ONCE THE CAPITAL OF THE ARIZONA TERRITORY

Tuesday, April 11 – We took a ride with Duane & Louise up to Prescott, AZ,  this morning.

Prescott is up and over the Weaver Mountains and into the Granite Mountains at 5347 feet. It has a very, interesting historical background based mainly on the mining industry – especially gold! It was once the territorial capital of Arizona.

Today it is a prosperous city of over 30,000 and relies heavily on tourism. Whiskey Row is the main tourist street. Located around the Court House, which is under renovation, Whiskey Row, in its heyday, was lined with saloons that welcomed many well-known cowboys and outlaws on a regular basis.

Courthouse.

Now here is something we haven't seen in at least two years. We almost forgot what they look like.

In 1900, the entire block – along with three-quarters of the town – was destroyed by fire. But within days, new structures were being built. Many of these buildings are still standing are are ideal places for unique shopping, dining and plenty of entertainment.

Whiskey Row.

We stopped at The Palace for lunch. Opened in 1868, the Palace was a fancy “watering-hole” and is still the oldest frontier saloon in Arizona and one of the most well-known and historic restaurant and saloons in the United States. In the 1870's, Wyatt Earp, Virgil Earp, and Doc Holiday were patrons of The Palace.

Louise, Duane, Marsha and Paul.

After a leisure walk around downtown and a stroll through several of the shops, we jumped back in the car to enjoy the scenery on the ride back down the mountain.

Just a gorgeous drive.

Yes, that is snow in them there mountains.

It was a beautiful ride and a fun day with friends.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

SHRINE OF ST. JOSEPH OF THE MOUNTAINS

Monday, April 9 - Once settled into our campsite, we loaded into the car with Duane & Louise and headed up into The WEAVER Mountains. How neat is that to be in our “namesake” mountains.

Our first stop was Frog Rock. This one weighs probably 60 tons and stands (or squats) more than 16 feet tall. This rook was painted green like a frog. I guess one shouldn't be painting the mountain boulders, but it was pretty neat!

Our next stop was at the top of the mountain in Yarnell, AZ. The Shrine of St. Joseph of the Mountains. This was a very moving experience, especially having just completed the Easter weekend. It is the fourteen stages of the cross situated in a shaded grotto of oak trees and huge granite boulders.

A visit to the Shrine starts at the foot of St. Joseph, the patron saint of Happy Homes.

A beautiful rustic path beckons you to walk with Jesus through His last days on earth.

Beautiful white stone statues depict Christ at the Last Supper, His footsteps along the Way of the Cross, and his condemnation to death to His placement in the tomb. At each station, you gain a better understanding of the great sacrifice He made for all mankind.

The pilgrimage begins at the table of His Last Supper, where He spent His last joyful moments.

A plaque on each of the crosses describes the event that occurred.

The setting for each cross in a beautiful setting. At each of the crosses, there is a seat among the stones for prayer.

Our first glimpse into what was ahead.

His agony in the Garden of Gethsemane.

The Crucifixion. The rock appears to have blood on it.

What a beautiful, break-taking setting.

Jesus taken from the cross.

He is Risen…He is Risen indeed!

The bronze sculpture above is the risen Christ. Background…the tomb.

View from the top.

The Chapel of the Holy Spirit.

The Shrine is free (donations are encouraged). It is located in Yarnell, AZ, just a half mile off Highway 89 and is open during daylight hours. The Shrine has never been financially supported by any Christian Denomination and relies on the generosity of its visitors and volunteer for maintenance and growth.

This is one of the emotional-draining sites we have visited. We went from sadness of the arrest to rejoicing at the Risen Savior, a beautiful reminder that our Lord did, indeed, rise from the dead and lives on in each of us forever. DO NOT miss this aspiring experience.

After stopping at the pull-outs going down the mountain for pictures, we returned to the North Ranch, our park for the week.

Paul, Louise, Duane.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!

OFF TO CONGRESS, ARIZONA

Monday, April 9 - We pulled out of Apache Junction this morning and headed northwest to Congress, AZ.

We had an interesting experience on our drive up to Congress. We passed a sign warning us to be on the lookout for wild burros. Yeah, right! What are the chances of seeing a burro? Two minutes down the road Paul says, “look” and there stood TWO burros. How cool is that!

We are at the Escapee's North Ranch Park, site 110. Our site is roomy with a picnic table. A very nice campground.

Site 110
 

Looking to our right.

To our left.

We are parked next door to our friends, Duane & Louise. They are the reason we stopped here. They are a great couple, good friends, and fun to spend time with.

Since we didn't' get to play pickleball in Mission this year, we headed up to the INDOOR Pickleball court for a couple games of Pickleball. We forgot the camera so will have pictures soon of this indoor facility. Those unfamiliar with the game, it is played on a miniature tennis court using large ping pong style paddles. A great game for we seniors.....LOL

We finished the evening by taking Bella, our cat, on a walk through the Saguaro Park located right here in the park and right across the street from our site.

What a beautiful job the park residents have done with this garden. Dozens of cacti planted in their natural desert environment.

Those are the Weaver Mountains in the background.

They even have name plaques by each plant.

How appropriate…an Easter cactus.

Red Sage.

In the garden is, Methuselah, one of the oldest Saguaro Cactus in Arizona. They have determined that this cactus has been here since around 1600.

Many birds still call it home.

Bella enjoyed her walk, and we are sure we'll be returning there daily while here in the North Ranch.

Thanks for stopping by. Hope to see y'all back real soon. Have a great day!