Frommer’s EasyGuide to Sedona & Central Arizona. Gregory McNamee
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A Big Little Collection |
Prescott is home to Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, and in the university library, you can marvel at the world’s largest collection of miniature airplanes. The Kalusa Miniature Airplane Collection includes more than 5,500 hand-carved and hand-painted miniature airplanes, created by John W. Kalusa over a period of more than 50 years. The planes are built to a consistent scale of 1⁄18th inch to 1 foot, so you can see how their sizes compare with each other—some are barely an inch across, while others, like Howard Hughes’s famed Spruce Goose, are much larger. The collection is displayed on the first and second floors of the Christine and Steven F. Udvar-Hazy Library and Learning Center, Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University, 3700 Willow Creek Rd. (hazylibrary.erau.edu/kalusa-collection;
415 W. Gurley St. www.sharlot.org.
The Smoki Museum
147 N. Arizona Ave. www.smokimuseum.org.
Outdoor Activities
Prescott is situated on the edge of a wide expanse of high plains, with the pine forests of Prescott National Forest at its back. Within the national forest are lakes, campgrounds, and many miles of hiking and mountain-biking trails. For maps and information on hikes and bike rides in the area, stop by the Bradshaw Ranger Station, 344 S. Cortez St. (www.fs.fed.us/r3/prescott;
My favorite hiking and biking areas in the national forest are Thumb Butte (west of town) and the Granite Mountain Wilderness (northwest of town). Thumb Butte, a rocky outcropping that towers over the forest just west of town, is Prescott’s most easily recognizable natural landmark. A 1.2-mile trail leads nearly to the top of this butte, and from the saddle near the summit, there’s a panoramic vista of the entire region. The trail is very steep but paved much of the way. The summit of the butte is a popular rock-climbing spot. An alternative return trail makes a loop hike possible. To reach the trail head, drive west out of town on Gurley St. for about 4 miles (it becomes Thumb Butte Rd.). Past the National Forest signs, you’ll find a parking lot, picnic area, and trail head. The parking fee is $5.
The Granite Basin Recreation Area provides access to the Granite Mountain Wilderness. Trails lead beneath the cliffs of Granite Mountain, where you might spot peregrine falcons. For the best views, hike 1.5 miles to Blair Pass and then on up the Granite Mountain trail as far as you feel like going. To reach this area, follow Iron Springs Rd. northwest out of town to the signed road for the Granite Basin Recreation Area (less than 8 miles from downtown). There is a $5 parking fee here.
Both of the above areas also offer mountain-biking trails. Although the scenery isn’t as spectacular as in the Sedona area, the trails are great. You can rent a bike and get maps and trail recommendations at Ironclad Bicycles, 710 White Spar Rd. (www.ironcladbicycles.com;
Want to explore the area on horseback? A half-hour drive southeast of Prescott, Foothills Ranch, at Finley Rd. and Ariz. 69 in Mayer (www.foothills-ranch.com;
Exploring the granite dells
Five miles north of Prescott on Ariz. 89, jumbled hills of rounded granite suddenly jut from the landscape, creating a maze of huge boulders and smooth rock known as the Granite Dells
For hiking in the Watson Lake area, I recommend the scenic Peavine Trail
A couple of miles west of Watson Lake you can hike in Willow Lake Park, 1497 Heritage Park Rd. (www.cityofprescott.net;