Granite Dells at Watson Lake Park

In the last few years, the water level has come down.  This is evidenced by the gray ring at the base of the exposed rocks.  However, just hiking around the perimeter is inspiring.  During warmer weather, boaters take to the water and the sails make very picturesque view.

Granite Dells with snow-capped mountain in the background

I’ve been back several times, so you know it is a great place to visit.

The park has a fee.  There are picnic tables, barbecue grills, restroom facilities, camping, boating rentals, fishing, horseshoe pits, playground equipment, hiking trails and a sense of peace and nature you won’t get many places.  People are generally respectful of the environment.

Much busier in the summer than other times of the year, Granite Dells is a place to add to your itinerary when you’re in the Prescott, Arizona area.

Location: 4 miles north of downtown Prescott on State Route 89.

http://www.cityofprescott.net/services/parks/parks/index.php?id=24

The Raven

Even though the image of the raven, if you look at Edgar Allan Poe, is forbidding, The Raven in Prescott is the exact opposite.  A friendly, comfy place, the old building that it is housed in has been made very welcoming.  Old wood, some couches in the window area and a pub atmosphere make it very hospitable.

You order at the counter and the staff is competent and friendly.  The lunch menu had many offerings.  What surprised us was the brochure showing their sustainable practices.  How many facilities have a whole, separate brochure detailing their food sources and sustainable practices?  Not many, that’s for sure!

The Raven - decked out for the holidays

And, it is a locavore’s delight!  Inventive creations like the very creamy tomatillo chicken potato quiche I tried were luscious.  The creamy vegetable soup was hot and hearty with carrots, celery, mushroom, corn and flavor.  On a cold winter day, it was perfect.  The homemade buttered toast – even though I’ve been trying to avoid carbs – was terrific.  Our extensive lunch (my husband tried the Deschutes Obsidian Stout) for two with my husband’s big burger was less than $30.  He said that the free range burger was a tiny bit dry – leanly raised cattle, you know, but it was cooked perfectly.

Dinner has steaks, duck and other goodies, but we can’t talk about that because we were there for lunch only.  However, the menu looked enticing.

There are other restaurants like The Raven in other cities that make unique food that is cooked with fresh ingredients with care, but I haven’t had such good food since – well, another locavore-focused restaurant in Eugene, Oregon.  (See my blog on September 18 on Adam’s Sustainable Table.) Even the herbal tea was unique, with sachets suspended over the tea to steep.

High recommendation!

Gurley St. Grill

Another cozy restaurant in Prescott is Gurley St. Grill, which has been around for a long time.  The current building was rebuilt using some of the old bricks from the original restaurant that burned a century ago.  The restaurant has been there a long time and for good reason.

Gurley St Grill reuses some of the old bricks from their previously burned building and adds some homey touches

Another pub-like place, the welcome is good, the food is great and the prices are reasonable.  Our waiter offered great service and was very personable. (Apologies – I forgot to write his name down.)  He didn’t come back so often that we wanted to tell him to leave us alone, as has been the case of late.  (This seems to be a trend.  Wait staff keep bugging you – you barely get a bite in your mouth and they’re asking you “How is your food tasting?”)  Our waiter got it just right.

When we asked him for some information, he stuck around to answer our questions, but did not rush us so he could “turn the table” and move things along.  Our tip reflected our great experience.

So, the food.  For a pub atmosphere, there were some inventive options on the menu.  I opted for comfort food with a thick, creamy “Sonoran Corn Chowder” to warm me up (it was below freezing and I’m used to Phoenix temperatures).  There was a hint of green chili in the soup, but just the right hint so it was wasn’t overpowering.  More is not always better – especially in a cream soup.  They got it just right.

Homemade garlic bread sticks brought to the table in a basket were another welcoming touch.

My husband had some toasted cheese ravioli in a creamy Alfredo cheese sauce that was very decadent.  (The other option was a marinara sauce.)  It was great – he ate every drop.

My pistachio breaded chicken salad was a filling combination of sweet potato fries, pistachios and very fresh greens with ranch dressing on the side.  The chicken did not have a pistachio taste to it, but the breading was very fine and not greasy.  My only –slight – complaint was that the moistness of the greens made the other ingredients a tiny bit soggy.  I ate every bit, though.

For dessert, we opted to share a deepdish apple pie a la mode.  The warm creation came in a big serving –we were glad we shared – and was very filling.  Not too sweet, but fulfilled our need for a sugar fix.

Gurley St Grill is very family-friendly because we saw some large family groups being served while we were there.

Other restaurants

We’ve previously eaten at The Palace, a saloon-like restaurant on atmospheric Whiskey Row.  Another old time place, the atmosphere IS great, with swinging saloon doors and a real Western look.  We didn’t find the lunch menu very exciting, though.  The dinner menu is extensive, but pricier than the two places we’ve highlighted.  I guess you pay for location.

We know that every taste differs.  For instance, we had a glowing referral to a certain Asian restaurant, but a Prescott native told us she didn’t think they were very good.  The mostly empty parking lot  on a Saturday night told us the story.  We won’t mention the name, since we didn’t try it for ourselves.

Happy New Year, everyone!  We hope you travel as much as you like and like where you travel!

Please visit our SHOP and find some memories to keep.

Next week:  A visit to the breath-taking Granite Dells.

Today, we share some of what we’ve learned about Prescott, a really interesting city.

Infamous and picturesque

In downtown Prescott, commerce is centered around the courthouse, as well as newer developments along the main highway, Route 69 (which comes west from Interstate 17). 

Yavapai County Courthouse - Prescott

On Montezuma Street in downtown, which runs on the west side of the block with the courthouse, you will see the famous and infamous Whiskey Row.   A century ago, it was the hotbed for activity and housed as many as 50 saloons and bars on the one block!

Whiskey Row

In the early 1900s, the street burned, but was quickly rebuilt.  The street and the Hotel St. Michael at the corner hosted famous people like the old movie star Tom Mix, and politicians like Barry Goldwater and Teddy Roosevelt during the 20th century.

Nowadays, there are art and antique shops, pubs, restaurants, a hotel and other shops to explore.  You could take hours just to travel to all of the shops and establishments in the one block!

Just a couple of blocks west of Whiskey Row, another part of Prescott’s history comes alive …

Important to Arizona

Prescott figured in Arizona’s history and, at one time, was even the capital of territorial Arizona.  If you visit the Sharlot Hall Museum (named after a real person named  - you guessed it – Sharlot Hall), you will see a home that was once the Arizona territorial governor’s as well as some historical exhibits begun by Ms Hall.

(Former) Governor's Mansion at Sharlot Hall Museum

The grounds of the museum contain a number of buildings, plantings, research libraries and, often, some fairs and festivals that highlight native and local crafts as well as music.

Gift Shop at Sharlot Hall Museum

Even children will find the exhibits interesting as they show how people lived years ago.

For a city of only about 43,000 population, there is a lot going on in Prescott most of the year.  They feature events around the courthouse, like fantastic art fairs and many gatherings, like their lighting ceremony for the holidays.

Also of interest, Prescott is famous for being  the location for the world’s oldest rodeo!  Quite a history for a town that now serves as the most charming place to visit and is rampant with quaint shops, places to eat and hotels.

Come back tomorrow and we’ll show you some of the special holiday decorations in Prescott.