Down in the Canyon - From the Canyon to a Ghost Town

Tuesday, April 15th - Landing in Jerome

Jerome, Arizona, is embedded into the side of a mountain and, like other mountain towns, the host mountain has been branded with the initial of the town.  

It is a town with three eras: it came into existence as a copper mining town, became a "ghost town" when the copper was depleted, and has been reborn as an artistic enclave which simultaneously embraces innovation and creativity while celebrating its past.  It's a place where one can, in the course of a single afternoon, get a glass-blowing demonstration complete with a science lesson, admire intricate pottery and paintings, hold ammonite and trilobite fossils in one's hand, consider the supposed healing powers of "massage wands," peruse copper-encrusted jewelry, and have a burger and brew at the "Haunted Hamburger."  All of which we did with only one regret: we passed on some promising desserts at the Haunted Hamburger expecting to indulge in some ice cream at local specialty shops, only to find all such places closed at 6 PM promptly . . .  about 5 minutes BEFORE we left the restaurant! 

We made our way to Cottonwood, AZ to settle in for the night at a Quality Inn whose best feature was its proximity to a Dairy Queen.  Ice cream was had . . . 

On Wednesday, we'll make our way to Tucson to spend the remainder of our vacation with good friends Anne and Rod.