Monday, December 17, 2007

Steps and stairs everywhere you look

Why staircases? Better, why not staircases? They are, after all, not only photogenic, but quite necessary landscape items in our world of hilly ups and downs. Besides, many are built of local stone, which can be quite handsome.

This pair of staircases leads down to the trail alongside Granite Creek. Above, the wooden steps from the Dinner Bell; below, stairs from the patio behind Coffee Roasters. Both on Gurley Street.

While rough-hewn stones are, frankly, more attractive, one is less likely to stumble on a smooth cement step. However, the Congress Street staircase (above) is inset in an neat rock wall. Nice curves in the Park Avenue steps (below).

More concrete -- rising up to the tennis courts at ERAU.

Now I'm not really sure whether or not these steps on South McCormick are ever used. However, I like them, as they are each cut from a single stone.

These stairs out at the Thumb Butte picnic area are built from flagstone quarried out near Drake. Dramatically different from what one finds in the Prescott area.

The stone work over at the Smoki Museum and the former armory dates from WPA days and is a splendid example of what can be done.

More flagstone steps beginning where the sidewalk leaves off. On Beach Street.

Here's one of my favorite sets of steps that are probably never used, inasmuch as the house above sits on High Street, not Coronado where the stairs start.

Oh, what grand granite slabs one climbs at the Shrine of St. Joseph down in Yarnell. And almost too many to count!

But nothing in Prescott can match the industrial staircase I saw last summer up in Flagstaff with the dotter's family. Up and around it went. Makes me wish for a wee bit of industrial stuff hereabouts -- makes such great photos!

8 comments:

JuliaR said...

It looks like you need to be a mountain goat to live there!

Catalyst said...

A wonderful selection, GJ. I'm going to e-mail you a couple from my California trip.

Granny J said...

jr -- not really, tho it might help! Thinking over the local landscape, I realized that the "flattest" sections of town actually are either ramps up toward the hills or ramps down toward the creeks.

Cat-A -- I'm sure there are some great staircases I missed (including the grand one between Willis and Sacred heart.) But I'll keep an eye out for more...

Avus said...

Inspired selections, Granny! - I particularly liked the Thumb Butte ones.

Granny J said...

Avus -- I'd be curious which quarry produced that particular flagstone. It's quite different from the standard sandstone in one or another shade of pink.

San said...

Came over from "Chatoyance." Stairs. I like them too! Anything that takes one to varying levels and points of view--lovely.

smilnsigh said...

Love your stairs!!!

And I look forward to your pics of towers on houses. :-)

Mari-Nanci

Granny J said...

Welcome, San -- you can climb my stairs anytime...

Same to you, SnS. Actually, we have quite a few neat towers, here and there, tho my collection isn't very big right now.

 
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