It doesn’t matter how many beautiful places I’ve seen, and how many places I’ve been. When all is said and done, Cave Creek, Arizona is still one of the coolest places there is. Yes, the place has grown tremendously from the time I lived there during the late 80’s and throughout the 90’s. Yes, some of the old stomping grounds have been bull-dozed over to make room for fancier condos, commercial buildings, and stuff I would say is built for the sole reason of satisfying the yuppy. But beyond the growth and the influx of yuppiness, the beauty, small-town delights and warm charm still exists. There’s still this plenty of bikers, plenty of cowboys, and your occasional hippy all gathered in one place. Wait, isn’t that a David Allen Coe lyric?
“Country DJs knows that I’m an outlaw
They’d never come to see me in this dive
Where bikers stare at cowboys who are laughing at the hippies
Who are praying they’ll get out of here alive”
I don’t get a chance to get back to Cave Creek very often, but each time I do, I can’t help but smile and be grateful for growing up in this place. It’s a place that no matter how long I have been away, will always be ‘home.’
Took a stroll through Frontier Town, and apparently, the restaurant that was once home to Crazy Ed’s, Satisfied Frog has burned down. Good news is that there are some new owners, with a decent sized budget to rebuild the place. I hope something nice can go in there because it just hasn’t been the same since the times of ‘Piano Jack’ pumping out some honky-tonk piano out front.
Before heading to Harold’s, Buffalo Chip, and then to The Hideaway, we took a drive out to one of my Dad’s favorite places…Fleming Springs. As a family, we always used to take a ride in this area, with the hopes of seeing some deer. Fortunately, we had a very special evening. We saw six or seven deer, including a young fawn who still had its spots. I couldn’t help but think of my Dad at this moment. I know he was pleasantly smiling down on us with pure joy and saying something like “What a major thrill!” or “Goosebumps!”
After spending the evening bouncing around Cave Creek a little bit, it was time to head out, but not before the moon gave us this brilliant outline of Black Mountain. Oh, Cave Creek/Carefree…you’re a strange, strange place, and I love every bit of you.
