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	<title>Travel Tips and Adventures &#187; Restaurant</title>
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		<title>Traveling to Boise, ID – Oh, Boy, Boise!</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1921</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1921#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jul 2010 10:00:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Idaho]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Boise ID]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crafts]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1921</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[We spent two terrific days in Boise, Idaho and wished we had more time.  After starting in West Yellowstone and driving west on Interstate 86, then Interstate 84, and contending with construction traffic, we finally arrived. Hyatt Place We checked into the Hyatt Place Boise on North Milwaukee Street not too far from the highway, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>We spent two terrific days in Boise, Idaho and wished we had more time.  After starting in West Yellowstone and driving west on Interstate 86, then Interstate 84, and contending with construction traffic, we finally arrived.</p>
<h3>Hyatt Place</h3>
<p>We checked into the Hyatt Place Boise on North Milwaukee Street not too far from the highway, our first experience at a Hyatt Place.  We were impressed!</p>
<p>The friendly staff was smiling and efficient.  If we hadn’t had so many questions as first-timers, we could actually have used the automated check in.  However, our host was eager to show us around in the lobby.  Everything is easy to access.</p>
<p>The décor is sleek and inviting.  We really liked the room, too.  Technology is very much accounted for- you can use the free wireless Internet connections or dock your iPod. The bed is in an alcove-like arrangement so there is a feeling of a suite.  The “living room” has a fabulous couch that wraps around with an ottoman.  In the “office area” a desk with connections faces away from a small fridge with a wet sink and a coffee maker. <a href="http://boisetownesquaremall.place.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/place/index.jsp">http://boisetownesquaremall.place.hyatt.com/hyatt/hotels/place/index.jsp</a></p>
<p>Great space!</p>
<h3>Boise Farmers Market</h3>
<p>If you’ve been reading the blogs, you know that we wouldn’t miss a Farmers’ Market.  Boise’s Farmers Market is certainly worth seeing!  Such fun – and four blocks worth of scrumptious fresh produce, hand made items and entertainment in downtown Boise every Saturday, from 9:30 AM &#8211; 1:30 PM.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Boise Farmers Market -downtown and fun" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4803706346_0393d7d5a0.jpg" alt="Lots of fun and fresh food and great handmade crafts" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Boise Farmers Market</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Fountains and fun at the Boise Farmers Market" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4121/4803702388_8a8dcc1ab4.jpg" alt="One end of the four-block Boise Farmers Market" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">A fun way to spend a Saturday</p></div>
<p>The atmosphere is entertaining and everyone seems to be in a festive mood.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/video_download.gne?id=4803722276">Entertainers at Boise Downtown Farmers Market</a></p>
<p>Fresh cheese, delicious brittle pine nut candy, and some hand-carved wooden items were some of the great items we purchased.  If we had lived there, we would have chosen fresh eggs, meats, flowers and – well, it would be hard to hold us back!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Four blocks of vendors and fun at Boise Farmers Market" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4140/4803079119_af84730b84.jpg" alt="Four blocks of vendors and fun at Boise Farmers Market" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Boise Farmers Market has almost everything everyone would ever want to eat - cheese, eggs, meats, fresh produce, candy - and crafts</p></div>
<p>Then, we decided on a fun café/pub-like restaurant, the Brick Oven Bistro, at 801 Main Street.  After review of an enormous menu of soups, salads, main dishes with so many choices I had trouble choosing, I had some terrific food.  The portions were enormous and the staff was competent, efficient and friendly.  I spilled my soup as I sat down and a staffer was so nice about cleaning up my messy spot at the table. Reasonable prices, great food, fun atmosphere – we recommend Brick Oven Bistro! <a href="http://www.brickovenbistro.com/">http://www.brickovenbistro.com/</a></p>
<p><em>Come back next week when we take a jaunt to a penitentiary where they cultivate flowers!</em></p>
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		<title>Traveling with the Cowboys at the Blazin’ M Ranch</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1837</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1837#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 05 Mar 2010 10:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cowboy Show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blazin' M Ranch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Humor]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Music]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1837</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Once you’ve settled down after your dinner (see previous blog), you’re ready for even more fun.  The Blazin’ M offers ”Cowboy music, poetry and tomfoolery.”  The Blazin’ M Cowboys are a rollicking, talented musical quartet – not to be missed! They play the old cowboy tunes, like “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Along the Navajo Trail,” “Cool, Clear [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Once you’ve settled down after your dinner (see previous blog), you’re ready for even more fun.  The Blazin’ M offers ”Cowboy music, poetry and tomfoolery.”  The Blazin’ M Cowboys are a rollicking, talented musical quartet – not to be missed!<span id="more-1837"></span></p>
<p>They play the old cowboy tunes, like “Tumbling Tumbleweeds,” “Along the Navajo Trail,” “Cool, Clear Water,” and others that most people have heard.  The foursome does the songs well.  Here are samples &#8211; -</p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/video_download.gne?id=4407571076">Man of Constant Sorrow </a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/ttaa/4393419784/#sendtoset">The Blazin\&#8217; M Cowboys perform</a></p>
<p>(Our first video posts &#8211; we plan many more!)</p>
<p>The players – Bill Bassett, Jim Dufresne, Reno McCormick, and Sheila McCormick (yes, they are married – which adds to some of the razzing), put on a great show.  They have chemistry as a group and intersperse their performance with funny hats, silly stories and varied types of music.  They feature each performer as lead and the very quiet Jim Dufresne turns out to be exceptionally gifted and amazing as he plucks his guitar.  Bill Bassett has a great announcer persona and voice as well as doing his instrumentals; Reno McCormick is quite versatile as he plays violin (“fiddle”), banjo, guitar and mandolin; Sheila McCormick plays her bass with authority and has a strong, sweet voice.  The group has been playing together for about 10 years and it shows.</p>
