Return to Southwest USA Travel Page

an hour and a half drive north of Phoenix is the delightful town of Prescott, Arizona. Prescott (pronounced "PRESS-kit") is the seat of Yavapai county and was founded in 1864. It became the first territorial capital of Arizona, before statehood.

town square is dominated by a stately courthouse, and the walkway leading up to the statue is a timeline of the entire history of Prescott, dating back to the 1500s. The streets surrounding it are filled with many interesting, colorful places to eat and shop.

of those streets, the so-called "Whiskey Row" has a very eclectic mix of shops, saloons, and trading-post type stores that harken back to the bygone days when Arizona truly was the Wild West.

annual Indian Art Market is held in July and is a wonderful little festival with a select number of invited artists offering their generally high quality art for sale. The whole day is filled with Native American music, dancing, costumes and art. It's also a great excuse to drive up to Prescott, where the 5,000-foot elevation usually means that you can count on it being ten to fifteen degrees cooler than Phoenix.

tipi was built for the Art Market by a local tipimaker, who would build you one of your own (for a price, of course). The tipi was quite beautiful and amazingly spacious and roomy inside. I would love to have one of these.

One of my favorite places in visit in Arizona! Top of Page