Southern California offers a myriad of things to enjoy. You can ski in the morning, have lunch somewhere in the desert, and enjoy an evening happy hour by the beach. It's not only the weather and natural beauty, but also the ease of changing scenery that keeps Californians loving the Cali lifestyle. If you are a wanderlust, California is one of those places that will keep you dreaming about its snow-topped mountains, the rugged rock formations and stark desert landscape, vibrant communities, sandy beaches, and its sparkling waters.

California Real estate is not inexpensive, but for those of us who love this lifestyle, it is well worth it.

SoCal residents also enjoy the ease of weekend trips within and outside of the state, given the proximity to many beautiful and historical places. This last weekend, the Mar eBrokers RE team happened to embark on a weekend trip to Prescott, AZ for some overdue R&R.

Prescott is an Arizona town nestled in the Prescott Valley, rich with history, a night scene, and a vibrant community. While it was a short first-time trip for us, it will not be the last.

The trip from our SoCal beach community took about 6 hours. Embarking on the 10 FWY, we traveled past the mid-century loving Palm Springs, the Joshua Tree National Park (if you have time it is a well-worth stopover!). Stopping for a quick lunch at Blythe (one of the last stops before the state line, and one with the most lunch choices), before turning off the 60 Hwy exit towards Prescott/Wickenburg.

The scenic drive takes you along the dry landscape engulfed by cacti. There is something serene and beautiful about it, and could not be further away from the beach scene in SoCal. As we drove along the 60 Hwy, we passed a few cattle ranches, reminiscent of the Old West! From the 60, we turned off onto the 71, which took us through a winding scenic road before arriving in Prescott.

But alas, Arizona is not only made up of desert and valleys. Prescott has an elevation slightly above 5,000 ft, and it's surrounded by blue spruce, Ponderosa pines, and Aspen trees in perfect harmony with cacti.

Most of our weekend was spent with our hosts and family back in their beautiful Southwestern-style home that housed an indoor swim pool and a serene backyard with glorious sunset views. We did make a quick lunch run to Murphy's, a locale in the Historic District of Prescott, with an interior reminiscent of a cool old saloon serving American food. The historic part of town could not be more charming, with its antiques and ice cream shops along main street, and the view of the Prescott Thumb Butte (rock formation below) in the distance rendered it poetic.

Of course as architecture and real estate lovers, we could not miss the drive by Mount Vernon street along the Historic District, made up of beautifully maintained Victorian homes which many are listed on the Historic Register, as well as homes of the Arts & Crafts style full of charm and grace (if you visit during Christmas, not one house along Mount Vernon is without Christmas lights!)

Picture credit: Victorianestatesresidents.com

Our afternoons were spent in the swim pool, followed by the feeding of the fish and bunnies, and finally culminating in margaritas and glorious sunset views.

Thank you Prescott for a fun R&R weekend!

#RealEstate #SoCalLifestyle #WeekendTravel

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