In the Arizona desert, a gem called Jerome

By D. Daniel, Globe Staff, 02/24/02

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JEROME, Ariz. - Get to this mining town turned ghost town turned squatter town turned gallery town fast, or it could turn into something else.

For now, Jerome seems to be taking a lesson from nearby Sedona, which sits in still-gorgeous country but sadly has been turned into a mystic's one-stop shopping site. Jerome so far has retained its authenticity even as it attracts more tourists. A friend called it ``an artsy, funky, townie time warp,'' a description that convinced me to stop over during a trip from Tucson north to the Grand Canyon. My friend had it right.

Jerome (population 500) has its own stunning setting, not the red rocks of Sedona (though you can see them in the distance) but an expansive view of Arizona's Verde Valley. Though not as green as its name implies, the valley is a scenic mix of forests and craggy hills. The town itself is nestled into the mountainside, on must-see Highway 89A, which runs between Prescott and Sedona. Main Street is a series of switchbacks through the tiny center, while several sets of stone steps connect the street levels that hug Cleopatra Hill. The businesses are a mix of T-shirt shops and art galleries, dark saloons and sunny cafes.

Jerome's tagline of ``the mile-high town with 50-mile views'' is quite accurate, as is its claim of being ``the world's largest ghost city.'' In the late 1800s, fire almost destroyed Jerome three times. But the copper commerce was raging, and it was always rebuilt. Underground mining ended in 1918 after fires erupted in the 88 miles of tunnels under the town, and dynamite-fueled, open-pit mining began. That resulted in hills rumbling, buildings cracking, and the town jail moving 225 feet across the road from its original site. Remnants of the ``sliding jail'' are now a tourist attraction. The population peaked in the '20s at about 15,000, and plummeted to 50 in the late '50s, a few years after the mines closed.

``Hippies'' came to the rescue, as artists and drifters settled into the abandoned buildings. Locals and newcomers didn't necessarily share outlooks, but they needed one another and found ways to coexist. The word is that there remains some town-and-gown issues, especially around the topic of tourism, but there are no outside signs of unease.

The people walking the town's two one-way streets are certainly diverse: Harley-Davidson bikers and mountain bikers, hip artists and hippies, tourists from the city and locals from the country. And busloads of seniors. Unless you like crowds, it's best to visit during the week, as many folks from Phoenix (two hours south) and environs visit on weekends. On weeknights it feels as if the ghost town it used to be and you really do get a sense of its history.

The list of places to stay continues to grow. There's the newly renovated Connor Hotel of Jerome in the middle of town, built in 1898 and restored to hold a mix of Victorian furnishings and modern conveniences; the Jerome Grand Hotel, a Spanish Mission style building set in the hillside that used to be the town hospital; and the nearby Surgeon's House Bed & Breakfast, built for the mining company's surgeon.

I stayed at the Ghost City Inn Bed & Breakfast, built in the late 1800s, with rooms overlooking the valley 2,000 feet below. Innkeepers Allen and Jackie Muma took over the bed and breakfast after relocating to Jerome from Michigan in 1999. He's the town's police chief and she runs the inn and cooks up a fabulous breakfast. She redecorated, giving each room a separate theme, all tasteful and creative. Most rooms lead out onto a veranda. I decided to go Western, in a small space done up in vintage cowboy and including a custom-made high pine bed, saddle, and lasso. The Muma's, bikers themselves, have rental Harley-Davidson motorcycles.

Feeling inspired by the countryside, I decided to save the town for later and first play outdoors. The inn's hot tub came in handy after a leg-burning bike ride on 89A toward Prescott about 8 miles south and 2,000 feet up, through a pine forest and to the top of Mingus Mountain, at 7,100 feet. If you're comfortable cycling on narrow roads with some traffic and a lot of switchbacks, it's a terrific, challenging ride. Otherwise, get behind the wheel and take this scenic trip by car. Stop at the overlook for a picnic. For off-road cyclists, head out on Perkinsville Road for some awesome scenery and uncrowded hiking trails in the surrounding Sycamore Canyon. To the north off of 89A there are Tuzigott and Montezuma Castle national monuments, both Indian pueblos from the early 1100s. There's also an excursion rail ride on Verde Canyon Railroad, from nearby Clarkdale, that gives passengers a taste of the backcountry.

Back in Jerome, I refortified at the best lunch stop in town, the tiny Flatiron Cafe. Whether outside on the patio or indoors, a valley view awaits. Sandwiches and salads are upscale and healthy. Too bad it closes midafternoon. Up a few levels, and flights of stairs, Hamburger Heaven also has good meals and an excellent view, as does the restaurant at the Grand Hotel.

For a taste of history, first visit the Mine Museum run by the Jerome Historical Society, which houses equipment, minerals, and artifacts. There you can pick up much information about the town, including a self-guided walking tour. (Guided tours are offered sporadically.) Sites to see include the Douglas Mansion, the former home of mining baron James Douglas, which became a state park and museum in 1965; Company Hill, the site of Victorian homes once belonging to mine executives (they're now private); Jerome Town Hall, built in 1927; and the Christ Episcopal Church, also built in 1927 and now housing the Historical Society's administrative offices. The touristy Gold King Mine and Ghost Town re-creates a mining operation and is filled with antique equipment.

You can spend several hours strolling along Main Street popping into gift shops and galleries. Some standouts are Downhill Clay Company, which carries affordable pottery and other gifts; Raku Gallery, which has the same owners and more-expensive work; and Aurum Jewelry, carrying an impressive collection of handmade pieces, mostly from regional artists. The absolute must-stop shop is the Jerome Artists Cooperative Gallery, in the site of the old Hotel Jerome. Built in 1917 as a luxury hotel, it closed in 1953. Since then it has seen many uses until the cooperative formed in 1996 and opened there. Its 40 diverse artists are mostly from the Verde Valley and Prescott areas. Items include fabric art, jewelry, lamps, photography, sculpture, masks, turned wood, and even painted shoes. The cooperative's most priceless feature is its view. In several rooms floor-to-ceiling windows overlook the Verde Valley, making this gallery one of the finest you will ever visit and helping give Jerome yet another life.

Diane Daniel can be reached by e-mail at ddaniel@globe.com.