Walking the Courthouse Square

Before I moved here, visiting Prescott was a favorite destination spot of mine. It was a short drive away and I was able to escape the insanity of the bigger cities for a few hours or a few days. Sometimes I was able to rent a small place close to the downtown area or stay in a local hotel just walking distance from the square. Other times I stayed in places just a bit further down the road from the square.

No matter what though, I loved making a point of heading downtown to explore the wonderful shops, visit some great locations for coffee or food, and sometimes just to wander downtown and take in the views and people watch.
I’ve walked through the Courthouse Square when it was loaded up with people during the summer months. Vendor booths and arts and crafts were proudly displayed in hopes that a passerby might stop and purchase some of the wares they had to offer.  I’ve taken in the beauty of the fall weather as the leaves began to fall during a quieter day where most people at the square are doing much the same as I was. Wandering the shops and taking in the sights. I’ve wandered after dark in the cold chill of winter, snow on the ground and lights strung in the trees in a breathtaking Christmas display. I’ve marveled at the beauty of spring as life returned and the chill of winter slowly gave way to warmer temps and a promise of upcoming summer fun.

I’ve had the pleasure of watching countless parades circle the Courthouse Square. It has been wonderful seeing the Rodeo Days Parade, the Veterans Day Parade, the Lights Parade to kick off the Christmas season. One of my favorite times to visit the square before and after moving here is Acker night. This night the entire downtown area is filled with people from one end to the other but it never feels overwhelming. If the crowds in one area get to be too much, one can easily move to another spot and find some room to breath. No matter how busy though, I’ve seen amazing talent from brass bands and  ukulele groups to wonderful bluegrass bands and violin performances. Hands down, Acker night is a favorite time to explore the square.
From all my visits to Prescott Courthouse Square, I’ve had a unique experience each time. It is something I definitely look forward to doing each time I head down to the square, even now that I live here.

Walking the Streets of Solvang

I've wanted to write about Solvang. I've wanted to write about the experiences I had while walking along the brick sidewalks. I've wanted to describe the cute Dutch inspired town filled with tourists and residents all rushing along the walks, weaving through one-another trying to get to their intended destinations. This location is one I've wanted to write about for weeks but alas the words continue to elude me. Try as I might I can't find the magic I enjoy bringing to my stories. I couldn't figure the best way to capture the feeling of the moments with words. I stared at the pictures and recalled memories, but those emotions and experiences remained locked inside me, refusing to slide down from my brain and pour out through my fingertips.

I struggled with determining how to share the moment that I stood along a busy street of Solvang with many other tourists when a large group of bikers came rolling down the streets. The walls of the shops reverberated with the noise of the motors of these large bikes. I want to share how humorous it was for me to see so many people staring in awe at the pack of bikers as they slowly rolled down the street. Where I live seeing a group of bikers is not an uncommon occurrence, so I took this in stride. So many others either whipped out their cameras to take pictures, others simply stared taking in the thunderous noise. 

I want to share the moment that I stood, totally charmed by the windmills that were dotted through town. How much I enjoyed the lunch I had while seated inside the base of one of those windmills.  I cannot figure out how to tell others about the streets of Solvang at night, when the heat of the day gives way to the gentle coolness of night. Where the bright light of the sun fades to give the fairy lights all strung on trees and on buildings giving the town an extra charming quality.  There is so much to this town, so much to see but I struggled with finding the words. I finally give in and walk away, quickly finding another topic to write about for that week. Solvang continued to remain ever elusive to me. Much like Brigadoon, what I wished to share with everyone vanished every time I tried to find it. The harder I tried to grasp it all, the more it slipped through my fingers. So here I am giving up, sharing my frustration...and wouldn't you know it. I think I've finally captured what I wanted to say.

West Thumb, Yellowstone

Early in the morning I found myself on the road. I'd left the small town of West Yellowstone, MT and was now in Yellowstone National Park. I'd been on the road for about 30 minutes and had already zipped past the Grand Prismatic Spring, Old Faithful and the lesser known beauty of Kepler Cascades. I continued my drive with a mission, visiting West Thumb Geyser Basin. Long before I'd made my trip to Yellowstone, this was a site I'd had my eye on. It looked like it would be a fascinating place to visit in Yellowstone Park. After crossing the Continental Divide twice, and a forty-five minute drive I finally pulled into the parking lot. That October morning was cold but it was quiet enough that there were few people at the site. I wrapped up in my scarf and warm winter coat and got out of the car to head to boardwalk. At the top of the site I looked down from the parking lot over West Thumb. Its beauty was staggering. In the distance snow covered mountains loomed over Yellowstone Lake. The small thumb of this cool freshwater lake butts right up against geothermic features for which Yellowstone Park is well-known.

I made my way down the boardwalk, stopping at bubbling mud pots, several steam vents, and many pools of steaming and boiling water. One area of the boardwalk was so filled with the sulfur-laden air that I paused to warm up in the hot steam. Thankfully, that particular area the sulfur smell was less intense than others so was less overwhelming that in other spots around Yellowstone Park. When warm enough I walked down toward the lake and was entranced. To my right a vent spewed steam, just a little ways away from that was a stream of water that had frozen over the top during the night. This one area of Yellowstone held so many opposites. Geothermic heated features bubbled right next to frozen water. Boiling cones rested along the freshwater shores of Yellowstone Lake.

At one point I stood in awe at the view. On one side was the lake, to the other side was a steaming pool pouring water over ground turned rust, green and brown from bacteria that thrive in the high temps. The water pouring over the ground streamed under the boardwalk to end up in the lake. I kept walking enjoying the views that West Thumb had to offer. I paused at one point when I came across the Fishing Cone.

The Fishing Cone has a fascinating history and tie to Yellowstone Lake. Originally The Fishing Cone was hot enough to be classified as a geyser. Today with the lake level being higher it is now considered a hot spring instead. The waters of this geyser were so hot that men who fished in Yellowstone Lake would take their catch right from the water and drop it into the geyser to cook. Of course, that practice is dangerous and now it is illegal to do. I just found it fascinating to think back to a time when wild mountain men or those native to the lands would use the cone to cook their catch right from the lake without ever moving from their fishing spot.

I continued my trek around West Thumb, taking in the beauty of the Black Pool hot spring and more bubbling mud. I don't think I'll get over the views of West Thumb. This little portion of Yellowstone National Park is a small world of so many opposites. Life of all forms thrive in the area, from the bacterial mats of the heated water to the elk. In the distance as I headed to my car I could hear an elk bugle, shortly followed by a responding call from another elk. I loved seeing the green trees butted up against the gray ground of the geyser basin and seeing the vast lake surrounding what was once a streaming geyser. When I go back to Yellowstone National Park, I'll be sure to keep West Thumb on my list of places to visit. It was an awesome place to visit. One definitely to keep on the list for anyone who is planning a trip.