Prescott and the Granite Dells

On Monday, February 2 we took an all day trip with our friends Dan and Barb Bloem to Prescott, the original Territorial capital of Arizona. It is a two and a half hour drive north from Phoenix, so we got an early start but stopped about half way at the Rock Springs Cafe for some of their famous mile high pies. Mmmm good! Prescott is at a much higher elevation than Phoenix (5300') so the temperatures were slightly cooler (65F) but the sun was shining in a clear blue sky. We wandered around the old town square and looked into the Palace Saloon first opened in 1860 - the place that Wyatt Earp played cards and "Little Egypt" did her belly dancing to entertain the cowboys who came in from nearby mines and ranches. The Sharlot Hall Museum told the story of the early days of the Arizona Territory.
After lunch, we drove north of Prescott to the Granite Dells. Watson Lake was created by the damming of the Granite River and there are a wonderful jumble of rocks in and around the lake. In the distance, we could see the snow capped San Francisco Mountains and Humphries Peak just north of Flagstaff. A very photogenic place!