Lynx Lake, Prescott, AZ

We stopped by Lynx Lake the first day of our stay in Prescott.  It is a beautiful lake, although it was a bit below its normal level.  There were plenty of picnic tables there for folks to enjoy the view.  I read somewhere that a pair of eagles had a nest on the side of this lake, but I didn't hear them.

And on a sad note...another fox is gone

Another fox has been hit by a vehicle up on Highway 74, which runs along Deep Canyon.  This is the third one I've seen since December.  It is making me wonder if there are kits that now don't have a parent...sigh...Really, the people driving up that road need to SLOW DOWN!!!!  I don't have any photos of the foxes myself (since I only see the dead ones), but I did find these photos online.  I did notice that the foxes had both gray and some red one them, but I'm not sure which scientific name would apply to them.

The Granite Dells

There's a place right outside of Prescott called the Granite Dells.  There's even a park where you can go, pay $2.00, and then park and climb and hike out on the rocks.  We were there twice in the afternoon, one time later than the other.  On this afternoon, however, there were wispy white clouds in the sky and they added another dimension to the colors of the rocks.  I wish I could have climbed further down the rocks, but with my knee like it is, I have to err on the side of caution these days!  I did include a couple of people in their kayaks, thus violating my preference of taking photos WITHOUT homo sapiens...sigh...I guess it's okay to include people once in a while!  Anyway, we enjoyed our visits to the Granite Dells.

More of Jerome

Jerome is such an interesting, old mining town!  I really hope that SOMEDAY we'll be able to park and walk around the town, but that didn't happen on this trip!  The streets are very narrow and parking is at a premium!  And, the streets are very hilly and steep!  But, even driving through the town is interesting.  There are so many old houses and buildings to admire!

Wildflower Bread Company and Gaelyn~Whimsical Windows and Delirious Doors~040912

I met fellow blogger Gaelyn, of Geogypsy, while we were in Prescott.  She was in town for an appointment and I emailed her and asked if we could meet.  We met at the Wildflower Bread Company, which is up on a plateau near town.  We sat and chatted for over an hour and it was so good to meet her in person!  It's always nice to meet fellow bloggers.  She has a new Nikon camera and was asking us about lenses and filters.  Hubby, being the "expert" that he is, was able to give her lots of advice.  I LOVE the windows at Wildflower.  They let in the natural light and the whole place is so cozy...I could stay there all day and drink their passionflower tea!  Thank you, Gaelyn, for spending the afternoon with us and sharing your adventure stories!  She has LOTS of interesting stories to tell from her years as a seasonal park ranger!  WWDD for Monday, April 9, 2012. To visit WWDD, please go to:    http://iwishiwereaphotographer.blogspot.com/2012/04/whimsical-windows-delirious-doors-19.html

Camp Verde Historical Park, Camp Verde, AZ

The Camp Verde Historial Park is unlike any other military fort we have visited in Arizona.  At this one, you can actually go inside the remaining houses and see how they were furnished and decorated at the time.  Only 3 of them are still standing from the original 20 or so...the others were torn down for firewood!  The historical museum is an interesting tour.  Then, you can see the commanding officer's house, the officers' quarters and the doctor's house.  It is fascinating to view the primitive medical tools used at the time (...shudder...).  I was reading about the fort and it said the doctors who were stationed there ranged from medical school graduates to...er...those less qualified!  I also noticed that doctors didn't stay there very long.  Most stayed for a year or less.  General Crook stayed in the commander's house while he was there hunting Geronimo. The buildings were nice and clean and well kept and the remaining houses all had new roofs!  At one point, you can see the adobe walls and the museum office was a well kept and cool building.  Adobe really works to help keep the buildings cool!  If you are in the area, DO stop and take the self-guided tour and explore the museum building.  It was interesting to read how the soldiers were given post-Civil War uniforms, in an effort to economize, but the soldiers soon learned to shed them and wear white cotton ones instead, due to Arizona's heat.  I guess wool uniforms don't wear well in the summer!  It was also interesting to learn that there was never a fence or wall around the fort.  It was never attacked.  Instead the Indians raided nearby settler homesteads.  The fort was abandoned in the late 1800's and was actually sold off in 1899.  Fortunately, these remaining buildings survived and you can now see how the soldiers of the 1870's and 1880's lived.

Jerome~Friday Fences~040512

Yesterday we got up early and drove up through Jerome, Tizigoot, then Cottonwood, and CampVerde.  We also stopped at Montezuma's Well.  We drove back to Prescott through Jerome toward the late afternoon, but there was a lot of traffic on the narrow road through town, so we didn't stop.  Come to think of it, I don't believe we have EVER stopped and parked in Jerome!  We did stop at the mining museum there in town and paid the $5 each to go inside.  Very interesting!  If you ever have a chance (and it's open...) do stop at the mining museum.  The bottom  fence photo is from the museum. We did find a nice place to eat for lunch in Cottonwood~The Tavern Grill. And, on our way home, we twice spotted pronghorns along the road.  Hubby spotted the first group.  They were all laying down and I just sailed right by them.  But, I spotted the second group of 4 and pulled over to take some photos of this one who was interested in observing us, but not for long!  Bye! and off he went! To visit Friday Fences, please go to:   http://lifeaccordingtojanandjer.blogspot.com/