“The world is a book, and those who do not travel read only a page” – Saint Augustine

I love this quote, but I’ll admit, the first time I read it I don’t believe it resonated with me then as much as it does now. Five years of traveling full-time in a RV has opened my eyes to all kinds of new experiences and landscapes.

Pink Rose I’ve always enjoyed travel which is probably why I pursued a career as a Flight Attendant when I was younger. But gallivanting around the country can be tiresome and sometimes a break from travel is exactly what the soul needs.

With that said, Al and I are doing a little ‘homesteading’ this summer in Prescott, Arizona. We’ve settled into an RV Park for the next several months while we focus on a little rejuvenation …. for us and our aging equipment!

Oh, that doesn’t mean we’ll be sitting in a couple of rocking chairs watching the world go by. No, not us! Hmm …. now that I think about it, does sitting outside with a cocktail in hand while watching the sunset count? Or how about binge watching Downton Abbey or House of Cards? Okay, maybe a little rocking chair time is part of the rejuvenation plan 😏 Yeah, a little down time and settling into a neighborhood is just what the doctor ordered. But anyone who knows me, knows I can’t sit still for too long.

Yarrow

Exploring the local life

So it’s time to explore some of the local sights and take in a little history. When I was younger, I rarely embraced history or historical sites. I’ve always enjoyed geography and studying maps, but the interest in history didn’t kick in until we started RVing full-time. Travel has a way of opening one’s mind!

First off, did you know Prescott was at one time the Capital City of Arizona? Yep, from 1864 to 1867 Prescott was the capital until 1867 when it then moved to Tucson but returned back to Prescott in 1877. Finally, the State Capital moved from Prescott to Phoenix in 1889 where it has remained.

Courthouse Square in Prescott, Arizona. Interesting timeline stamped into concrete

Historical information stamped into the concrete

Downtown Prescott, Arizona

Courthouse Square Prescott Arizona

Historical Palace Saloon

Our son and daughter join us for lunch at the Palace Saloon

Prescott’s downtown historical area is known as Whisky Row which up until 1956 was a notorious red-light district. In 1900, a great fire destroyed almost all of the buildings along Whiskey Row. Legend has it that the patrons of the various bars simply took their drinks across the street to the Courthouse square and watched the buildings burn, but the patrons of the Palace Restaurant and Saloon removed the entire bar and hauled it to the square as the fire approached. The solid wood bar was later re-installed after the gutted brick structure was rebuilt. That bar remains in use today.

The Palace Restaurant and Saloon was originally built in 1877, and was rebuilt after the 1900 fire. It is now the oldest continuous business in the entire state of Arizona. Past Patrons include the Earp Brothers and Doc Holliday and well-known movies have been filmed here.

Sharlott Hall Museum

Sharlot Hall Museum

I have fun using the term “homesteading” when Al and I park the RV for an extended period of time, but when I think of the pioneers homesteading after crossing the country in covered wagons, I’m reminded how cushy my life is in comparison.

Being a woman entrepreneur in the early 1900’s was no small feat. I’m always awed and inspired by strong women in history. Sharlot Hall was a poet, author, historian, activist and ranch woman whose passion to the preserve the Territorial Governor’s Mansion led to the making of this museum.

Sharlett Hall Museum Prescott Arizona — A beautiful rose garden greets guests at the Sharlett Hall Museum

I happen to visit the museum on June 11, 2018, as the museum was celebrating its 90th anniversary. The grounds are lovely and each historical building I stepped into had a Docent dressed historically correct, and each Docent was eager to share their historical knowledge on their area of the museum.

Some of the on-site buildings ….

Governor’s Mansion – built on site in 1864, this log structure housed the first territorial governor, John Goodwin. In 1928, Sharlot Hall opened the log-building as a museum.

Governors Mansion Sharlott Hall Museum Prescott Arizona

Across from the Governor’s Mansion is the Victorian Fremont House. Built in 1875, it was home to the fifth territorial governor of Arizona, John Charles Fremont.

The Bashford House was built in 1877 by merchant William Coles Bashford and is a beautifully restored Victorian style home.

