A Prescott day trip, Whiskey Row and cooler air.

A day in Prescott

• •Courthouse Plaza and Whiskey Row: the historic heart of town, with shops and restaurants facing the square.
• •Sharlot Hall Museum: historic buildings including the former governor’s mansion.
• •Watson Lake and the Granite Dells: rounded granite boulders around the water, good for an easy walk.

Planning tips

• •Higher and cooler: at about a mile high, Prescott runs cooler than the Valley, so bring a layer.
• •Allow time to drive: roughly two hours each way from North Scottsdale (estimate).
• •Summer escape: see a summer group stay for days at home in the heat.

Where to stay

Paradise Reserve has six bedrooms for up to 16 guests, five of them king suites with their own bathroom, plus a pool and spa, a golf simulator, a putting green and a pickleball court. Events and parties are not permitted at the house, and quiet hours apply. For more trips north, see Jerome and Arcosanti.