Jerome and the area around it are full of history. Sitting on the steep slope of Cleopatra Hill on the side of Mingus Mountain, Jerome was a billion dollar mining town producing copper, gold, silver and other valuable ores. During an 18-month period in 1898 & 1899, the town was leveled by fire three times. After that all buildings were built of brick and stone not wood. The "wickedest town in the West" with saloons, gambling halls & houses of prostitution were among the town's busiest and most popular businesses. Once a booming town it has dwindled down to about 50 residents.
North of Jerome is another gold mine of local history - The Gold King Mine and Ghost Town. Now the gold is gone, and the mineshaft has been filled with water.
Harry, Karen, Keith and I drove to Jerome...up up and up we went on the very narrow road leading to the town... We parked the car and of course...everywhere we looked there were photo opps.
We have found that every town in AZ seems to mark their mountains with the first letter of the town's name. Here's the "J"
I couldn't help but take this picture of Keith looking down the steep cliff...It sure is a long way down!
This is one of the many winerys in the town.
Inside the winery there were many artist wares for sale...Karen was really liking one of the pieces here.
The building on the left is the Little Daisy Hotel, a popular place for the miners to stay,,,today it is a private residence.. The middle area with all the colors on the side of the mine is Little Daisy Mine. And the white building on the right is the Douglas Mansion, the mines owner then. It is now part of the Jerome State Historic Park and closed for renovations so we didn't get to see it any closer.
Heaps of collectibles ---old fire trucks, a 1914 sawmill, blacksmith tools, and antique cars --fill almost every corner of the property. Here's Keith next to a huge film projector.
You can see Mt. Humphrey in the distance with the snow covered mountain ..it is the tallest mountain in AZ.
We walked the town til it was time to have some lunch... We were told that Rachel Ray came here and ate at The Jerome Palace and had "The Haunted Hamburger"...So that's where we headed...Up the hill..:)
And we ordered our burgers... Harry LOVES a good burger..and this one was good. Our table looked out over the views I showed you earlier.
I've noticed in TX and now in AZ that wherever the US flag is displayed..so is the state flag.
This area is down in a pit area of the historical area. Here's an outhouse that has a sign in it..Perfect Pitch..guess they want you to throw coins ?:)
The main street in Jerome...
From Jerome. Harry drove us up the Mingus Highway ...
This was the first "look out" we stopped to take photos...This is the road we just came from.
A beautiful view of the valley.
The road finally came to the Prescott National Forest area...we started to see more and more snow as we climbed in elevation..
At the summit it was 7023 ft above sea level... SEE THE SNOW? Harry continued on the scenic road tour til we came to 1-17 which took us back to the RV's. It was such a pleasant drive and we all felt glad that we had such a nice day to do it all. We left at 8:30 a.m. and were back at the park at 3:30 p.m.
Keith, Carol, Dale, Dennis, and Barb having a happy hour tog. We met Barb and Dennis in Florida...JPG)
New players Carol and Dale from Washington State. Now new friends..JPG)
Keith, Keith Bisel, and Marie.... We FINALLY get to meet the other Keith... so often we heard about this Keith Bisel and what a wonderful teacher/player he is. We got to watch him teach new players first hand and it is quite amazing how patient and theatrical he is; making it so easy for beginners to understand and remember how to play pickleball. Most everyday there were new players waiting for his lessons at 11 a.m. My Keith played with and against Keith Bisel and it's just so awesome to watch how he can place the ball anywhere he wants with such ease. So, for those of you who don't play....it doesn't matter what your size or age...It's HOW you play the game.:) .JPG)
Oland and Marilee - More new friends. They've been full timers for 8 years and like the west so much they've decided to stay out here. BUT we might see them in Hershey this summer as they travel to PA to see their son..JPG)
Dennis and Barbara. I'm not sure how long these two have been full timin' it...but we've run into them in Fl. and now here. Hope to see them in Pa. this summer too. Dennis reminds Keith and me of our Brad when he plays ball...he's so tall and can reach just about any shot. 
Bob and Julie...Full timers since 2005. The first day we walked on the court in Florida, there was Bob and Carlton.... It was after that day that Keith and I decided that this was our game and we could play this for as long as we want...and meet great people ....and have FUN. I think Bob and Julie like it out west too...but we hope that they decide to come east sometime! 
It was so much fun playing with all these people....most mornings we had 2 courts going with enough to play 2 more courts ...waiting their turn. Oland went to a meeting of the manager and they've given $$ to redo the courts... How exciting! Oland is in charge of the volunteer crew to do the work on the courts...Everyone who is here will help with the labor and make a PARTY out of it. Today we heard that all the materials have been ordered and should arrive this coming week. We will be leaving here on Sunday morning 3/21 so we won't be here for the party...
The orig. pueblo was 2 stories high in places, with 77 groundfloor rooms. There were few exterior doors; entry was by way of ladders through openings in the roofs. Inhabitated by about 50 persons for 100 years. In the 1200's the population doubled and then doubled again as refugee farmers, fleeing drought in outlying areas, settled here.
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