Bashford House Sharlott Museum Prescott Arizona

The Ranch House was built in the 1930’s to represent early ranch homes of the area. It’s a little one room log structure. The Docent shared an interesting tale of the stove costing around $100 but the shipping cost was around $1500. That was a lot of money over a hundred years ago … hey, it’s still a lot of money today. Guess they didn’t have Amazon Prime free shipping back then 😆

Fort Misery is the oldest log building associated with the Arizona Territory. Built in 1863, here you’ll find the local attorney. Interesting that they would put the words misery and attorney together!

The School House building is a replica of the first public schoolhouse in the Arizona Territory which was built in Prescott in 1867. Each child’s chalk board reminded me of today’s iPad.

school house Sharlott Hall Museum Prescott Arizona

The Blacksmith Shop and Transportation Building were also interesting.

Sharlot Hall Museum Transportation building Prescott Arizona

For a couple of hours, it was fun stepping back in time and imaging what life was like over 100 years ago. The Sharlot Hall Museum was a worthwhile stop that I was glad I took the time to visit.

Prescott Designations

Prescott is located in North Central Arizona and sits at an elevation of about 5,400 feet. The town has received numerous designations.

Prescott was designated “Arizona’s Christmas City” by Arizona Governor Rose Mofford in 1989.
2000: Downtown Historic Preservation District (which includes “Whiskey Row”) —one of 12 such National Register Historic Districts within the City.
2004: A “Preserve American Community” in 2004 by First Lady Laura Bush.
2006: One of a “Dozen Distinctive Destinations” by the National Trust for Historic Preservation.
2008: Yavapai Courthouse Plaza recognized as one of the first ten “Great Public Places” in America by the American Planning Association.
2012: Number 1 True Western Town of the Year for 2011 by True West Magazine and One of the 61 Best Old House Neighborhoods in the U.S and Canada by This Old House Magazine.

Parks, hiking and lakes …

There’s more to Prescott, Arizona, than its Old West history. Guess I better strap on the hiking shoes, charge up the camera battery, and get outta that rocking chair. Time to explore!

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Shows we’ve been watching (affiliate links) Downton Abbey
House of Cards
The 1970’s movie, Junior Bonner starring Steve McQueen, was filmed at the Palace Saloon in Prescott, Arizona

Junior Bonner: The Making of a Classic with Steve McQueen and Sam Peckinpah in the Summer of 1971 (Hardback)THE Magnificent Seven – Junior Bonner – Steve McQueen Double Feature

There’s a major upside to returning to familiar territory. I think we can all relate; we go on vacation to some new and exciting place and have such a wonderful time that we can’t wait to return again and again and again. And although that may mean we’re not exploring other exciting destinations, that doesn’t mean new discoveries aren’t made. Rockport Texas

To me, it’s kind of like watching a movie for the second or third time. Character lines are heard that may have missed the first go around, or there’s a better understanding of a plot. I feel some movies are actually better the second time around.

I think the same can be said about traveling to a familiar place. This was our third January spent in the Rockport, Texas, area and our best visit yet. I’ll be the first to admit, that this is a place I probably wouldn’t recommend to most folks unless one’s interests are either birding, photography, or sportsman activities (fishing/hunting). Considering Al and I enjoy that stuff, it works perfectly for us. Rockport

For those more interested in beaches, quaint shops, and plenty of dining options; Port Aransas on Mustang Island is the place to go. I even found myself visiting the island three times during the month of January exploring some of my favorite places.

Mustang Island and the Corpus Christi area hold special memories for Al and me individually. During Al’s Navy days, he was stationed in Corpus Christi and the aircraft carrier he was trained to land a plane on has now been turned into a museum. My memories center around my parents and their RVing days. It was not uncommon for the kids and me to visit my parents during their winter sojourn to Mustang Island. Fond memories, indeed. Rockport Fulton Texas

Back to Rockport – Fulton and my new discoveries … these two quaint Texas coastal communities offer plenty of options to keep me entertained (in addition to my birding, that is). After a two-year renovation, the Fulton Mansion was once again open to the public and at the top of my list to visit. This 1870’s French inspired home has been beautifully restored. (click on any photo to enlarge into a slide show)

