Today is brought to you by the bygone glory days of the Jerome Copper Mine.
Jerome is/was a mining town built on some switchbacks half way up a mountain.
Over 4 million tons of ore was mined before the mine closed in the 1950's.
It became a ghost town until the hippies discovered it and moved in. It has since been gentrified into a tourist destination, although there are still hippie remnants to be seen.
We took Sarah-Jean and Reggie to our favourite store - Nellie Bly's.
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| An $1,800.00 kaleidoscope anyone? |
This was once a hotel. Now, it is a private home, albeit with not much roof!
Margeurite Haskins - she's the (ahem) elderly lady below - was born in Jerome on February 9, 1917, making her 98 years old. She says she looks old for her age because she worries a lot - NOT! She was visiting in Nellie Bly's and entertaining the shoppers with stories from her childhood. There were lots of saloons and brothels back then and the men all wore guns....etc. The storekeeper told us that some of her stories are even true!
From Jerome we moved down to the bottom of the mountain to Clarkdale, where the Verde Canyon Railway Line begins. That is where the smelter was located.
After checking in at the station, we had lunch.
And applied sunblock.
Then, boarded the train.
We passed the slag heap - 40 acres, 40 feet deep.
And began our two hour journey up the Verde River Canyon.
Past Sinagua dwellings.....
And turtle rock (as well as frog rock, dinosaur rock, Lincoln rock, Nixon rock, howling coyotes rock, etc.
We crossed trestles, travelled through a 600 foot tunnel and finally arrived in Perkinsville.
The engines then moved to the other end of the train and we headed back to Clarkdale.
With Prickly Pear Cactus Lemonade and ice cream sandwiches (Mardi's lemonade was disguised as a Miller Lite).
We finished the day with a dinner show at the Blazin' M Ranch, but one bar of internet access has already pushed this session into its second hour so you'll hear "the rest of the story" tomorrow.
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