Wild assed ?

Subject: Wild assed ?
From: Deckman
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 01:38 PM

I'm leaving shortly for some days (daze?) to Payson, Arizona. I've not been there, and don't even want to be now. But "Bride Judys'" bestest friend lives there and I promised ...!

Does ANYONE know of ANY folk music scenes available there? How's THAT for a dumb question! Bob(deckman)Nelson

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 02:02 PM

Never heard of Payson, and assume that it's a fairly small town.

Is it close to any larger municipality we may have heard about? If so, someone proably has an answer for you. If not, you're probably out of luck unless one of the hired hands at a nearby ranch maybe has a harmonica or something...

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Deckman
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 03:34 PM

I am given to understand that it's about an hour North of Phoenix. I guess they've got bathrooms and everything. Bob

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: GUEST,Volgadon
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 03:45 PM

Everything in Arizona seems to be an hour from Phoenix.

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 03:46 PM

Deckman:

Several friends, Phoenix area residents, have summer or retirement homes in that area. It is up around the Mogollon Rim (locals pronounce it Mo-Gee-On), where Zane Gray once had a home. This territory has a bit of a "country" feel to it, I'm told. It is northeast of Scottsdale, probably in the range of 70-80 miles, and almost due east of Prescott. There are no other towns of any size near there. I'd have to guess that some folks up in that area have folk roots; maybe even a local venue. It isn't all that far from Jerome, the old mining town that attracted a lot of young folks back in the sixties. Many are still there, involved in art, small shops, etc. Probably music as well.

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Deckman
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 03:49 PM

I'm ALSO given to understand that we'll be visitng "Jerome" and that I'd damned well better like it! Any questions? Bob

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Sorcha
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 03:58 PM

Well, I'm told Scottsdale is EXPENSIVE, so go elsewhere for fun?
Question...WHY did you promise?
My Mr has never in his life promised such a thing. (Possibly OTHER wild assed promises, maybe.....?) LOL

Good Luck, Bob.

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:00 PM

Bob:

It was a huge copper mining town years ago. The Verde Valley, which surrounds it, is high desert country. You won't see a ton of trees, mostly chaparral and scattered growth. There is an interesting museum up the hill from the town and a lot of little shops, art galleries,etc. It attracted a lot of "counterculture" folk back in the sixties. Many are still there. I seem to recall one guitar shop. I have not been there for about ten years, but I'm told it hasn't become too gentrified yet, though it does attract a lot of tourists. It is a quaint old town, with a lot of ramshackle buildings still around. Underground, it's honeycombed with mine shafts. Don't fall in!

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Desert Dancer
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:01 PM

Volgadon, there are plenty of things in Arizona that are more than an hour from Phoenix, hell, all lot of things in Phoenix are more than an hour apart...

Payson's pretty small and cowboyish; Jerome, even smaller, is a former mining town, now tourist attraction and artist colony (though not as far along the art path as Bisbee).

I'm afraid that not much news of folkie happenings in either location don't make their way down here to the big city... I know of one contra dancer who lives in Jerome and travels to Prescott, Cottonwood, Flagstaff, or further afield to dance...

~ Becky in Tucson

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Q (Frank Staplin)
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:03 PM

Old Time Fiddlers Contest, Sept. 27-28, at Payson.

Great country for trail riding. A little cool right now, snow on the Rim.

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:16 PM

Bob:

The ground in Jerome is, as I mentioned, somewhat unstable in certain areas. They have had homes and other buildings "relocate" downhill from time to time. They may need a few good, well-anchored decks...

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Deckman
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:17 PM

Even though I warned "Bride Judy" BEFORE we married that I won't travel anywhere, I caved in on this trip. I know, I know ... what we won't do for love!

Thanks for the tips. Bob

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: ClaireBear
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:18 PM

Best I could do was:

Jam Sessions with Jct. 87
Buffalo Bar & Grill, 311 S. Beeline Hwy, Payson
5:00pm-9:00pm Jam session & live band every Sunday

local music store you could call to see if there's a scene:
Beeline Music
Guitars, starting at $20
307 S. Beeline Highway
[phone]

Web site to check for local places with entertainment:
http://www.inpayson.com/RIM-COUNTRY-MUSIC.htm

Cheers,
Claire

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: PoppaGator
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:24 PM

Amazingly complete info, I'd say. Mudcat scores again!