Front entrance

The dining room

one room upstairs, shows materials

The basement was for the servants

kitchen appliances from the 1800’s

sits on a beautiful piece of property

I found the self-guided tour of the mansion interesting as I was transported back in time. One of the rooms on the second floor was left as original as possible showcasing damaged lath and plaster walls. Parts of the ceiling and flooring were also left exposed to share some unique materials used in the construction. I never would’ve thought to use sand and seashells as insulation between floors. My Real Estate background had me reading each word displayed regarding ownership of the property and the prices each party paid. Back in the 1960’s the front yard was actually an RV park and all the historical photos were extremely entertaining.

Touring the grounds alone is also worthwhile with its wind-swept Oak Trees, manicured garden, and serene ocean view. Rockport Texas

There was more history for me to discover in downtown Rockport. Since I didn’t have anything to shop for, I strolled the main street looking for things to photograph. Architectural photography remains a challenge for me, so I’m always looking for opportunities to practice.

Shopping in Rockport, Texas - quaint, unique shops and interesting structures — Shopping in Rockport, Texas – quaint, unique shops and interesting structures

No shortage here of things to photograph as all the buildings are unique and one of a kind. And just because I didn’t have any knickknacks to shop for doesn’t mean this former shopaholic didn’t step into a shop or two.

Even the local hardware store stocks items for tourists

coastal knick-knacks

Mermaids anyone?

Should I get the seahorse or the flamingo?

What was once a gas station is now a shop!

a local Tom protecting his neighborhood

Most of the shops cater to the tourist crowd, even the local Ace Hardware store gets in on the action. Aside from exploring the little shops in the downtown area, I found myself visiting stores throughout the community. Stores I normally wouldn’t visit if it hadn’t been for my quest to find a pair of rubber boots. You see, I was in dire need of a pair of rain boots if I was to go out on the boat with Dennis. His funky little boat required that I board from the water and the temps were way too cold for my Keen’s, thus the need for boots. But not just any old rubber boot would do. Come on, they had to be somewhat fashionable after all.

Visiting the local Garden and Feed store had me longing for a home with a yard. That feeling was quickly passed though :-) — Visiting the local Garden – Feed store had me longing for a home with a yard. That thought quickly passed 🙂

Finding rubber boots wasn’t an issue in this coastal community. It was the fashionably cute part that was difficult. I wound up running all over town, including the hardware store, feed store, and stores an hour away in Corpus Christi and eventually turned to Amazon. Every time I found a pair of boots I liked, they didn’t have my size! BBQ

Whew…. all that shopping had me working up an appetite and this year’s new restaurant discovery was just five minutes up the road from our RV Park. Stevie Lew’s is a locally owned, family-run business with everything homemade. My chicken BBQ sandwich was delicious as were the chicken tacos that I tested on visit number two.

Fresh roasted coffee beans — Freshly roasted coffee beans

They even roast their own coffee beans and it smelled wonderful. I forgot to buy some coffee on my way out 😦 Next time! See, there’s always a reason to return.

I’d be remiss if I didn’t mention the wonderful markets around here. Texas is home to a grocery store chain called H.E.B. I’m always able to find what I need at a reasonable price and the employees are usually very helpful and friendly. I’ve never had a bad experience at an H.E.B. And then there are all the local seafood markets which need to be explored. We pulled out of Rockport, Texas, with every square inch of our RV freezer filled with fresh shrimp and fish. photography

Our time along the Gulf Coast flew by, and I’ll admit, we weren’t ready to leave. That said, we’ve talked about spending two months along the coast next winter, but then again, the desert has a strong pull. Ah, we’ll need to sit down and do a little scheduling and time management. There are worse things to contemplate! vultures

Last year I did a post on the places we camped in this part of Texas. Click here if you’d like more information on camping options.

So, I think I’ve about summed up our time along the Texas Gulf Coast – shopping, museums, photography, fishing, hunting, birding, photography, eating, boating, sunsets, sunrises, did I mention photography. That’s a wrap! Next up, we’re back in the desert southwest .