General 5:43 pm
Indian Art Market
Sharlot Hall Museum was the site for the 12th annual Prescott Indian Art Market. More than 100 artisans representing various tribes and mediums participated. Alex Maldonado, a Pascua Yaqui, entertained us with Native wind instruments while his daughter, Melissa Johnson, accompanied him with dance interpretations. Also tasted my first fry bread. Many of the flowers on the Sharlot Hall grounds are in bloom.
Trips 9:39 am
Red Setter Inn Cabin 10
For the long Fourth of July weekend we headed to eastern Arizona. We stayed in Red Setter Inn’s Cabin 10, one of three cottage rooms nestled in the woods on the bubbly Little Colorado River and part of the Greer Lodge Resort. Billboards claim this B&B is one of the “top 10 in the world” and their web site quotes Fodor 2006 for this honor. Our limited experience with B&Bs in the Sedona area leads us to question this claim. IMHO, I’m not sure this B&B is one of the top ten in Arizona. We enjoyed relaxing in chairs adjacent to the fast moving water. The breakfast was good and they provide a lunch (if requested the night before). Speaking of rankings, on our first evening we headed to the Molly Butler which was included in Arizona Highways’ Best Restaurants 2009 (April 2009). We ordered their “signature prime rib,” one of the three dishes recommended in the article. There was nothing special about this meal. A plain salad, a slab of prime rib, and a baked potato. In fact, the Molly Butler isn’t even the best restaurant in Greer. We counted five restaurants in this small tourist oriented town. On the Fourth we tried Amberian Peaks and were very impressed. The salmon was presented on cedar planks. The rib eye was smothered with a cherry tomato sauce, served with a gourmet cole slaw, flavorful mashed potatoes, grilled asparagus, corn on the cob with the husk part of the presentation, and grilled watermelon that was remarkably sweet. So, if you’re interested in a memorable meal, Amberian Peaks is the place.
The Butler Canyon Trail #98, just outside Greer, is an easy one-mile loop. At the trailhead remember to pick up a self-guided tour brochure. There are 21 (actually 20 active) stops with information mainly about the trees (aspen, ponderosa, spruce, white fir, even Douglas fir) and area geography such as what grows best by water or on different sides of a mountain. We learned that a grove of quaking aspen is likely to be identical stock and that the ponderosa has thick bark which helps retard fire. We also enjoyed many wildflowers in bloom.
West Fork Trail #94 starts off Osbourne Road just outside Greer, AZ. It is considered a moderate to difficult trail because of the number of rocks that need to be negotiated and the steep incline to reach the upper ponderosa pine forest and meadow land. There is a small gurgling creek and quiet pond near the beginning of the trail. We stopped for a picnic lunch after traversing between two and three miles of this seven mile trail that connects with Mt. Baldy and/or the East Fork Trail.
Trips 2:41 pm
After traveling through the scenic Apache Mountains including the dramatic elevation changes around the Salt River Canyon, we took a side road with a stop at Fort Apache and the Kinishba Ruins. Fort Apache was an Army post from 1870-1922. In 1922 its facilities were transferred to the Bureau of Indian Affairs which opened the Theodore Roosevelt Indian Boarding School in 1923. Fort Apache, located in the center of the White Mountain Apache people’s homeland, was established at the confluence of the north and east forks of the White River. At the White Mountain Apache Cultural Center and Museum, we learned about their creation story. Also of note was the exhibit that described the four-day ritual when a girl becomes a woman. We took a short walk to view some of the historic district buildings. The fireplace chimney of one building has an unusual feature, a large window in the middle of the second story.
Kinishba Ruins
Kinishba Ruins, located four miles west of Fort Apache, is a National Historic Landmark. Hopi and Zuni people are said to have lived in the village from 1200 to 1400. The site was excavated and partly reconstructed in the 1930s. Kinishba had arable land and a nearby spring. It housed between 400-800 occupants in about 600 ground-floor rooms. The village was made up of two main room blocks, one of which stood three stories tall. A bench circled the largest plaza that served as a center for community life. Other Pueblo groups lived 20-40 miles to the south, west, and north. We appreciated the opportunity to visit the Kinishba Ruins and experience its sacred space.
General 5:45 pm
My first visit to the Gammage auditorium on the campus of Arizona State University was a good one. A matinee performance of Wicked was delightful with outstanding choreography, costumes and sets. The music and singing by the touring musicians and actors made for a very enjoyable afternoon. Of course, I’ve always favored “green” and this prequel visit to the Emerald City didn’t let me down.
Trips 8:38 pm
Granite Dells Reflection
The Prescott Peavine Trail follows the path built for the Sante Fe Railroad. Several side trails explore the east side of Watson Lake and its Dells. According to trail signs, Watson Lake, created as a reservoir, is named after James Watson, an Indiana senator who invested in area irrigation projects. Geologists estimate that the granite in this area is 1.4 billion years old. The Dells owe their distinctive form to long-term weathering of natural cracks in the granite. The City of Prescott purchased this area in 1998. This hike on my last “official” vacation day featured prickly poppies and thistle in bloom; a heron in flight; and light rain on my exit.
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