Its not often you can find a town like Cave Creek, Arizona that has preserved its wild west character so well after more than 100 years especially when its located so close to rapidly growing cities like Scottsdale and Phoenix.  But Cave Creek, established as a gold mining town and stopping point for the U.S. Calvary in the mid 1870s, is not like most other towns.   While most of the buildings built in the 1800s are probably gone, many that are standing have been there longer than anyone can remember and are reminiscent of what things looked like in the Wild West so long ago.

Located high above Phoenix in the foothills of Black Mountain, Skull Mesa and Elephant Butte, Cave Creek has accomplished the nearly impossible task of maintaining its old west character and charm in an era of exponential growth within the metropolitan Phoenix area.  While Scottsdale has now become most deservedly known for its world class resorts, spas, and golf, and Phoenix for the Suns, Coyotes, Cardinals and Diamondbacks, and Tempe for ASU, Tempe Town Lake, and great Block Parties, their smaller friendly neighbor to the North, Cave Creek, has become one of the most recognized Western towns in the U.S. featuring several saloons, western shops, Rodeo Events, Galleries and live music.  Throw in some championship golf, several unique southwest jewelry shops and numerous other specialty stores and you have a must visit location just minutes but a time warp away from nearby Phoenix and Scottsdale, Arizona.

The numerous saloons in Cave Creek thrive on activity as establishments such as Harolds, the Buffalo Chip, and the Satisfied Frog offer almost nightly events from live bands, poker tournaments, trivia, and charity casino events all with a wild western flair and small town hospitality.  The crowds are diverse with visitors and residents alike enjoying all that is unique in Cave Creek.  Other notable eateries in Cave Creek include Rancho Mananas Tonto Bar and Grill which is part of the well known Rancho Manana Golf Club and Resort.  Tonto is located in an original building from the 1940s Rancho Manana Dude Ranch.   During much of the year, the large, partially covered patio is nearly always full during lunch and dinner as the views are as good as the food.  The Horny Toad Restaurant (not to be confused with the earlier mentioned Satisfied Frog) has some of the countrys best fried Chicken while the nearby Indian Village boasts some of the worlds best tacos (and I think they are right) although El Encanto Mexican Restaurant are mighty delicious as well and offer a unique patio surrounding a small pond with lots of ducks and turtles.

Once youve eaten, you can stroll around and visit any one of Cave Creeks more than 20 galleries or seek out many of the towns unique shop featuring southwestern gifts, clothing, furniture and house wares.  The Town Dump, Buffalo Bills, and the Lazy Lizard all have large assortments of pottery, rustic antiques and numerous other unique items that can probably only be found in Cave Creek.