I thought it would be fun to plan a couple day trips to our little town, for out-of-towners who may be curious about what to do or where to go when visiting Prescott, Arizona. Although it's small town, there is a LOT to see and do, so I plan to do a few versions of these, as well as other towns in Northern Arizona. I'm so excited to share our favorite spots!
For this first go-round, I'm going to imagine that you're arriving in Prescott bright and early, around 9am. This will be an active day, with good food and good hiking. First up...breakfast!
1. Stop by Olde World Bagels and order a Lox Bagel (or really anything on the menu!). Their bagels are made right there in house, along with the most delicious homemade cream cheeses. The lox bagels are to die for- I get mine with an everything bagel just the way it comes, toasted and then topped with some of that amazing cream cheese, lox, onions, tomatoes and capers. Insanely good. They also have great drinks and fantastic selection of teas. Tell Gina I sent you! ;)
2. Hiking time! For this first hike I figured I would share a Prescott classic- Thumb Butte! It's a great trail that's accessible to anyone, kid-friendly, and if you haven't done much Prescott hiking, this is a great place to start. It's short, and more of a nature walk than a challenging hike, but with lots of up hill trekking you'll feel the burn, however short. To get there, simply head west on Gurley St. (turn into Thumb Butte Rd.), then take it 3.4 miles to the picnic area on the right. You can go up the main trail two ways- if you take the left pathway you'll go up the steep switch backs, take the other side you'll loop around and go down them. Either way I would estimate this hike taking about 1 hour total. Be sure to stop and take some photos at the top- it's BEAUTIFUL view! Trail usage is heavy, especially on the weekends, but it's still worth the hike and a truly "Prescott" thing to experience. Next time I'll share one of my favorite, less popular and more challenging hikes.
3. After the hike head back downtown and make a beeline for Bill's Pizza, right on the square. This is one of our two favorite pizzas in town (I'll share the second on the next post), but if you're going to go, I'm going to insist you order whatever pizza you get with Bill's sauce. This special sauce is half-tomato half-pesto sauce and it's out of this world! Although Bill's has a ton of amazing specialty pizzas their tried and true cheese (or add pepperoni) with Bill's sauce is my favorite. Add on one of their Cranberry/Almond/Feta salads and you've got yourself a perfect Prescott lunch. I also suggest getting it all to go, and going outside and enjoying it on the square or at least at one of the outdoor tables. Heavenly!
4. After eating lunch pop over to Peregrine Book Company. This independent bookstore is a gem, and worth a visit for sure. Peruse the books, check out local authors, and enjoy a bit of time taking it all in. Other shops to check out while downtown: Livy Lou's boutique, (on the opposite side of the square, but a short walk away), Nectar- a modern herbal apothecary full of delicious smells and sights, Hop Sing Trading for all of the cutest clothing (Free People!), Lefebvre's Boutique to pick up a cute gift for someone you love (owned by one of my former student's families), and then be sure to pop into any of the antique shops along your way.