<p><!--more-->At one point, flashes of lightning and a ghost seem to appear and it is spooky and funny.  Another visitor is the infamous “Otis,” quite a character.  I won’t say more and spoil the fun. Be prepared – they even have a singalong!</p>
<p>So, if you have the opportunity to visit the Blazin M’ Ranch in Cottonwood, AZ, you’ll have a fun, family evening.  If you’re celebrating your birthday, you’ll even be called up to the front for recognition and a funny hat!   We were seated next to a woman who was there for her birthday.  She was grinning from ear to ear.</p>
<p>Yippee-ki-ay!  Come on down and join the fun!</p>
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		<title>Traveling to the Blazin&#8217; M Ranch Dinner Theatre</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1829</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1829#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 03 Mar 2010 10:00:02 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cowboy Show]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romantic Locations]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scenery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Theater]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Blazin' M Ranch]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Cottonwood]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crafts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Historic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Petting zoo]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Near the picturesquely named Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona, the Blazin’ M Ranch – and Dinner Theatre- conveys a feeling of the Old West, both its hospitality and its rambunctious good times. Run by the Mabery family, Blazin’ M offers an old western town, plus a petting zoo, an all-you can-eat dinner [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Near the picturesquely named Dead Horse Ranch State Park in Cottonwood, Arizona, the Blazin’ M Ranch – and Dinner Theatre- conveys a feeling of the Old West, both its hospitality and its rambunctious good times.<span id="more-1829"></span></p>
<p>Run by the Mabery family, Blazin’ M offers an old western town, plus a petting zoo, an all-you can-eat dinner and a rollicking cowboy show.  They have a sense of humor, too!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Think about it --" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4045/4393662152_098d956235.jpg" alt="Just punishment?  Think about it!" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Just punishment?  Think about it!</p></div>
<p>So, it’s a family attraction, now in its 16th year, and one that appears to have a lot of repeat visitors, plus people who come from far away.  The prize for the furthest distance traveled at our dinner show was a South American visitor!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 385px"><img title="Llama wasnt eager to pose" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4393382148_9aac693960.jpg" alt="Llama wasnt eager to pose, but we finally got his good side" width="375" height="500" /><p class="wp-caption-text"> We finally got his &quot;good side&quot;</p></div>
<p>The petting zoo had a llama, some turkeys, goats, chickens, donkeys, and horses.  None of them wanted to pose.  I guess we finally got their ”good” side, but they didn’t make it easy.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 385px"><img title="Petting zoo turkey didnt want to pose" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2743/4393387988_ccec1e0d32.jpg" alt="Petting zoo turkey didnt want to pose" width="375" height="500" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Petting zoo turkey didn&#39;t want to pose</p></div>
<p>We wandered by the roping practice area where a guest was learning how to rope a horse – and doing a good job, at that.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Roping practice at the Blazin M" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2722/4392626677_b98b4fdeee.jpg" alt="Roping practice at the Blazin M" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Roping practice at the Blazin&#39; M</p></div>
<p>Several shops offered some typical tourist memorabilia, plus you could have your photo taken.  There was also cowboy attire like clothing, hats and boots in the shops.  Crafts, food items and especially women’s clothing were available.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 385px"><img title="Cowboy boots lined the wall of this shop" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2783/4392620671_402f4f7761.jpg" alt="Cowboy boots lined the wall of this shop" width="375" height="500" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Cowboy boots lined the wall of this shop</p></div>
<p><strong>The Dinner part of the Dinner Theater</strong></p>
<p>Magically, when the dinner bell rang, staffers who had been helping in the shops suddenly appeared in the dinner hall.</p>
<p>Dinner service was accomplished efficiently by taking guests table by table (everyone is seated family-style at long tables) through the food line.  And, magically, the staffers also doubled as food servers.  Those family members and staff really work hard!  It was funny seeing the rough-and-tumble looking “cowboys” wearing plastic gloves for the food service.</p>
<p>Dinner was much like cowboys might experience on the trail.  Lining up to receive your tin plate, you joined the line. There is a choice of chicken or beef brisket in barbecue sauce. (On the first round, then you could have whatever you wanted.) With that came cowboy beans (vegetarian), coleslaw, baked potatoes, rolls, applesauce, spice cake and basic drinks in tin cups. (Specialty sodas extra.)</p>
<p>A vegetarian could have most of the meal, an unusual concession, since in the Old West you ate what was available.  While not fancy, the food was filling and good.  I didn’t find the barbecue sauce cloyingly sweet like some places serve and I ate the whole slice.  The cole slaw and applesauce were very good.  Everything, except the applesauce, is made on the premises.</p>
<p>During dinner, a master of ceremonies works at getting people in a convivial mood.  Then, they start the dinner show.  That’s the fun part that we’ll share with you later this week.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.blazinm.com">http://www.blazinm.com</a></p>
<p><em>Come back later this week for the Blazin’ M dinner theatre – a rollicking, tuneful, fun time!</em></p>
