This town is coming like a ghost town
the town in question is called Jerome, and yesterday Shannon and I piled into the Mystery Machine to check it out.
Jerome Arizona's history is full of stories. these stories tell how the “Wickedest Town in The West” got its name and how men who sought their fortunes in this billion dollar mining camp lived, played and fought.
once the fourth largest city in the Arizona Territory, Jerome boasted a population of nearly 10,000 on its hilltop haven. during its heyday, men and women from all over the world made their way to Arizona to find work and maybe a new way of life.
today, when you visit Jerome and its historic buildings, you are given an opportunity to take a step back in time, feel the past and experience life as it might have been in Arizona's rough and rugged days.
we took our time getting there, rocking out to Pink Floyd (among others), taking time out to glimpse Lake Pleasant, which didn'r happen as we felt it wasn't worth paying their admin fees just to drive further down the road only to abruptly continue toward our true destination.
one gets the feeling in Jerome that you're not entirely welcome. i can't fathom 10,000 people having once made up its population. it's such a small place. only about 450 people live there today. the bordellos mentioned in the town's past are celebrated by a quaint little bistro (with a lightly sloped dining room) where we stopped in for lunch. their pizza was magnificent, as well as the mozzarella bread appetizers. had i not been battling a weekend stomach flu, i would have loved to order any of the Belgian trappist Ales on the menu, but better to not have tested my luck. i was barely well enough to get out of the house on a 113 degree Phoenix day.
it was a short visit as we had to rush back home after our meal (or as I apparently say, mill) because Alex was a bit too fussy for Shannon's parents to handle. they're not as used to how to settle him down as we are, and it was probably not as serious as it was made out to be, but all is well now. poor lad probably just had a touch of what i had.
if you ever find yourself in central Arizona, Jerome is definitely worth a look. you won't forget it. we plan to go back when we can take our time and cover more territory. it's haunting, freaky, geographically fascinating, and a little bit touristy. a must see.
Jerome Arizona's history is full of stories. these stories tell how the “Wickedest Town in The West” got its name and how men who sought their fortunes in this billion dollar mining camp lived, played and fought.
once the fourth largest city in the Arizona Territory, Jerome boasted a population of nearly 10,000 on its hilltop haven. during its heyday, men and women from all over the world made their way to Arizona to find work and maybe a new way of life.
today, when you visit Jerome and its historic buildings, you are given an opportunity to take a step back in time, feel the past and experience life as it might have been in Arizona's rough and rugged days.
we took our time getting there, rocking out to Pink Floyd (among others), taking time out to glimpse Lake Pleasant, which didn'r happen as we felt it wasn't worth paying their admin fees just to drive further down the road only to abruptly continue toward our true destination.
one gets the feeling in Jerome that you're not entirely welcome. i can't fathom 10,000 people having once made up its population. it's such a small place. only about 450 people live there today. the bordellos mentioned in the town's past are celebrated by a quaint little bistro (with a lightly sloped dining room) where we stopped in for lunch. their pizza was magnificent, as well as the mozzarella bread appetizers. had i not been battling a weekend stomach flu, i would have loved to order any of the Belgian trappist Ales on the menu, but better to not have tested my luck. i was barely well enough to get out of the house on a 113 degree Phoenix day.
it was a short visit as we had to rush back home after our meal (or as I apparently say, mill) because Alex was a bit too fussy for Shannon's parents to handle. they're not as used to how to settle him down as we are, and it was probably not as serious as it was made out to be, but all is well now. poor lad probably just had a touch of what i had.
if you ever find yourself in central Arizona, Jerome is definitely worth a look. you won't forget it. we plan to go back when we can take our time and cover more territory. it's haunting, freaky, geographically fascinating, and a little bit touristy. a must see.