Don Goes to Congress (and Yarnell, and Rock Springs Cafe)

Before I can continue my travels south of the Valley, I do need to clear up some unfinished business with the sites north of it.

Yesterday (Sunday) Dorothy and I took the opportunity to travel north with some good friends, Rick and Pat Glenn. These two are world travelers, and in their jobs as consultants for a text book company, they get to see a great many out of the way places. Going to Yarnell and Congress was going to be good, because Pat likes to go antiquing, Rick likes to drive. For once, I was able to just sit back and enjoy the view.

Going up the 60 past Wickenberg is a great trip. Some advice, though, do not take the loop around Wickenberg, or you will miss a great little town that needs you to stop and look and get into the stores. The loop that the residents wanted so badly, has taken its toll on this small village, and there are many empty store fronts. The downtown area is somewhat historic, and good place to just relax and walk the streets.

Once out of town, though, head to Congress on the north. There are some great vistas on the way, and the surrounding landscape is almost transformed from desert to plains via what appears to be a large rock garden. Boulders are stacked on boulders in precarious positions (One set has been painted to look like a toad.).

There is not much in Congress, but we stopped at an antique shop that had a great deal of what most people would call "junk." The store had some treasures in it, such as a 1891 over/under Derringer complete with a box of ammo and various pictures and items, which although having no value, were of interest. Outside next to the building was an assortment of items that were definitely turn of the 20th Century as well as some nice lawn ornaments.

Yarnell was a nice, little town, also. A bit bigger than Congress, it boasts a couple restaurants, a pizza place, an American Legion and a goodly number antique stores. The first one that caught our eye was a place that billed itself as having "New Dead Things." Here we stayed for quite a while as chatted up the shopkeeper about her life, Yarnell and her two dogs, Sparky and Troia. She had items that were priceless and was not even trying to sell them, she just wanted to have them, "...For people to touch and feel, so they could get a sense of history." These included ancient bones, pieces of tusks, and arrowheads. I was tempted to buy a Native American grinding stone which she said was hundreds of years old, but I figured I would not be grinding peote beans any time soon.

We made other stops in the town and found all the shopkeepers rather cordial. They were easy to approach, very knowledgeable about their wares and the area, and shared their love of the community and the life it afforded them easily. I could tell that they loved living in these small towns and that the unhurried lifestyle and tranquil surroundings were just what they wanted in life.

We continued our trip up Route 89, around the square in Prescott, and then back down I-17. As we were getting on the interstate, I happened to mention that I had never been to the world renowned Rock Springs Cafe. That became our next destination.

The Rock Springs Cafe is renowned for its pies. But I have to say that the folks there make a mean Mexican Pizza. I ordered that as an appetizer, but it turned out being my meal. This monster was a 14 inch pizza with all the toppings that go on a Mexican Pizza. I am a big pizza eater, but I could not finish this, and have room for a piece of pie, so I brought the final 2/3rds home with me.

Sundays at the Rock Springs is "cream pie day". Rick got his favorite, Banana Cream (he was forced to share with Pat); Dorothy relented and had Chocolate Cream; I went against the grain and had a Jack Daniels Pecan pie. I am not going to go into the amount of moaning that was coming from our table, but leave it said that these were probably the best pie these diners have had in a long time. Rock Springs Cafe....thanks for the sugar high! ( and the slight buzz)

I didn't get to south on I-17 today... so tomorrow there will be a special edition of The Doughnut Hole 503.

Keep your eye upon the doughnut.

Doughnut