost town of Congress.  I pass a group of buildings adjacent to the railroad tracks that appears to be the original rail depot.  I believe this to be Congress Junction, but it's all very confusing as there is a lack of signs.  I eventually see a sign for the Pioneer Cemetery within sight of the old mine site and head for it, I expect this is the original old Congress (Ghost Town ) site.  This area is now BLM land and open for dispersed camping.  The mine site may still be active, but it is gated shut with No Trespassing signs.  The pioneer cemetery was quite spooky, very photogenic, but basically being overtaken by the desert and slowly decaying into the earth, probably as it should be. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Congress,_Arizona 

 

Beautiful scenery along the way

The Pioneer Cemetary

The cactus are looking healthy

I believe that is the very poisonous Sacred Datura plant at the grave site

The Depot is adjacent to the active rail line

Nearby is this old garage, water tank and manure spreader

The roadside wild flowers were beautiful

The drive from Wickenburg to Prescott involves driving up a steep winding road over the mountain range into the Prescott National Forest? I exit the road to check out a forest campground, but it allowed camping only in designated campsites and there weren’t many of them.  It was close to downtown Prescott and could work for me if the downtown stealth camping situation doesn't go well.  It turned out that parking overnight in downtown Prescott was no problem.

 It’s early afternoon when I pull into downtown Prescotts touristy “Whiskey Row” area bustling with activity.  Prescott has a vibrant downtown with much shopping, dining and several nostalgic wild western themed Saloons.  There is a tree lined central square containing the Court House on one side of Whiskey Row that adds some serenity and respect to the area. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Prescott,_Arizona 

Prescott was the original Territorial Capital of Arizona prior to Arizona statehood and has much history.  I visited an outstanding history museum, the Sharlot Hall Museum in the downtown area where the original Territorial Capital log cabin and the home of John Fremont are located.  This museum was established by an amazing woman, Sharlot Hall, as so many museums seem to be.

I also visited the “Museum of Indigenous People” in a beautiful stone building constructed in 1931.  It houses a collection of historic Maricopa, Mojave, Papai and local Prescott Culture Pottery from approximately 800 -1400 AD.  It also houses several beautiful paintings done by Kate Cory who lived at the Hopi Mesas from 1905-1912 and retired to Prescott in 1912.  It’s ironic how in just about every western town you enter, the native Indians are romanticized in murals, artworks, business names and products often by decedents of the early settlers who took their land, considered them savages and forced them onto to reservations in areas considered to be of no worth.

The First Arizona Territorial  Building was very well built

The first "Professional" Rodeo in Arizona

They sure look the part

Yep, That's how the west was won

Ironic how William Prescott was never in Arizona

Just a fun loving group of men ?

So gold was needed to finance the Civil War (to free the slaves) which led
to forts and troops to protect the miners from the hostile Indians, while
non hostile Indians were recruited to battle the hostile Indians. 

The Indian scouts were critical for the success of the Army

The Museum of Indigenous People is beautiful

Painting done by Kate Cory

The Museum of the Indigenous People

I probably spent far too much time on Whiskey Row in the various shops and in several of the historic saloons just looking and buying almost nothing.  Sad to say, I found none of the Saloons very interesting, in fact most were sort of trashy with mediocre bands at night.  The one place I did enjoy was a second floor bar called the "The Attic” that had a great Thursday evening Blues Jam which was mostly local talent and customers.  I ended up there on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights, nothing else on the Whiskey Row appealed.  Overall however, the downtown area is clean and attractive, lots of interesting shops, many restaurants and easy free parking.

An interesting  downtown mural 

Attractive downtown building 

Welcome to Prescott

A Whiskey Row view

City view with Thumb Butte in the distance

I liked this mural

Jersey Lilly Saloon had an interesting 2nd floor room

The Grumpy Sicilian Pizza Shop was great

Prescott started along the Granite Creek where they are now improving the walking trail

Sign in "The Attic"

Getting away from the Whiskey Row area, I do a short but steep trail which climbs about 1,000 feet uphill on Thumb Butte, which is a local favorite hike and a notable area landmark.  It’s a loop trail, which is half natural terrain through a forest setting and the other half a steeper paved surface to reduce trail erosion.  Totally by chance I had taken the natural trail half on the uphill leg of the trail which appeared to be the easier way to go. 

   

The summit area is closed to protect the Peregrine Falcons

Forested views on the trail

The other hike I did was approximately a 5 mile hike on the Peavine rail trail into the Granite Dells.  The Granite Dells area is not to be missed, the rails to trails portion is a favorite of walkers and bikers, mostly flat into the Dells or you can take a side trail into the rocky slick rock terrain with incredible views.  The Dells are a series of convoluted, jumbled rocks (crazy geology) with a man made reservoir, Lake Watson in the center created by the damming of Granite Creek.  An extensive  trail network runs around the perimeter of the Lake. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Granite_Dells

Wonderful ancient huge Cottonwood Trees

Railroad bridge

Rails to trails view approaching the Lake

A view from the rocks on the alternate hiking route

Nice reflection along the trail

Another tranquil stop along the trail

I spent three days in the Prescott, AZ area and then left on Sunday morning traveling on route 169 to route 17 south.  I exit the highway to venture into the Agua Fria National Monument on the “Bloody Basin Road”, such a great road name !  This road is easily passable at most times with a normal car, but side roads may require 4WD.  It is a good BLM dispersed camping area, lots of open areas, but nothing else, pretty wild country.  I stopped at a roadside pull off and did a short ramble up to a small knoll, carefully looking for snakes and only saw one, well in advance who was not poisonous.  The wildflowers were incredible, this is an excellent year due to the above average winter rainfall. It’s truly remarkable how the desert transforms from half dead to vibrant green so quickly with a little moisture. I take the Bloody Basin Road for about 10 miles to the Agua Fria River crossing where there was running water over the roadway.  The river here is part oasis with large Cottonwood trees lining its banks and flood plain in stark contrast to the surrounding desert landscape.

https://www.americansouthwest.net/arizona/agua_fria/national_monument.html

This guy was quite a beauty !

Great views from here

Amazing geometric head on this wild plant

The poppies are amazing in this wild desert wilderness

The Agua Fria River valley

Continuing south on route 17, some of the roadside scenery was really great due to the huge wildflower bloom in progress.  

Entering the Phoenix area, I exiting route 17 onto bypass routes 101 and 202 to avoid the Phoenix congestion.  This eventually puts me back onto Route 10 further south and again I’m thinking this is more trouble that it is worth.  I’m now comfortably cruising in the right lane on route 10 slightly under the speed limit when two crazy, lunatic motorcyclists blast past at high speed, threading the needle between me and another car on the center line.  I didn’t even hear them approaching until they were right there, mere inches from my side view mirror.  Amazing to me why people take chances like this, but I’m quite certain if they continue, they will meet an unpleasant end.  Driving today is like that, so many people take crazy chances, at high speed, weaving in and out of traffic lanes, but most of the time the much improved safety of todays cars saves their ass.

I've done it again, this blog is way to complicated, I keep telling myself to "Keep it simple, Stupid".   

The Van ran great during this trip, no issues at all, the way I like it.  More road trips will be taken, I have a few good years left, stay tuned.