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		<title>Travel to Clarkdale, AZ</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1823</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1823#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:00:54 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Art]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Historic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Railroad]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Clarkdale]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mining town]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scenery]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Singing the words to the Monkees&#8217; old hit, “Last Train to Clarksville” and replacing “Clarkville” with Clarkdale seemed appropriate because we stopped in Clarkdale on our way to the Verde Canyon Railroad (see Friday, February 26 blog).A small town, Clarkdale was founded to serve as a mining community in 1912 and, with the mines closing [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Singing the words to the Monkees&#8217; old hit, “Last Train to Clarksville” and replacing “Clarkville” with Clarkdale seemed appropriate because we stopped in Clarkdale on our way to the Verde Canyon Railroad (see Friday, February 26 blog).<span id="more-1823"></span>A small town, Clarkdale was founded to serve as a mining community in 1912 and, with the mines closing up, the town mostly survives with retirees and the connection to the Verde Canyon Railroad.  As in some small towns, the few shops they have are really good at what they do.  In this case, we’re talking about the Main Street Café and Pizzeria…</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Good food at Main Street Cafe and Pizzeria" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4065/4393410252_d86414b020.jpg" alt="Good food at Main Street Cafe and Pizzeria" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Good food at Main Street Cafe and Pizzeria</p></div>
<h3>Main Street Café and Pizzeria</h3>
<p>Since we wanted to be done with lunch and to the railroad station prior to 1:00 PM, we arrived at Main Street Café and Pizzeria shortly after they opened at 11:00 AM.  We were the first, but, eventually, not the only customers.</p>
<p>And, wow, what great food!  I don’t usually eat pizzas, but the Chicken Florentine pizza – personal sized – kept enticing me, so I ordered it.  It was a real bargain, too, with many toppings for only $8.  It was terrific and I was so glad I tried it! Hot, fresh ingredients, crispy thin crust, alfredo sauce with just the right flavor, big meaty chunks of chicken, fresh spinach and tomato. I was going to take some with me, but I ate the whole thing – so good!</p>
<p>My husband had the 1/3 lb. Angus burger with mushrooms and mozzarella, cooked medium rare as ordered.  Served on a giant, round, baguette-like fresh roll, it was quite a mouthful and he cleaned his plate.</p>
<p>While we ate, we looked around at the art gallery on the walls.  Our room had some quite interesting elementary school art, but the larger room had what looked like professional artists, who turned out to be high school students.  Impressive work!</p>
<p>Our wait staffer, Linda, is a retiree who works two days a week for some variety in life.  The chef/owner Scott does all of the cooking and is turning out some very fresh and flavorful food in the little burg.</p>
<p><a title="Main St. Cafe, Clarkdale" href="http://clarkdalemainstcafe.com/">http://clarkdalemainstcafe.com/</a><!--more--></p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Owner, Scott Buckley, of Main Street Cafe and Pizzeria" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2793/4393386530_d4120eda09.jpg" alt="Owner, Scott Buckley, of Main Street Cafe and Pizzeria - great food at reasonable prices" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Owner, Scott Buckley, of Main Street Cafe and Pizzeria - great food at reasonable prices</p></div>
<h3>Looking around Clarkdale</h3>
<p>Before we hopped the train, we drove around Clarkdale, which didn’t take long.  It truly looked like America of years gone by.  The town square with its gazebo could be a set for “The Music Man.”</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Clarkdale Town Square" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2784/4392637521_9eb3bddb54.jpg" alt="Clarkdale Town Square" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Clarkdale Town Square</p></div>
<p>Most of the tidy homes are built with brick, unusual for Arizona.</p>
<p>The Clark Memorial Clubhouse, which is on the National Historic Register, had unusual features like a bowling alley in the basement.  There is a museum in the complex, plus a library. William Clark, the founder of the town was also the owner of the United Verde Copper Company, which was the reason for the town, since he needed a place to locate the smelter to extract copper and Jerome wasn’t working well for that. (More on Jerome next week.)</p>
<p>In the distance, snow-covered mountain peaks that give a view of Jerome make you feel like you might be in the Alps.</p>
<p>Our short visit in Clarkdale ended with our trip on the Verde Canyon Railroad and, if you can imagine a location even tinier than how we’ve described Clarkdale, Perkinsville tops that.  Perkinsville is only a few buildings, one family and some cattle.  Pretty lonely except for the visits of the Verde Canyon Railroad.</p>
<p><em>Join us Wednesday for our short travel from Clarkdale to the Blazin’ M Ranch.</em></p>
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		<item>
		<title>Busy in Bisbee AZ – Shopping!</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1795</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1795#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:00:19 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Entertainment - Adult]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scenery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Crafts]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Desert]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Historic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Nature]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Romantic Travel]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Bisbee is quite the artists’ colony and gives a shopper many opportunities to find that perfect gift.  We were looking for a pottery casserole with lid.  Although we didn’t find that, both my husband and I had the exact same reaction to a gorgeous, red pottery bowl – We had to have it! Fortunately, the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<div class="mceTemp">
<div style="text-align: left;"><span style="line-height: 17px; font-size: x-small;">Bisbee is quite the artists’ colony and gives a shopper many opportunities to find that perfect gift.  We were looking for a pottery casserole with lid.  Although we didn’t find that, both my husband and I had the exact same reaction to a gorgeous, red pottery bowl – We <strong>had</strong> to have it!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 250px"><img title="Bisbee bowl" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4007/4362647377_7d44a549f7_m.jpg" alt="Bisbee bowl - quality artistry" width="240" height="179" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Bisbee bowl - quality artistry</p></div>
