Some years ago, Caroline and I were on a quest to see as much of Arizona as possible. In our attempt, we kept a map, and after each trip, we took a Sharpie and drew over the roads we had traveled. That map was ultimately nearly full from corner to corner and top to bottom of markings designating the path. And so it was that this year, we retired that map and started a new one where we are attempting to retravel all of those roads that stretch across our state. We have been to Bagdad twice before, but our current map wouldn’t be complete if didn’t visit small towns like this one all over again.
On the narrow winding road out of Bagdad towards Kirkland, the rolling desert landscape changes little from corner to corner. But as the elevation increases, we are noticing a gradual change from brown to green. Then, off in the distance, we spot a rare native to the Arizona desert: the elusive desert white Rock Duck. When they sit very still, they blend in with such great stealth that one could easily pass the Rock Duck and never notice it – well, we did.
Leaving the town of Kirkland, which is actually little more than an intersection with one remaining business still functioning, called the Kirkland Bar & Steakhouse Hotel – on the National Historic Register! If Caroline hadn’t planned on meeting another fiber fanatic while in Prescott before 2:30, we would have stopped for a bite to eat in this historic building next time. Up the road, we went higher and higher.
Not far from Prescott is Skull Valley. You go to Skull Valley just because the name is cool. Who cares what you do while in Skull Valley, that doesn’t matter as you are now in Skull Valley! Maybe it would be cooler to be in Nothing, but as Nothing is no longer anything, we must now satisfy ourselves with visits to Bloody Basin and Skull Valley!
There was actually a bigger purpose to this trip besides a map line; we needed to visit Prescott for a stop in Puttin’ On The Hats. For our trip down the Colorado River through the Grand Canyon, which is quickly approaching, we needed river hats. Something to shade us from the sun that wouldn’t be ruined after getting drenched. The hats would also require chin straps to prevent them from being dragged off our heads. With the best selection of hats in Arizona and us needing just about any excuse to take a road trip, it was easy to justify a circuitous 250-mile trip just to buy hats. Caroline took some time to meet with Rowena, who makes glass bead jewelry. Rowena recommended lunch at Pangea Bakery and for Caroline to dip her toe into A Good Yarn, where she could easily lose an arm and a leg, spending a small fortune on fiber. Wow, the discipline my wife had in only buying about 3 miles of weaving yarn. We drove back home at the end of the trip but not at the end of the day. Later that evening we attended an incredible performance of Rahim AlHaj, a world-renowned oud virtuoso, at the MIM.
