I am told that the proper pronunciation is rhyming with
biscuit. Accent on the first syllable.
Amy rises first, as usual, and heads out for a 3 mile run.
We debate breakfast and come to no conclusion. But no conclusion means that we
have coffee and skip food. Actually, during coffee, Amy eats her leftover
Flatbread from last night.
We get organized for repacking the car. Check out time is
noon and the FA Cup Final starts at 9:00, so we seek the FS1 TV feed. Can’t get
it on our room’s TV. We walk to the clubhouse and even though the staff is most
helpful, the feed cannot be found there, either. We believe it will be on at
11:30 AM in Prescott, so we decide to head out.
We call for a Valet and it is Brian, who helped us into our room
when? Seems like a week ago, but was only two days. Check-out is completely painless. (The pain will come when paying the credit card bill...)
Our destination today is Prescott, about 70 miles down Hwy
89. We listen to a couple of Podcasts while on the road and simultaneously
enjoy the high desert scenery. We leave the Sedona area through the same Verde
Valley that we took the Pink Jeep Tour to, but a little more to the south and
east of that trip. It is a beautiful drive with little traffic to bother us.
As we approach Prescott and the Prescott Valley, however, the
highway becomes really crowded. We get stuck in a long line at every stoplight.
What is going on? Oh! It is Saturday of Memorial Day Weekend! It seems that
some substantial portion of Phoenix has driven north to enjoy a long get-away
in the northern hinterlands!
We finally reach a Sports Bar in “downtown” Prescott to
catch the match, but find that I have messed up time zones again and the match
is almost over. It is the third minute of 4 minutes of added time at the end of
the match. Chelsea is down a man (thanks, Victor Moses) and a goal to Arsenal. Looks like Arsenal has
earned the win and we watch the last minute. I wonder whether this makes Hunter
happy or sad? Will Wenger go (happy) or will the win mean that he stays (sad)?
This has actually worked out OK – I don’t have to suffer
through watching an uninspired loss! We get back in the car and head to
Courthouse Square. We arrive to find an Arts and Crafts Fair in full swing.
First, though, we must have some lunch. After checking out possibilities, we
settle on The Devil’s Pantry. Amy has
a turkey sandwich and I have a burger. Tasty!
We briefly stop by the Palace Saloon to make reservations
for dinner, then take in the Fair. Everybody from miles around seems to be
here. Lots of Cowboy and Native American artists of all types. Some really
interesting stuff to see. It’s all western themed. Some artists heavy into
animals, others into abstract or realistic impressions of natural beauty. We
like a lot of the presentations that we see; some very accomplished techniques,
but we don’t see anything particularly relevant or striking to us.
We head back up the Highway to The Forest Villas Hotel, our abode for the next 24 hours. It is a
nice hotel with a good mix of hominess and quality. The view out our balcony
gives you an idea of what we have been driving through today:
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| The High Desert from our Balcony |
Yeah, they even have Costco’s in Prescott! The pool calls to
us, so we settle our gear into the room, then walk down to the pool. We have it
to ourselves except for three women who are enjoying the sun. We are in the
shade.
But today is the day the Sounders host Portland and even though I am recording the game, and I willingly left Seattle and miss the game, I can’t
resist knowing the result. I dial up the match on my iPhone: it is 1-0 our advantage well into the
2nd half. A tense 25 minutes later, the boys in rave green are
victorious. (Later that night, I enjoy watching the replay through our Comcast
account. Great 2nd half.) The pool is really nice, but it is warm,
so we head inside.
After an hour or so, we are hungry, so we get back in the
car and head back downtown. Destination, The Palace Saloon, the oldest bar in
Arizona.
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| The Palace Saloon |
The interior of the bar is really delightful. Historic
photos line the walls. The wait staff is dressed in semi-period pieces.
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| Interior of the Saloon |
Our waitress arrives to take our order. We’re in an old west
bar. Can I have a Martini, or even a Manhattan? I cannot! I order a whiskey!
Jack Daniels! Amy orders an Iced Tea and we return to consulting on the evening’s
meal. We decide to share a steak and get a couple of
appetizers:
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| Crispy Sprouts and Pancetta |
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| Arizona Artichoke Hearts |
We have a wonderful meal, both appetizers are yummy and the
steak is perfectly cooked.
On the way out, we acknowledge the bar:
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| The Bar in the Palace Saloon |
I am really happy we have visited this place. We head back
to the Forest Villas and a good night’s sleep.
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