visitprescott – On the Loose Live

Prescott Round-Up: 3 days of fun and adventure

January 6, 2019January 6, 2019livevigorously

I spent 3 incredibly fun days exploring the Prescott area and covered a fair amount of ground on foot and on bike sampling the local trails.

Downtown, historic Prescott, Arizona is charming, clean, friendly and fun. Lots of historic buildings, galleries, shops, restaurants, hotels and old-time saloons. I’m sure glad my road trip took me here. I had a blast exploring the area—hiking and mountain biking in the nearby Prescott National Forest by day and kicking up my heels on the saloon dance floors by night. As a solo woman traveler, I felt completely safe my entire trip. Nightlife – yes! Live music – yes! Dancing – yes!

WHAT I DID

Hiking:

Granite Basin

Spruce Mountain

Constellation Trails

Mountain Biking:

Prescott Valley to Prescott via the Iron King & Peavine Trails

Goldwater Lake

Roadtrip to Jerome

WHERE I ATE

Restaurants:

The Barley Hound Gastropub

Farm Provisions

WHERE I STAYED

Good night’s sleep on the “cheap” – basic, clean, quiet accommodations

Got into town late the first night and just needed a clean, quiet, safe place to stay. Here at the Rodeway Inn, I found friendly staff, a clean room, and comfy bed. Just basic was just right for that night for me. I left before the complimentary continental breakfast, but nice that they offer it.

Prescott Resort and Conference Center

Not quite on the same scale as a California “resort’, but nice enough. It certainly has stunning sunrise and sunset views across Prescott and a wonderful patio where you can enjoy them with a cocktail if you’re so inclined. The rooms were cozy, comfortable and clean and I’m guessing that most have great views too. I ate a decent, inexpensive meal in the casino and was pleasantly surprised by the quality. (The casino restaurant has daily specials so it’s worth checking out the restaurant there compared to the “resort restaurant” if you don’t care about ambiance.) I was traveling solo and had been hiking all day so it was just fine with me.

Hotel Saint Michael, Downtown/ Whiskey Row, Prescott, AZ

Location, location, location. On my final night in Prescott, I kicked up my heels and checked out the live music and saloon scene on Whiskey Row. If it’s a busy weekend you might need to pick your poison – some interior rooms with a super noisy generator or exterior room with rowdy crowds. Yes, the rooms and bathrooms are super dated – this is a historic (and word has it, haunted hotel – I expected that much. I didn’t expect the roar of the generator. Disclaimer, I’m a “sensitive sleeper”. But the noise was so LOUD, putting pillow over my head didn’t help. They should probably hand out earplugs here. Maybe they’re hoping you’ll come back from Whiskey Row so sloshed that you won’t hear a thing.

l in lobby saint michael hotel — The Lobby of the Hotel Saint Michael

Much left to explore. I’ll be back!

Dipping my toes into the Aspen Creek Trail #48, Prescott, AZ

December 18, 2018December 18, 2018livevigorously

It’s a pleasant hike along the miniature creek under the shade of Ponderosa pines and Juniper and Manzanita trees. Some say it’s one of the prettiest trails in Prescott. Keep a lookout for the rock formations. If you’re lucky, and look carefully enough, you might see the “secret waterfall” hidden there. (No water was running when I went.) After a mellow climb, you’ll reach a crest that yields expansive views of the surrounding ranges— the Sierra Prietas, the Bradshaws, and the San Francisco peaks. Here you can retrace your steps or continue on trail 48 to the southwest or explore trail 94115 to the north east. I read some reports that there’s an 11-mile hike that takes you to Thumb Butte. (Sounds like a car shuttle might be in order for that one unless you’re mountain biking or up for a marathon hike.)

Prescott’s dedication to their extensive trail system is admirable. Over my 3 days here, I’ve had the pleasure of exploring a sampler of them by foot and wheel (Thumb Butte, Spruce Mountain, Granite Basin, Goldwater Lake, Petroglyph Trail, Constellation Trails, and the Peavine/ Iron King Trails .) Just beware that the disparate systems, naming conventions and maps can be confusing. People mistakenly refer to trails by the wrong numbers. Different city and national forest websites may provide conflicting information on hike mileage and other details. I couldn’t figure out what the mileage was for this one. Oh and it’s another double misnomer hike – there are no Aspen trees on this trail despite the name and the creek is only a dribble. Perhaps it’s more of a creek in the spring?

Trail details: The first mile of the trail is part of the Prescott Circle Trail – it takes you up to a junction for trail 48 to the southwest or trail 94115 to the northeast. I’d rate it as easy. The Prescott Circle Trail is a network of city and Prescott National Forest trails that combine to make a 54-mile loop around Prescott. I’ll have to investigate more of these trails next time I’m in the area.

Getting there: 20 minutes from downtown Prescott. The Aspen Creek trailhead is on Copper Basin Road ~ 2 miles after it changes from blacktop to dirt. Parking is on the right and the trail head is on the left.

Notes: Mountain bikes & leashed dogs allowed

Suburban surprise: Panoramic views, petroglyphs and peaks, Prescott, AZ

December 10, 2018September 16, 2019livevigorously

PROS: Cool petroglyphs, mountain peak guide, and panoramic views all the way out to Humpreys Peak in Flagstaff

CONS: You’re surrounded by suburbia—it’s almost a stretch to call these “trails” as they intersect paved roads and housing developments and a golf course are always in sight. (Sigh.)

suburbia

If you’re into petroglyphs and /or just want to get some epic panoramic views of the area, it’s a must do. (Otherwise, you may not want to go out of your way for this one.) If you do, plan your visit at sunrise or sunset. (I wasn’t able to, but Ill bet the photo op would be epic.)

along the trail — Sweet single-track trail with Thumb Butte to the left in the distance

The Panorama Trail is a single-track trail that climbs steadily up from the park in the Prescott Lakes housing development towards a mesa. It crosses Solstice Drive and connects with the Petroglyph Trail, taking you to the top of a mesa, where you can find unprecedented views of the entire area and various petroglyphs. There’s an interesting guide to the petroglyph symbols.

Near the petroglyphs, there’s an exceptional etched metal guide to all the peaks you can see in the distance. It lists how many miles away they are and their elevation. I’ve never seen a peak guide so artfully done. Kudos to its creator. A nice surprise and great information.

Despite the inevitable housing development’s encroachment on the natural beauty here, they’ve compensated well with the perks on top of the mesa.

Stay tuned for my top picks of places to stay and eat and for more of my active escapades in and around Prescott.

Hiking:

Granite Basin

Spruce Mountain

Constellation Trails

Mountain Biking: Prescott Valley to Prescott via the Iron King & Peavine Trails

Goldwater Lake

Restaurants: The Barley Hound Gastropub

Farm Provisions

Kicking up my heels in the historic district of Prescott, AZ and beyond

October 26, 2018November 9, 2018livevigorously

In case you were wondering what downtown historic Prescott, Arizona is like—it’s charming, clean, friendly and fun. Lots of historic buildings, galleries, shops, restaurants, hotels and old time saloons. I’m sure glad my road trip took me here. I had a blast exploring the area—hiking and mountain biking in the nearby Prescott National Forest by day and kicking up my heels on the saloon dance floors by night. As a solo woman traveler, I felt completely safe my entire trip. (Though it appears some don’t—lol. The concealed carry handbag in the picture below was featured in one of the store windows.)