March 13, 2014 Wickenburg, Arizona

We toured downtown Wickenburg today. Cute clean little town. Town started out with  the Vulture Gold mine in 1863 which yielded more than $20 million in gold. Allegedly Henry Wickenburg  found the gold in one of the rocks he was hurling at his escaping mules. It later became a ranching town, then rather well known as a dude ranch town.

Downtown historic Wickenburg. John walking into Ben’s Saddlery. It says Tie up, Come in and swap stories. I have not seen a custom saddle shop and shoe repair since Wayne’s growing up in Cody, Wyo.

We went into the Desert Caballeros Western Museum. Very nice museum. Beautiful western art, bronzes, western artifacts and history of the town. Including this display of bolo ties. Vic Cedarstaff from Wickenburg, pictured in the left corner is credited with inventing the Bolo ties. He was riding through the mountains in pursuit of wild horses when his hat band fell off, so he put it around his neck till he got home and on the way home someone remarked that he had a nice tie on. He was also a silver smith, so he created the slide and here you are.

I was in shopping and came out and John was talking to this wooden drug store cowboy! A couple of events coming up in Wickenburg, the Cowgirl up art show at the museum, opens March 21 and this weekend is the 4th annual Guys who grill! The town is know for it’s Desert Caballeros ride in August where  many horsemen ride up into the mountains and spend several days under the stars. The whole town gathers to bid them farewell as they ride of into the mountains.

John buying us lunch of tamales in the Thursday market in downtown Wickenburg. Yum.  This is the Jail tree, another town landmark. From 1863 to 1890 outlaws were chained to this tree for lack of a hoosegow, Escape was unknown.

We rounded our day out by dropping by the downtown arena and watched the team roping.

One of the downtown street signs, Cowgirl Bling Bling, where bad girls wear bling, John behind the Johnson’s western wear sign, desert artwork at the Chaparral, where John got ice cream, a lemon tree blossom. They smell so sweet, and a gila monster artwork on the sidewalk downtown.