Jerome is a true gem in the Verde Valley, located about halfway up Mingus Mountain. Access is via AZ-89A from both the North and the South. The city was incorporated in 1899. At its peak, the city had more than 10,000 people living and working there. Jerome was a mining town and one of the baddest towns in the Southwest. The mines played out in the 1950s, and the town declined to about 100 people. Then the town was re-imagined as a tourist destination catering to visitors and playing on the history of spirits, hauntings and such. This is the town that One – my black cat and friend that I frequently travel with – and I appreciate.
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All the fine bars, restaurants, galleries and shops are fine, but we like the underlying theme of the spirits that haunt the town. The aerial shot of Jerome gives an overview of the town that hangs onto the side of the mountain. AZ-89A enters the photo from the bottom left of the image and snakes its way up to and through Jerome and exits the city on the upper left as it continues its way up and over Mingus Mountain entering the Prescott Valley on the other side. One is seen on the upper right side checking the place out from a ravine in the mining section. She fears nothing.
The Jerome Grand Hotel is home to The Asylum restaurant, and it is an excellent place to dine. One is attracted to those diners. Like many patrons, she prefers larger portions and is known to lurk near the entrance waiting for them to come up the stairs. Interesting things are to be found in the old mining stuff on the west side of town. Partial structures still stand, and other worlds can be viewed from the remaining windows. Worlds where chess and knights prevail. I borrowed one of Jim Todd’s paintings for the window art. See more of his work at jtstudio.com Finally, there is a photo of a cat I met on one of my walks in a residential area at the top of the city. We spent some time together, and he appreciated my ear scratches. One “banned” me from the house that night.
