About two hours from Phoenix is the quirky town of Jerome, a fabulous day trip destination! The drive alone is gorgeous. Once there, its captivating to learn about the mining history of the town and to imagine just what it was like "back in the day". For more information, click
here.
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| on the way to Jerome, AZ |
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| there it is....up on the hill |
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| you can see the strip mining area from here |
Jerome is an old mining ghost town. In its heyday, it was the 4th largest city in Arizona with a population of 15,000. After the last of the mines closed in the 1950's, it became a ghost town. Later, enticed by the views and the low cost of real estate, it became somewhat of an artist's colony. Today, it is a fun town to visit...with plenty of art shops, restaurants, specialty shops and history galore. Did I mention the views?
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| heading up the hill to the town built into the side of the hill! |
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| some of the buildings have been restored and repurposed |
The town is built on the side of a mountain, underneath which are the old mines. Interestingly, the town has quite a lot of stories from the old mining days. Sometimes the ground would collapse from all of the mining tunnels underneath the town, and buildings would slide down the hills. There were several fires over the years that destroyed some of the buildings, but the businesses and housing were rebuilt very quickly. A resilient community!
A very interesting documentary film is shown continually at the Jerome State Historic Park in the mansion once owned by the Douglas family. The building serves as a museum now, and the history of the town is depicted with many displays and photos. Equipment used in the mining operations are located at the museum as well, and it was very interesting to see some of the "cars" used to haul out the ore from the mines. Originally, donkeys were used. Later, trains. Very interesting history giving a glimpse into the courage and tenacity of the miners and the pioneers that headed west in this country.
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| a view of the Douglas Mansion at Jerome Historic State Park from across the way |
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| everything is on the side of the mountain |
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| affording quite a view! |
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| Jerome was a happening town back in the day...and had lots of items available to the "consumer" |
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| some of the items |
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| oh hey....one of my old employers! (that product was before my time though.....I never tested it) |
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| Gotta love a nice clean lab.....even if it is a geology lab and not a microbiology lab! |
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| the library (in the mansion) |
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| Jerome....in its heyday |
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| so much copper mined here (and tons of money made!)....just a refresher for what it is used for |
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| and where would we be without electronic circuit boards? |
The views from the State Park are amazing, especially with the hillsides sprinkled with a little bit of snow. You could look up at some of the old buildings that have been restored. Or check out the strip mining that occurred after the underground mines were depleted. My favorite views though were of the red rocks! Just gorgeous....
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| the mining company built a hospital for the miners, which is now an apartment building |
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| some of the mining equipment |
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| a look at the strip mines |
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| the outside of the Douglas Mansion (now the museum) |
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| check out that "car" that was used to transport miners into the underground mine |
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| a view across the canyon toward the rest of the city |
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| another view of the later mining operations (after the underground mines were depleted) |
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| such nice views |
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| a bit of snow still on this side of the mansion |
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| ahhh....the view! |
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| the other side of the mansion again...with the old equipment used to haul the ore out of the underground mines |
Afterwards, we left the State Park and we were ready for lunch! Climbing up the mountain on the twisty roads with houses perched precariously along the edges, we came upon a packed parking lot and took the last available space! Whew! Who knew Jerome was such a happening place?
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| heading up to "main street" |
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| the houses are perched precariously on the edge of the mountain |
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| a really cute town today |
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| Ghost City Inn...looks like a great place to stay for a weekend visit (lots of haunted stuff in this town!?!) |
This town is a walking town, and we walked immediately up to the Mile High Grille and Inn for a really tasty lunch. Lucky us....we had a table with a view. By the way, that was one of the tastiest lunches we've ever had! We are still talking about the onion rings...hahahahha!
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| a good place to stop for info |
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| these sundials were for sale by one of the artists ....tempting...but just wouldn't fit in the RV |
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| Mile High Grill and Inn (black and white awnings) |
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| awesome lunch! |
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| This is why I can't lose weight....too tempting! Thank goodness we don't eat out often! |
The town is a bit quirky and artsy, and just plain fun! Many of the homes or businesses have a personality of their own.
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| fun chairs |
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| the houses and shops are all different |
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| artwork in someone's front yard |
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| living on the edge |
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| another artist's yard |
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| definitely quirky! |
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| and there ARE lots of hippies....hahahha |
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| this was our second choice for lunch, but we were thrilled with Mile High Grille |
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| lots of walking and hills in this little town |
Since the town is built on the side of the mountain, and there are miles and miles of mining shafts underneath, sometimes the ground gives out and buildings slide down. One of these such buildings is the jail. At first we couldn't find it. We walked down a short street and saw a part of a building, but it was a glass-blowing studio...on the edge of the mountain...with an incredible view. We walked a little to the right of that building and across the parking lot came upon the "sliding jail". In between some of these crazy buildings are beautiful art galleries. The views really are amazing!
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| umm....very interesting buildings and places of business |
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| this is a glass-blowing studio |
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| the "sliding jail".....read the sign below |
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| close up of the sliding jail "cell" |
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| an art gallery across the way from the sliding jail....and the view!! Wow! |
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| there are many of these old buildings throughout the town...this one is on the edge |
Since Jerome is an artist colony, there are many many art shops. On the first Saturday of each month, there is an "art walk" from 5-8PM. We were there the first Saturday of February, but we didn't stay late enough to partake of that tour. By the way, being that this was a ghost town, there are also many "haunted" buildings and ghost tours. As we walked along the streets window-shopping and working off the huge lunch/dinner we ate, the views were just incredible. I know I keep saying that, but really...the buildings are perched on the edge of the mountainside, and most of the buildings have incredible views either from the windows of the shops or from the property around them.
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| a really nice art gallery/shop...with great views out the big windows in the back of the building |
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| Again....can't get enough of the views! Looks like a painting, doesn't it? |
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| still meandering through the town |
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| isn't that a pretty house...all are on the edge though! |
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| another view from town |
There is something for everyone. The Historic Mining Museum is right in town, and visitors can learn about the town of Jerome from its beginnings until the present. More examples of "sliding buildings" are evident around the town as well. This was a quirky, fun town to visit for the day, and we enjoyed the views immensely.
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| And for those interested in a bit more of the town's history.....The Mining Museum! |
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| an old hotel....visitors chuck pennies for good luck |
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| another view |
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| Jerome.....a fun, quirky, artsy town.... |
The next town over is Cottonwood, and we made a stop at Tuzigoot National Monument before leaving the area and heading back to Phoenix. I'll save that for the next post:)
