The town of Ashfork, Arizona, is about a 70 minute trip north of Prescott at the junction of Highway 89 and Interstate 40 and the old Route 66. Ashfork is known for its early and critical role as a transportation hub helping settle Arizona to the south.
With the building of the Interstate and the rail line being moved 11 miles north of town, Ashfork almost died off, and even now, the town is filled more with memories than with businesses and occupied homes. But, the town, as many small towns in America, the townspeople love their home and it shows its pride in the local historical museum, free to the public!
One of its many displays showcased a section of town in scale model in its heyday!
I had dad stand next to this 1925 Ford, made when he was two years old, but he is not an antique!
One of the signs we saw in the museum directed to a place known as the Devil's sinkhole located about seven miles west and north of town. Upon further inquiry, we gained a hand-drawn map and verbal directions, and after a hearty lunch as the local cafe, we headed out to find the landmark which boasts a 292 foot depth! We never found the hole, but we sure had a wonderful country drive and met some cows.
One of the many reasons we did not find the sink hole was that there were no road signs to guide us other than posts listing the directions to the rural ranches in the area. We knew we had gone much too far when the last sign we ran across has just two names, one to the right and one to the left! It was time to turn around. We were seven miles off the road, more than any of us would or could walk!
You didn't believe me about the cows? No bull?
Leaving Ashfork, looking east, we see mountains that lay directly north of Flagstaff, one of our next destinations.
My next entry will show off a local event Kristin, dad, the two grandkids and I experienced at a 300 acre farm in Dewey, 15 miles east of Prescott.
No comments:
Post a Comment