good-times-rollin: Wickenburg, Arizona

Desert Cypress RV Park

Wickenburg, AZ

March 10-16, 2026

The great little town of Wickenburg has been welcoming city folks looking for a true western experience since the early 1900s. Known as the dude ranch capital of the world, Wickenburg sits about 55 miles northwest of Phoenix in the Sonoran Desert where grasslands and rocky mountains are dotted with saguaro cacti. Today there are several working "guest" ranches that offer cattle drives, horse back riding and roping for a genuine western experience.

Downtown Wickenburg, or "Wick" as the locals say, has a compact historic core with a small hometown feel. Cafes, galleries, trading posts, mercantiles, western wear, leather shops, and museums offer a delightful mix of treasures.

Horseshoe Cafe was our choice for brunch one morning. The historic, iconic, and cozy cafe on the corner of E Wickenburg Way and N Valentine Street has a long-standing presence in Wickenburg. It is recognized as a staple for locals and visitors and known for its cowboy vibe, classic breakfast/brunch/lunch, and the place to be for the news of the day. Arizona Highways has mentioned the cafe several times...its connection to local folklore and town history, and recognized for its large portions of comfort food including biscuits and gravy, pancakes, and chicken fried steak.

Hyder Bro's Livery Stable, built in 1890, was the central hub for transportation in Wickenburg servicing horses, wagons, and carriages before automoblies. As needs for the locals and visitors changed, the livery stable became a garage and Ford dealership. In 1992, this historic landmark was converted to a Mercantile featuring southwestern and native jewelry, pottery etc.

For something painted, something old, something new and something repurposed, Gina's Place is the place to go. It's colorful, one-of-a-kind and unique pieces make this gallery worth a stop. We were lucky to meet Gina who is the artist and her original paintings of all sizes, styles, and subjects are on sale in her shop. Her work sure catches the eye with vibrant colors, and fun creativity.

The Texas Hotel was built in 1895. The original building had a restaurant on the street floor and eight rental units upstairs. Today it is known as the Antiques & Artisans
Emporium and a fun place to browse.

The Santa Fe Railroad Depot in Wickenburg is a key piece of "Wild West" architecture. It is among the oldest of the Santa Fe's wooden stations in Arizona. It was dedicated in 1895 with its last passenger service in May 1969. Today it is the headquarters for the Wickenburg Chamber of Commerce and Visitor Center.

Also on site is a 1900 series Southern Pacific Drover Caboose

and a Santa Fe steam locomotive #761 constructed in 1900 which has been on this site since 1955.

We enjoyed our walks around this fun little town. The street signs wear cowboy hats,

we learned a Hoosegow is a slang term for a jail and Wickenburg didn't have one then,

Henry Wickenburg, the towns name sake, had a dog named Sadie (lots of beautiul statues throughout town, but this one was my favorite),

a small, serene grassy area, Stone Park, is nestled between the Wickenburg Library and Town Hall,

and if you mosey on in to Bashas' Grocery, you will likely see a 25 pound of carrots..thats a first for us for sure!

Other places of interest for us included The Leather Shop where we met the owner and creator of custom made saddles, tripping collars, belts and bags.

And, The Desert Caballeros Western Museum for history, artifacts, displays of "the early days of Wick" and even a virtual reenactment of the owner of Brayton's Commercial Company located on the present site of the museum.

This was our first visit to Wickenburg. It was everything I had read about this charming, historic, "Old West" town and more. We found the vibe to be an authentic cowboy atmosphere, easy going and very friendly. But the best part about visiting Wick are seeing dear friends.

Sue and Dave invited us for dinner at their beautiful home the first night we were in town. It had been awhile since we had seen them and sweet Taos.

Sue made a delicious black bean and lentil chili served with toppings, cornbread muffins, and for dessert a yummy lemon pie. Our second get together was a lunch date at Lake Pleasant. Dave, Sue and Taos picked us up and took us to Scorpian Bay Grill located at the marina. Its a floating restaurant that is accessed by an elevator that takes you down to the dock. Puppies are welcome so Taos and Lucy went too. Lunch was yummy!

our view of the dock from the elevator.

Our lunch view,

our dear friends,

and our sweet puppies...

We took the long way home on Castle Hot Springs Rd. Its a gravel road, about 30 miles I think, that curves this way and that way and goes up and over here and there! We saw lots of burros who have been residents in this part of Arizona since the late 1800s when miners were looking for gold in the Bradshaw Mountains.

We drove past Castle Hot Springs Resort...an all inclusive luxury resort where folks come to relax in the hot springs and rates range from $1650 to over $2000 a night.

I love the Sonoran Desert!

Thank you Sue, Dave and Taos for your warm welcome and a very nice visit!

Janna, Michael, and Kayce also live in Wickenburg. We were excited to finally meet their cute little Schnauzer Kayce.

It was love at first sight and hard to get a photo.

The four of us enjoyed the breeze and visiting on their patio. while the pups played and played. Then it was off to one of their favorites for lunch. Smash burgers at Capital Farm butcher shop and restaurant. The butcher shop is well stocked with premium locally-raised, grass-fed beef. The restaurant, Capital Patty, features smash burgers and sandwiches from their own beef. Smash burgers were new for us so that is what we ordered. Not just any old smash burger, but a Fancy Smashburger which included beef bacon, white cheddar, fresh pickles, lettuce, tomato, and onion with a Capital Farm secret sauce on a toasted bun and an Arizona lemonade. Absolutely melt in your mouth delicious! And messy...finger-licking messy, but I ate every bite!

The next day (March 12) we were invited back to Janna and Mike's lovely home. It was my birthday and Janna prepared a delicious Creamy Cajun Chicken Pasta serverd with salad and toasted garlic bread on the patio. And for dessert, Strawberry Cake. Janna's friend Jill joined us for lunch and it was good to put a face with the name I have read in Janna's blog. They all sang Happy Birthday ! And this is the only photo I got!