Wild, Wild West - Old Town Revisited

Photos by Lisa E White

Happiness is a visit to Old Town Scottsdale.  Wouldn't it be a great place for a Western scavenger hunt?  The symbols on the corner of First Street and Brown show many key features that helped in the early development of Scottsdale.  The bell is a symbol for the Adobe Mission Church, the Brand WMW Town (West's Most Western Town), the ice cubes and ice tongs for early refrigeration, the tire for cotton production used in tires, with Native American symbols on the side, and the cowboy boot for the early cattle industry.  Since the 1950's the downtown merchants have kept the Western style alive with hitching posts for horses, board and batten siding like on Saba's, and the shake overhangs protecting the sidewalks.  Don't forget the Singing Cowboy, Gary Sprague and his trusty steed, Dusty, will be there on Saturdays, and January through March you can take a free Stagecoach ride from 1-4 on Fridays and Saturdays.  The Saturday market is open all winter.   This Saturday, Feb. 9th is the Parada del Sol at 10 a.m., so time to mosey on downtown.  On your visit, you may find hundreds of other sights that make Old Town the Best in the West.  You have to wait until after dark to find much to remind you of the "Wild, Wild West."