<p><span id="more-1795"></span>Fortunately, the shop we were in was having a 50% clearance on everything in the store.  Native American pottery, which our find is, is normally quite pricey.  So, we were thrilled to have a price tag of $40 for the bowl. The shop where we found the bowl is named, “Indian Touch.”</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Bisbee shops" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4036/4363402838_cf0913226a.jpg" alt="Main Street shopping - Bisbee" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Main Street shopping - Bisbee</p></div>
<p>Moving on down the street, still in search of our covered casserole, we saw at least three other shops where colorful pottery was sold, but no covered casseroles.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Quaint shopping street" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2784/4362929579_5c1bbda0ff.jpg" alt="Main Street - quaint shops" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Main Street - quaint shops</p></div>
<p>There is a hat store, numerous gift shops, Chocolate, the chocolate shop (we featured that last week), and a one-of-a-kind turquoise shop.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Bisbee Blue" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4008/4336995486_3d562770c7.jpg" alt="Bisbee Blue" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Bisbee Blue</p></div>
<p><!--more-->The turquoise shop, Bisbee Blue, is not in the historic part of downtown, but overlooks the old “Lavender Pit” mine.  What is unique about Bisbee Blue is their high quality turquoise. The manager of the shop mentioned that they have the exclusive license to sell the top quality turquoise.  What is different about other turquoise, I asked?  It seems that they pump in resin to stabilize the lower quality stone.  What Bisbee Blue sells is “the real stuff.”  The price tags were above our reach for our budget, but the items, ranging from silver to other gems and, of course, turquoise, were lovely.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Lavender Pit " src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4012/4336988090_f9464b7561.jpg" alt="Lavender Pit mine" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Lavender Pit mine</p></div>
<p>Surprisingly, turquoise and silver were byproducts of the copper mining that dominated Bisbee a century ago.</p>
<p>And, when you need a break from the shopping, there are some great food places.  (We reviewed a couple of places in our previous blogs. See blogs on Bisbee last week )  There was also a really hot party going on one evening with a live band – really a live band – at The Stock Exchange.  The Stock Exchange really was the first stock exchange in Arizona, now it’s a funky restaurant and, obviously, sometime purveyor of live music.</p>
<p>For a small town, Bisbee can be a fun place to stop.  For a number of people we met in town, they stopped – and stayed.</p>
<p>Between the climate and the friendliness, the cool shops and restaurants (and the fact that they are the County seat of government), there’s more than you expect. And, if you’re intrepid, you can take the mine tour and experience a very unique flashback to other times and lives.</p>
<p><em>Next time: We’re heading south of the border – for real this time. (We resolved our technology issues and have recovered our images from the never never land where they had landed.)</em></p>
<p></span></div>
</div>
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		<title>Traveling in Time in Bisbee – Food and Fun</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1768</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1768#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 10 Feb 2010 10:00:37 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Adventure]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Family Fun]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Historic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[RV Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scenery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bisbee AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Old Diners]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Vintage Trailers]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1768</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[One of the best parts about Bisbee is how easy it is to visit other, earlier, times. For instance, want to see an old 1950s style diner?Dot’s Diner and Shady Dell Dot’s Diner is just the experience you’ll want to have. The red and white exterior nestled next to the Shady Dell Trailer Park is [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>One of the best parts about Bisbee is how easy it is to visit other, earlier, times.</p>
<p>For instance, want to see an old 1950s style diner?<span id="more-1768"></span><strong>Dot’s Diner and Shady Dell</strong></p>
<p>Dot’s Diner is just the experience you’ll want to have. The red and white exterior nestled next to the Shady Dell Trailer Park is a real step back in time!</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Dots Diner" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4061/4336230967_d1d4a74162.jpg" alt="Dots Diner - a real original" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dot&#39;s Diner - a real original</p></div>
<p>Admittedly, the prices are not circa 1950, but the menu is a short, but evocative, diner menu.  Hot dogs, hamburgers, grilled cheese and shakes, malteds, and floats are your lunch fare.</p>
<p>Breakfast, with options that had patrons chowing down at lunchtime, had pancakes and egg offerings.  Want the “good stuff” – real maple syrup?  That’s extra, but authentic.  The menu listings had fun names like, “Two chicks on a raft” (eggs on English muffins) and “Allison on a Raft.”  What’s Allison on a raft? – We just had to ask.  It seems that a local celebrity is vegetarian and the tofu scramble is named after her.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Charlene serves customers" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4047/4336234265_fcfa1b73f2.jpg" alt="Dots Diner - small, but fun" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Dot&#39;s Diner - small, but fun</p></div>
<p>The patrons in the 10-seat diner (all seats are at the counter) were really enjoying themselves.  The small place is also conducive to conversations.  We asked about Bisbee and another customer, as well as Charlene, our waitress, was glad to provide information.</p>
<p>Dot retired a few years back, but the diner is in good hands, as Charlene is a welcoming, friendly presence.  The diner was originally located in Los Angeles, but, in 1996, was trucked to its current location next door to the Shady Dell Trailer Park, another retro experience.<!--more--></p>
<p>Shady Dell offers visitors the chance to stay in an authentic 1940s-1950s trailer, like a 1949 Airstream with décor reflecting that era.  Possibly like stepping back into an old “I Love Lucy” episode, you almost expect someone to show up in a poodle skirt.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Shady Dell Trailer Park" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4017/4336238391_fa4a28962a.jpg" alt="Shady Dell Trailer Park - an old-fashioned experience" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Shady Dell Trailer Park - an old-fashioned experience - see the old trailer to the left</p></div>
