Jerome Building

Perched on a cactus and rock strewn hillside, Jerome, from a distance, looks like a medieval town.

But as we negotiate the steep twisty road it is obvious that Jerome is a remnant of the Old West and proud of it.

Jerome was given up for dead when the copper mines closed, but on this perfect Sunday afternoon it looked pretty lively to us. We parked the car in a makeshift dirt lot and climbed the steep stairs to the main street.

Many of the old buildings remain intact, some are being restored and others are in their death throes. But this is a real place, not a pristine theme park. Real people live and work here and always have even when the population declined to 14 souls.

Ramshackle buildings with decaying roofs, balconies drifting at an odd angle and vacant lots give testament to a well-lived past.

Jerome is a mecca for custom made jewelry and antiques along with clothing, books, home decorating items, toys, and crafts. The word that was frequently on our lips was "original". Many of the shops offer a spectacular view from their rear windows....a 180 degree panorama of red rock country, big sky, clouds and desert. It is not surprising that many of the paintings in the art galleries depict this beautiful scenery.

We strolled past a row of big shiny motorcycles that were lounging outside the Connor Hotel and the folks inside sounded like they were having a fine time. My friends were too shy to go in for a beer so maybe next time. (This is a lucrative corner to people watch.)

A jewelry store owner suggested the quiche and salad at the Red Rooster for lunch. It proved to be a good choice and we planned to return later for tea and homemade pie but it was closed. A good reason to never put off having dessert!

Before leaving we drove up to the Jerome Grand Hotel. As I walked down the hallway I had a strong feeling of deja-vu... it reminded me of old Mercy Hospital where I had taken nurses training. Then we were told that the old hotel had originally been the town hospital. I may go there for dinner some time but you couldn't pay me to spend the night with all those ghosts calling for a bedpan.

On our next visit we plan to see the historical sites and tramp up all the steep hills. But today the charm of this tough old town and the lure of so many unique shops kept us occupied most of the day. On the drive back to Flagstaff it was unanimous that we can't wait to share Jerome with our frequent Arizona visitors.

Directions: go to www.azjerome.com/map.htm for directions to Jerome from Phoenix, Sedona and Prescott.