Had the pleasure of finally going out to Castle Hot Springs which is about an hour west of my house in Cave Creek. It is a very historic, old-school resort that was closed for many years after a fire burned the main building. New owners have invested millions of dollars to bring it back to life.
I have driven by the turn-off for at least 35 years and every time I do, I say to myself, "One of these days. . ."
Well, yesterday Kathy and I took off from work early and drove out to Castle Hot Springs Road and made the turn. It's paved for about five miles and then it turns to dirt for the last ten miles. The bottom line is, you really have to want to go there. It is isolated.
Sunrise over Castle Hot Springs, Arizona.
In 1901 and 1902 a young artist with tuberculosis came to stay at the resort. He was impressed with the air and the skies. He claimed the vastness of the Arizona scenery transformed him and his career.
"Cowboys at the Waterhole"
by Maxfield Parrish
BBB at Castle Hot Springs
I certainly saw and felt the inspiration Maxfield felt. By the way, the water behind me is 110 degrees, coming right out of the rocks.
The irony is that a certain dentist with TB rode right past this place on his way from Prescott to Goose Flats in 1880. If only he had stopped here, he might have lived longer. We will never know.
By the way, the third edition of the book on this same dentist just arrived at our door and it looks mighty fine. Over a hundred of the pre-orders went to the post office about an hour ago, so if you ordered one, it should land in a couple days.
"This is funny."
—Doc Holliday
"You never breathed such stuff in your life, it's right from the keg."
—Maxfield Parrish
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