<p>Since all of the 11 vintage trailers were occupied, we had to console ourselves with just seeing the office, with its vintage Coca Cola machine and other collector’s items.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 385px"><img title="Shady Dell office" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4010/4338689583_0890b7af20.jpg" alt="Shady Dell office and some of the memorabilia" width="375" height="500" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Shady Dell office and some of the memorabilia</p></div>
<p>Dot’s Diner is open for breakfast and lunch only on Fridays through Tuesdays.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.theshadydell.com/Dots_Diner.html">http://www.theshadydell.com/Dots_Diner.html</a></p>
<h3>Bisbee Breakfast Club</h3>
<p>Renovated from an old Rexall Drug Store and a Waters Department Store, the Bisbee Breakfast Club is located in a small commercial area just past the mine and around the bend.  Not exclusive, since anyone can eat there, but definitely a foodie experience worth having since the atmosphere is focused on good food.  No one should leave hungry!</p>
<p>With a very large menu, but also only open for breakfast and lunch, the Bisbee Breakfast Club is another great choice in Bisbee.  Prices are very reasonable and the food is served in voluminous quantities.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Bisbee Breakfast Club" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4033/4336157701_f17d5cf81f.jpg" alt="Bisbee Breakfast Club" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Bisbee Breakfast Club</p></div>
<p>The place was hopping on a Sunday at noon. Since it was so busy, we did have to wait a few minutes to be seated and to receive our food, but the five or so staffers who provided the food to the wait staff were amazing to watch.  So, finally we were seated at the counter and got great entertainment value. We watched the orchestration of the grill’s speedy service.</p>
<p>I kept eyeing my neighbors’ plates, which included the lunch special of a steak with onion sauce and other fixings.  I ordered the Sonoran burger (burger with guacamole, chilis, and melted Swiss) with fries  &#8211; lots and lots of fries.  It was messy, but I finished every mouthful!  My husband had another burger version.  We traded onion rings – really good and crispy onion rings &#8211; and thought about how we would need to walk off the calories – but oh, so good!  Prices were very reasonable, too.  I don’t think anything was over $8 on the menu.</p>
<p>They also are closed in the middle of the week, but open Monday 7-3 for breakfast and lunch, Thursday-Sunday 7-2 for breakfast with lunch starting at 11 AM.</p>
<p>Join the Club!</p>
<p><a href="http://www.bisbeebreakfastclub.com/">http://www.bisbeebreakfastclub.com/</a></p>
<p><em>Come back later this week for our stay in the Copper Queen Hotel – is it haunted?</em></p>
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		<title>Visiting in Bisbee, Arizona: What to Do and See</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1761</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1761#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 08 Feb 2010 10:00:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scenery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Shopping]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Bisbee AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Chocolate]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Copper Queen Hotel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Historic]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1761</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[Arriving in Bisbee’s historic district, there is an immediate sense of stepping back in time.  Colorful names (Bisbee Bicycle Brothel, etc.) and early 1900s architecture create an appeal you won’t see in the homogenized cities of most of the United States. The first thing noticeable driving in is the array of buildings terraced into the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Arriving in Bisbee’s historic district, there is an immediate sense of stepping back in time.  Colorful names (Bisbee Bicycle Brothel, etc.) and early 1900s architecture create an appeal you won’t see in the homogenized cities of most of the United States.<span id="more-1761"></span></p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Bisbee - terraced into the hillside" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4049/4336294925_9a4f12d81b.jpg" alt="Bisbee - terraced into the hillside" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Bisbee - terraced into the hillside</p></div>
<p>The first thing noticeable driving in is the array of buildings terraced into the hills.  They are a holdover from the early mining days, with a few newer homes scattered about.</p>
<p>The Copper Queen Hotel sits majestically, centered in the terraced historic part of town.  Some old mining equipment sits in front of the museum, which fronts Main Street.  Bisbee has some narrow, one-way streets that are an adventure to explore, with the vintage architecture adapted as shops, restaurants, and hotels.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Bisbee - Main Street" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2734/4336276153_2f80737805.jpg" alt="Americana on Main Street - notice copper colored hills" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Americana on Main Street - notice copper colored hills</p></div>
<p>Head down Main Street and your authentic experience is less like Disney and more like really seeing the world of the early 1900s.  Travel a bit further and you’ll pass several colorful shops with pottery, crafts, hats, and an artisan chocolate shop.<!--more--></p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Chocolate - a place for exceptional chocolate" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2726/4337014130_d6a3cbd9f4.jpg" alt="Chocolate - exceptional chocolate made here" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Chocolate - exceptional chocolate made here</p></div>
<p>Chocoláte is a small shop with chocolate made on the premises from fair trade cocoa beans.  The flavors, of which they offer samples, are rich, complex and delightful.  Although pricing is not in the Hershey – or even Ghirardelli – price range, they are a special splurge well worth trying.  We purchased bars and truffles, which were packaged attractively. (<a href="http://www.spirited">spirited</a>chocolate.com)</p>
<p>We poked in and out of several shops with gorgeous pottery, both functional and decorative.  Finally, we decided on a multi-hued, red Native American bowl that we couldn’t resist.  Gorgeous!</p>
<h3>Ya’ gotta eat &#8211;</h3>
<p>If we had been inclined to eat five meals a day, we could have indulged with irresistible aromas wafting from doorways we passed.  Everything from an old-fashioned 1950s diner to grilles and restaurants harkening back to the early 1900s gave us lots of options.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Copper Queen lobby - down the hall from the restaurant " src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2718/4336285173_a03a62838b.jpg" alt="Copper Queen lobby - entrance to a more gracious experience" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Copper Queen lobby - entrance to a more gracious experience</p></div>