(I'd like to see one of those "starting at $20" guitars at Beeline Music!)

No way you could reschedule your trip to coincide with that fiddler's contest in late September? I know, I know, you promised...

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Deckman
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 04:43 PM

What's even scarier is that I've promised to ride on a helicopter. The husband of the couple were staying with flys them for a living ... scaring the heck out of people over the canyons of Sedona. The last helicopter I rode in hit the ground. It belonged to the U.S. Army. I understand that they now have motors, and everything.
Thanks for all the great tips. Bob

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Amos
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 05:07 PM

Bob:

JErome is a fine place to visit -- small winding streets clinging to the side of a mountain, basically overlooking the old sites of copper mines which have since healed up. The views toward Sedona are of amazing bluffs of reddish rock far across the plateau that forms the basin below the mountian. It is definitely worth visiting.

As I recall both Beeline and Payson are small towns south of the Verde Valley, more toward PHX, while COttonwood is right in the Verde Valley and Jerome a bit north and uphill from there, toward Flagstaff.

While you are in the area, I urge going to Sedona to admire sopme of the amazing rock views and the Oak Creek Canyon.


A

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: GUEST,TJ in San Diego
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 05:47 PM

Bob:

The rubber bands they use now are made from the finest synthetics possible! Be of good cheer! I feel your pain. I had a similar experience when my fire crew was pulled out of a big central Sierra burn via chopper. It was one of those M.A.S.H. type Bells with the bubble canopy. We landed badly, but no one was more than bruised.

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Bill D
Date: 31 Jan 08 - 08:05 PM

you can see pretty images of the whole area in Google maps....looks like an interesting drive up rt. 87.

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 08:56 PM

Well my first thought was "Payson? That's just about 24 miles north of Jakes Corner. It's only about 12 miles NW from Gisela, but since my map doesn't show even a footpath that goes to Gisela you probably can't get there, so you couldn't get anywhere much from there.

My map shows it 91 miles from downtown Phoenix, although you'd be into the outer fringes of Phoenix in about 72 miles. Time shown from Payson to the Phoenix fringes is 2:10, indicating it's not a really high speed highway, although it shows as a "major" road.

Although there are other "towns" within about the same distance as Phoenix, there literally aren't any roads you can take to get you directly to anything except Phoenix.

You can get to Flagstaff, north of Payson, but it's about 109 miles with half of it on what look like "improved fire trails." It's apparently paved road, but snakes around quite a lot. Driving time for Payson to Flagstaff (quickest route according to my trip planner) shows at nearly 3 hours, which for 110 miles, indicates fairly slow progress. The last half is on an Interstate where the speed limit is probably 60 or 70 mph, so any delay is on the backroads getting to the Interstate.

This doesn't by any means mean that you can't visit other places, but you will want to get local directions, including estimated times (and multiply times by at least 2x) so you can plan ahead for "local" trips.

Phoenix is at fairly low elevation although I don't recall exactly how high. Probably less than 1,000 ft. The road (Interstate 17) from Phoenix to Flagstaff is a steady ascent, with mean altitude around 7,400 - 7,800 ft (?) at Flagstaff. The ski lodge about 15 miles out from Flagstaff is at about 8,300 ft and the last time I was there the road pretty much stopped there. The peak behind is something over "2 miles high" although the ski trails (way back when) didn't go above about 10,300 ft.

Payson would be partway "back downhill" from Flagstaff; but I'd expect somewhat mountainous and forested. Someone who's been there since the 60s could probably give better views on the scenery.

John

Subject: RE: Wild assed ?
From: Amos
Date: 01 Feb 08 - 09:13 PM

If you take 17 N out of Phoenix to the crest of the Verde Valley you will see some awesome high desert scenery, miles and miles, and the Verde Valley is a real stunner from the crest.

The switchback road up to Flagstaff is not bad -- well surfaced two-lane asphalt. Three-quarters of the way up there's a View pullover where the world unfolds at your feet in the most gracious way.

A