priced golf is available at the 36-hole Antelope Hills Golf Course, 1 Perkins Dr. (www.antelopehillsgolf.com; 928/776-7888). Greens fees start at $40.
Prescott Shopping
Downtown Prescott is the best place in Arizona for antiques shopping. For Native American crafts and Old West memorabilia, stop in at Ogg’s Hogan, 111 N. Cortez St. ( 928/443-9856).
In the Hotel St. Michael’s shopping arcade, Hotel Trading, 110 S. Montezuma St. ( 928/778-7276) carries some genuine Native American artifacts at reasonable prices. Owner Ernie Lister also makes silver jewelry in the 19th-century Navajo style. In this same arcade, the Old Sage Bookshop, 110 S. Montezuma St. ( 928/776-1136) is a wonderful used-book store selling primarily hardback editions. On the same block, you’ll find the Arts Prescott Gallery, 134 S. Montezuma St. (www.artsprescott.com; 928/776-7717), a cooperative of local artists; Van Gogh’s Ear, 156B S. Montezuma St. (www.vgegallery.com; 928/776-1080), which was founded by a splinter group from the co-op; and the Newman Gallery, 106-A S. Montezuma St. (www.newmangallery.net; 928/442-9167), which features the colorful Western-inspired pop-culture imagery of artist Dave Newman.
Want to sample some local wine while you’re in the area? Head north of Prescott to Granite Creek Vineyards, 2515 Rd. 1 E., Chino Valley (www.granitecreekvineyards.com; 928/636-2003), which produces organic, sulfite-free wines that are surprisingly good. The winery is open Friday through Sunday 1 to 5pm. Call for directions. And right in town, at the top of Courthouse Plaza, is Superstition Meadery, 120 W. Gurley St. (www.superstitionmeadery.com; 928/458-4256), which brews mead (made with honey) and ciders.
Where to Stay in Prescott
Moderate
Hassayampa Inn This is the most fun and beautiful place to stay in Prescott. The stately Hassayampa, designed in a slightly incongruous Italianate style, was built as a civic undertaking in 1927 to give the town a first-class hotel worthy of its status as the bustling territorial capital. (The hotel remains on the National Register of Historic Places.) The lobby is all exposed ceiling beams, wrought-iron chandeliers, and arched doorways; the elevator, an original part of the hotel, is stately, too, by which I mean slow. There’s a quite good restaurant in the Peacock Room, which has been redone with Art Deco touches, and the adjoining Glass Bar is a comfortable place to unwind, whether you’re staying at the hotel or not. The rooms have been restored as well, with some original furnishings or antiques, but they can be small and oddly configured. Solo travelers will be fine, but couples should ask in advance about what exactly they are getting.
Haunted Hotels
Jerome may be the region’s top ghost town, but in Prescott, three hotels claim to be haunted: The Hassayampa Inn, Hotel St. Michael, and Hotel Vendome are all said to have resident ghosts.
122 E. Gurley St. www.hassayampainn.com. 928/778-9434. 67 units. $79–$199 double. Pets accepted ($10 per night). Amenities: Restaurant; lounge; exercise room; room service; free Wi-Fi.
Inexpensive
Hotel St. Michael Located right on Whiskey Row, this hotel has a resident ghost and the oldest elevator in Prescott, and also a self-described “historic ambience”—meaning narrow hallways and small rooms in all manner of configurations. Ask what you’re reserving. Some rooms have tubs but no showers. Its restaurant, the casual Caffe St. Michael, overlooks Courthouse Plaza, and there’s a charming attached cobblestone-paved mini-mall of shops, including a decent bookstore (p. 175).
205 W. Gurley St. www.stmichaelhotel.com. 928/776-1999. 70 units. $79–$189 double; $119–$149 suite. Rates include full breakfast. Amenities: Restaurant; free Wi-Fi.
Hotel Vendome Not quite as luxurious as the Hassayampa, yet not as basic as the St. Michael, the Vendome is a good middle-price choice for those who want to stay in a historic hotel. Built in 1917 as a lodging house, the restored brick building is only 2 blocks from the action of Whiskey Row, but far enough away that you can get a good night’s sleep. Guest rooms are outfitted with modern furnishings, although some bathrooms still have original claw-foot tubs. Two-bedroom units with an interconnected bathroom are ideal for families. There’s an in-house bar open all day and evening; next door is a welcoming gastropub, and on the other side is a groovy coffee shop (Cuppers, see below). And yes, like a couple of other Prescott hotels, the Vendome has a resident ghost.
230 S. Cortez St. www.vendomehotel.com. 928/776-0900. 20 units. $99–$149 double; $149–$299 suite. Rates include continental breakfast. Amenities: Lounge; concierge; free Wi-Fi.
The Motor Lodge Originally opened in 1937 as a collection of summer cabins, this vintage getaway has been revived as a midcentury modern motor court. Rooms are decorated with retro furnishings—more Scottsdale hip than Prescott country, but if you want to stay someplace with a cool aesthetic, this is about your only choice in town. Keep in mind that this is budget hip; rooms vary in size and amenities.
503 S. Montezuma St. www.themotorlodge.com. 928/717-0157. 13 units. $109–$179 double. Amenities: Free Wi-Fi.
Where to Eat in Prescott
For delicious baked goods and coffee, try the airy, friendly Wild Iris Coffee Shop, 124 S. Granite St. (www.wildiriscoffee.com; 928/778-5155); the coffee’s great, and all baked goods are made from scratch on premises. It’s 2 short blocks west of Whiskey Row. Cuppers, 226 S. Cortez St. (www.cupperscoffee.com;
priced golf is available at the 36-hole Antelope Hills Golf Course, 1 Perkins Dr. (www.antelopehillsgolf.com; 