<h3>Angela’s at the Copper Queen Hotel</h3>
<p>For dinner, we decided to try the Copper Queen’s new incarnation, Angela’s, now an Italian restaurant after many years of being Winchester’s, with traditional favorites.  Angela’s was a new venture, with signs stilling covering the old Winchester signs.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Copper Queen Hotel &amp; Restaurant" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2797/4336969078_5b296022a8.jpg" alt="Copper Queen Hotel &amp; Restaurant" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Copper Queen Hotel &amp; Restaurant - the sign</p></div>
<p>Adam, general manager of the Copper Queen Hotel, alerted us that the restaurant was having a challenge with their chef taken ill the day before.  The owner gamely had stepped into the kitchen to handle cooking.</p>
<p>We entered the old-fashioned dining room and were treated to attentive service and an unhurried dining experience.  The meal began with warm rolls and Caesar salads with real flavor.  Choosing Italian menu options, Chicken Marsala and Mediterranean Grilled Salmon, we sat back to enjoy our dinner.</p>
<p>Portions were generous, the accompaniments were flavorful, and the wait staff made certain we lacked for nothing.  The only less-than-perfect part of the meal was the watery sauces.  They tasted good, but were not thick as expected.  We were later told that this was the owner’s first effort at making this menu and he was a little shaky on sauce-making.  He did well for a first-time effort.</p>
<p>And, the piece de resistance was the bread pudding.  We shared the most enormous serving of bread pudding!  I had five mouthfuls and could not eat another morsel – rich, very sweet and tender, it was amazing!  My husband finished the rest, as it was very hard to leave any.</p>
<p><em>Come back later this week for some quirky dining experiences in Bisbee – and the possibility of seeing ghosts!  We’ll also take the mine tour – deep within the old Copper Queen Mine.</em></p>
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		<title>When Traveling to Arizona &#8211; Eat at Eva’s</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1722</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1722#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 20 Jan 2010 10:00:20 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Mexican food]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Mexican food is quite available in Arizona, after all, Mexico shares a border.  That shared border can be a bone of contention, but if you want a place, no bones about it, that serves “fine Mexican food,” try Eva’s when you’re in the vicinity of Phoenix.  Actually located south of Phoenix off Interstate 10 in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Mexican food is quite available in Arizona, after all, Mexico shares a border.  That shared border can be a bone of contention, but if you want a place, no bones about it, that serves “fine Mexican food,” try Eva’s when you’re in the vicinity of Phoenix.  Actually located south of Phoenix off Interstate 10 in Casa Grande, Eva’s Fine Mexican Food has an appealing setting as well as excellent service. This is the second location for the family restaurant.  The original opened 25 years ago.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Appealing entrance" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4068/4288013577_ab925055a3.jpg" alt="Appealing entrance to Evas" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Appealing entrance to Eva&#39;s</p></div>
<p><span id="more-1722"></span></p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Courtyard view" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4038/4288022061_a4c1eb8a9b.jpg" alt="Courtyard view" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Courtyard view</p></div>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Evas lobby" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2689/4288774630_7a56a345b3.jpg" alt="Evas lobby" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Eva&#39;s lobby</p></div>
<p>If you’ve read our previous blogs, you know we do not like service where they bug you constantly.  Eva’s strikes a balance on that.  We had the extra water when we needed it and they didn’t presume that we didn’t want dessert.  We did – even though we professed to be full and I took a box home.</p>
<p>As you enter, the one-of-a-kind restaurant greets you with a spacious courtyard  with an old truck and a fanciful figure at the doorway.</p>
<h3>Food first</h3>
<p>Seated promptly in the mid-afternoon, there were only three other parties seated in the large dining room.  Most of the activity seemed to be in the bar (the “Cantina” &#8211; off to the right on the other side of the lobby), with patrons cheering over the results of a playoff game.  We weren’t bothered by the noise of the vocal patrons watching their game once we were seated.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Details in dining room" src="http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4009/4288770830_f77a4e09b4.jpg" alt="Details in dining room" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Details in dining room</p></div>
<p>Our waiter arrived promptly, offered menus, took our drink orders and left us to ponder the very large menu.</p>
<p>Albondigas soup was on the menu, a flavorful meatball soup that I was going to bypass until I heard another table order it. I ordered a cup.</p>
<p>I love tamales and consider them a sign of how homemade the food is.  They take a lot of work to prepare and not every Mexican restaurant has them available all of the time.  Eva’s had two tamale offerings on their “Combinationes” menu section. After some consultation with our waiter, I was able to swap out some items for others so I had what I wanted.  So, I received a green corn tamale, beef taco and a bean tostado.</p>
<p>“Taco de barbacoa,” tacos with Mexican barbecued beef, was my husband’s choice.  He always knows what’s good to order, especially on a Mexican menu since he lived in Mexico for a time.</p>
<p>In addition to what we ordered, they were specialties including shrimp, salmon, fish, fajitas, enchiladas, carnitas (pork) and the typical Mexican food offerings, plus a large appetizer selection and more.  A $12 “Fiesta Sampler” seemed a good deal to try all of the different offerings to nibble with mini versions of chicken and beef flautas, a chicken “chimi,” bean tostadas, green chile cheese crisp with sour cream and guacamole.</p>
<p>We were given a bowl of freshly made tortilla chips to dip in a slightly spicy bean dip or a red salsa.  They were good and I wanted more, especially the bean dip.  We were not offered more chips, but we did not ask for more, and that was probably a wise thing since the other portions were so enormous.<!--more--></p>
<h3>Dinner arrives</h3>
