From Flagstaff, where I live to Prescott, Arizona is about an hour and a half. Except when you take 89A the entire way. It’s a bit longer, but worth it. First you go through Sedona, Arizona which is an absolutely amazingly beautiful place (you could spend hours here!). Then you go through Cottonwood, Arizona which is about 15 miles away from Sedona. Cottonwood is a cute small town that would make a great place to live for retirees and families. It is easy to see how Cottonwood gets its name as there is an abundance of beautiful green Cottonwood trees in and around the town. Especially down by the river.
Our first stop was at Tuzigoot National Monument. It was interesting but not worth the $10.00 charge per adult. However, if you happen to have the America the Beautiful yearly pass I would recommend stopping. The next town you go through is Jerome. Jerome is an interesting town on the side of a mountain with extremely narrow roads and houses built basically on the side of the road. The views you have from Jerome are breathtaking. If I could have found a parking spot I would have stopped. Apparently Saturday late morning is not the time to go there if you want to stop and walk around. There were several boutique shops and restaurants there that looked enticing. After getting through Jerome you drive up over the beautiful forests and down the mountain into Prescott Valley.
Prescott, Arizona is a beautiful small town with an abundance of outdoor things to do. I recommend walking around the downtown historic district. The downtown area has plenty of parking with many shops and restaurants. We wound up at Morino’s burgers and fries. Morino’s has very good prices that are the best in the downtown area. There you can build your own burger for $10.99 that includes a 24oz drink and a side of fries.
The build your own burger is fantastic. I built mine to be the 100% ground chuck beef, lettuce, pickles, sautéed onions, and A.1 sauce. It was so good and very juicy. We also ordered some delicious onion rings. You better be hungry if you order them as they are filling. I also couldn’t help myself as they had milkshakes, brownies, gelato and ice cream as well. For $1.99 I asked for 1 scoop of chocolate ice cream. They gave me 2.5 scoops! I was in heaven.
Next we ventured to the absolutely stunning Watson Lake City Park. The park does cost $3.00 to get in per vehicle, but is worth it. In the park there were areas to play horseshoes, bocce ball, football and frisbee. Plus a nice playground. There was a campground as well. The lake had many kayakers out on the lake which made the scenery even more spectacular and Cassie wished she brought her paddleboard. The southwest end of the lake has beaches that many fish from. You can also sit there and sunbathe as well. The north end of the lake is very rocky which makes for absolutely stunning views and pictures. There is an abundance of wildlife including ducks and geese. If you go to Prescott, Arizona make sure you stop at Watson Lake, you will not regret it.
While in the area check out Montezumah Castle National Monument!