<p>The albondigas soup did not disappoint, with rich broth and several meatballs in a very large “cup” – more like a big bowl! A small bowl of Mexican rice accompanied it, which made the soup a meal by itself.</p>
<p>Just as I was finishing the soup, the dinners arrived, steaming hot.</p>
<p>My platter did not have sauce doused all over it, as the waiter promised my choice would not have, and I went digging first for the tamale.  Not large, it was moist and filled with green chile and corn, a good example of tamale. The bean tostado was nicely crisp and a generous size.  Since tostadas can get soggy, I tackled that next.   It stayed crispy and was flavorful, with just the right mix of beans and toppings.  My accompanying charro beans had a layer of cheese and a slight spiciness that had me eating every morsel.</p>
<p>I opted to save the beef taco for later, but the beef was blended and had a delicious, rich flavor that was far different from fast food tacos with crumbled beef of dubious quality.  This was the good stuff.</p>
<p>The Barbecued Beef tacos were flavorful, as well, with my husband eating every bit.</p>
<p>Even though I had a box for my leftovers, my husband kept eying the fried ice cream on the dessert menu.  Not to be gluttonous, I offered to “eat a little.”</p>
<p>When the fried ice cream came, it had an attractive presentation nestled in a chocolate taco shell with plentiful ice cream and toppings of whipped cream and honey.  I ate more than I had intended.</p>
<p>When the tab came for our dinner, it was another pleasant surprise!  For both dinners, our total came to $35 without tip.  We added 20% for the excellent service and planned to return.</p>
<p><em>Eva’s Fine Mexican Food is located on Pinal Avenue, a few miles west of Interstate 10 in a plaza on the northwest corner of Cottonwood and Pinal Avenues in Casa Grande, Arizona.  (520) 836-5599, http://evasmexicanfood.com/</em></p>
<p><em><strong>Don’t forget to check our SHOP for items to order with our memorable images.  Our blog is unsubsidized and we’d like to keep it that way!  So, if you like our blog, buy something, would ya?  (If you’d like to see one of our images that we haven’t already turned into a mousepad, shirt or other collectible, please let us know.  We’ll be glad to oblige!)</strong></em></p>
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		<title>Travel to Prescott Resort &amp; Conference Center</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1680</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1680#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 31 Dec 2009 15:21:50 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Shelley Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Native American]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Food]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Scenery]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[Over the years, we’ve stayed in many hotels.  Some were great; some were lacking.  We were fortunate to stay at the Prescott Resort &#38; Conference Center in Prescott, Arizona recently.  In almost every aspect, our stay was superior. The front desk service was efficient, genuinely cheerful and thorough.  None of that “whisk through the monolog, [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>Over the years, we’ve stayed in many hotels.  Some were great; some were lacking.  We were fortunate to stay at the Prescott Resort &amp; Conference Center in Prescott, Arizona recently.  In almost every aspect, our stay was superior.<span id="more-1680"></span></p>
<p>The front desk service was efficient, genuinely cheerful and thorough.  None of that “whisk through the monolog, whew, on to the next check-in.”  And, there were several people in line.  Perhaps another front desk clerk at 3:00 PM check-in might have helped, but our wait was very brief. The hotel, owned by the Yavapai Indian Community, is managed by Grace Hospitality.</p>
<h3>The Room</h3>
<p>We had an end room on the third floor.  We opened the door and were astonished to see- one of the largest rooms we have ever had.  (Even more remarkable was the rate for the room – we had a special for $101.) While some of our view encompassed the workings on the roof, we did have some view of Granite Dells in the distance (more on Granite Dells on Monday) and the area east of downtown Prescott.</p>
<div class="wp-caption alignnone" style="width: 510px"><img title="Our spacious King-sized room at the Prescott Resort &amp; Conference Center" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2654/4220006401_076321e954.jpg" alt="Our spacious King-sized room at the Prescott Resort &amp; Conference Center" width="500" height="375" /><p class="wp-caption-text">Our spacious King-sized room at the Prescott Resort &amp; Conference Center</p></div>
<p>Our King-sized bed had walking room around it – you know how some rooms are crammed with almost no space between the foot of the bed and the opposite wall’s furnishings?  This room had room.</p>
<p>A giant credenza housed a small refrigerator, a room safe and a three-drawer dresser with a desk at the end.  There was a couch with an ottoman PLUS a single armchair.  Cozy, comfortable and spacious.</p>
<p>Each side of the bed had a night table – a large one with a full-sized lamp on it. One of the few criticisms we had – and we always have – is that with all of the lights on, it is still dim in the room.  Great environment for a romantic evening, but difficult if you’re planning to work in your room.  After all, it is a conference center with meeting rooms.<!--more--></p>
<h3>Facilities</h3>
<p>Hotels are switching to LCD lights, which we commend, but the new and old lighting should be better.  (We’re mentioning that as a commentary on all hotels.  I know people who bring light bulbs to use to brighten up their rooms.  With security and luggage restrictions, that isn’t easy these days.)</p>
<p>The rest room had the dimmest lights of all and that is not good from a safety perspective.  Otherwise, the recent remodeling in the room and bathroom were understated and attractive.  A subtle Native American motif was restful, with earth tones, and followed a pattern in both the carpet and on the headboard.</p>
<p>The only other issue we had was a difficulty connecting to the wireless internet.  When we tried to log repeatedly on at 10:00 PM and couldn’t, we called the front desk who very emphatically said he couldn’t help us, that everyone with that expertise had gone home.  A little less emphatic and a little more apologetic would have been appropriate.  He also could have offered us a cable so we could connect with a wire, but he didn’t.  Amazingly, when I hung up with him and tried again, the connection worked. So, a little spotty on the wireless connection and how to handle that out of hours, but otherwise, good amenities.</p>
<h3>Restaurant – Thumb Butte</h3>
<p>The restaurant, Thumb Butte, has an eager young staff working hard to please diners.  They serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner, plus a Sunday brunch.  Unlike most hotels, their rates for a hotel meal were not astronomical.  My husband loves Egg Benedict and thought the $8 price tag quite reasonable for that, especially at a hotel.  I had the Steak and Egg breakfast for $10.50 that included a tender, properly cooked 8 oz. steak (I asked for medium rare and got it!) and eggs cooked to order along with hash browns and toast.  On probably the most expensive breakfast on the menu, I thought they did a good job.</p>
<p>Our waitress was appropriate in her checking back (maybe a little too eager, but she was working hard.)  Cami, who filled our water glasses and acted as back-up, was extremely friendly and competent.  We got into a discussion about folding napkins (she was setting up napkins at tables) and I found her very friendly. Since it wasn’t busy as the official breakfast hours were over, it was nice to have her chat with us.</p>
<p>In general, Prescott Resort &amp; Conference Center was a great place to stay.  We recommend it for the value and accommodations.</p>
<p><em>Tomorrow… We visit some other restaurants in Prescott for good food and atmosphere.</em></p>
<p><em>Note: For those who check in early, my apologies for my late posting today.  Work commitments are crowding my schedule.  Starting in 2010, the blog will have three postings a week (or more, if time and inspiration allow.) If anyone cares to write for us – on a one-time basis or more often, we’d love to have some guest writers. </em></p>
<p><em>We thank you for your readership this year!</em></p>
<p><em>Please take a look at our SHOP tab and consider a purchase.  We do not have a charge for this blog, but the costs of our travels are not subsidized by any of the hotels, restaurants and locations we visit.  So, we could use a little help from our readers.  Isn’t it comforting to know that we are not corporate shills, paid to write our reviews?  Even if someone comps us to an admission fee, we write what we see and experience – objectively!</em></p>
<p><em>We wish our readers a very happy new year with health, prosperity, love and joy!</em></p>
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		<title>Travel to Bucky’s Casino in Prescott Arizona</title>
		<link>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1668</link>
		<comments>http://traveltipsandadventures.com/?p=1668#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Wed, 30 Dec 2009 10:00:23 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Roger Gillespie</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[AZ]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Gaming]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Hotels]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Native American]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Restaurant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Southwest]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Travel]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Casino]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Prescott Arizona]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Yavapai]]></category>

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		<description><![CDATA[This is it!  The last Wednesday of the year, and, the last of a series of articles on Arizona tribal Hotel-Casinos. For the culmination of the last four weeks, we decided to get out of town and head for Prescott, Arizona, less than 2 1/2 hours northwest of Phoenix. Although containing only 1400+ acres, the [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This is it!  The last Wednesday of the year, and, the last of a series of articles on Arizona tribal Hotel-Casinos.</p>
<p>For the culmination of the last four weeks, we decided to get out of town and head for Prescott, Arizona, less than 2 1/2 hours northwest of Phoenix.<span id="more-1668"></span></p>
<p>Although containing only 1400+ acres, the <strong>Yavapai-Prescott</strong> tribe has done well within that small amount of land.  Originally, its economy consisted of timber, mining and agriculture along with a sand and gravel company.</p>
<p>Today with less than 200 tribal members they have managed to secure a Business Park, a 250-acre shopping center, a hotel and two casinos at the entrance to the city of Prescott.</p>
<h3>Gaming at Bucky&#8217;s</h3>
<p>The larger of the two gaming facilities,<strong> Bucky’s Casino</strong> sits atop a hill adjacent, and directly connected to the <strong>Prescott Hotel and Conference Center. </strong>The view from atop the hill is incredible which is attractive for hotel guests, but not so much for casino patrons who probably aren’t that enthralled by the view.</p>
<p>The casino is unique to others we have seen in the last few weeks in that a closed double door connects the hotel to the gaming floor.   Elsewhere, the hotel to casino entrances have been large and free flowing with no forbidding access.  (There are also two outside entrances directly into the casino).  The answer might lie in the fact that the hotel is a non-smoking property and the narrow hallway that connects from the front desk to the casino is much closer than the other properties we have seen.</p>
<p>Inside you find that there are actually three levels of gaming each with slot machines, but interspersed with table games on two of those levels.</p>
<p>As I walked in from the hotel entrance, I was greeted by a security guard, another startling addition to what I had seen over the last several weeks.  Guards were transparently scattered throughout the facility.  Maybe it was the smaller size of the casino that made them that much more visible, but I don’t recall feeling “watched” by humans as much as I did at Bucky’s.</p>
<p>I had the opportunity to actually see inside of a gaming machine as one was being repaired.  The internal electronics and maze of wiring was amazing.  This was nothing like the old “one-armed bandits” with the pull arms.  It was interesting that the maintenance tech was still working inside the machine when I made my way back around to that area.  He even seemed a little baffled by all of the electronics himself.</p>
<p>I had to chuckle as the gambler next to him was not the least bit interested in the inner workings of the identical machine on which he was playing.  It was his steely focused gaze on the screen of his own machine that was almost scary!</p>
<h3>Other Diversions</h3>
<p>Although the majority of the evening&#8217;s gaming were taking place at slot machines, there are Blackjack and Poker tables along with Keno.</p>
<p>If you need some food, Bucky’s Café is located on the third floor and is open for breakfast, lunch and dinner.  Just outside is a full service bar.</p>
<p>I will have to say that Bucky’s is a much more intimate casino atmosphere than any I had encountered in the last few weeks as it does not have high ceilings, huge gaming floors and non-smoking gaming areas.</p>
<p>Low ceilings and a nearly packed house on the main slot machine floor reminded me of some of the small casinos in downtown Las Vegas.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.buckyscasino.com">www.buckyscasino.com</a></p>
<p><em>Tomorrow we’ll take a look at the excellent hotel property attached to the casino that is managed by small boutique firm with international holdings.</em></p>
<p>Take a look at our SHOP for gifts for yourself and others.</p>
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