Jerome and the Verde Railroad too

On Thursday afternoon, June 9, Mom and Dad let me stay home and sleep and they went to Jerome, but Mom told me all about it. Jerome was built on Clepatra Hill, the largest copper mine in AZ with the first mining in 1883 and was once known as the wickedest town in the west! Jerome's wealth grew very fast and by the 1920's they had 15,000 people but after the Depression the mines closed and by the 1950's they had less than 50 people and Jerome became the biggest ghost town in America! In the counter culture of the 60's and 70's Jerome became a haven for artists who opened abandoned shops. Today it thrives with cute shops, each showcasing different local artists and great restaurants!

Mom's favorite shop was Nellie's kaleidoscope shop, it was so cool! Mom said her Dad loved kaleidoscopes so it was especially neat!

There were still some buildings that hadn't been refurbished!

And finally, they saw the old King Copper Mine

Then Mom and Dad took Route 89A toward Prescott. Mom said she was glad I wasn't with them as it had lots of switchbacks up the mountain!

It looked pretty cool...

Today, Friday June 10, they left me home again to tour ancient ruins at  Montezuma Castle National Monument. Southern Sinagua farmers built the five story 20-room dwelling between 1100-1300 on a cliff 100 Ft above the valley. In the 1400's they had migrated from this area but no one really knows why.

In the afternoon, they went on the Verde Canyon Railroad. They would not let puppies on board, not fair, so Mom will have to tell you about it!

The Verde Railroad began over 100 years ago. This restored version holds over 400 passengers.

We started with a trip through their small, but interesting museum...

Our car was appropriately the Sedona!

The tour ran from Clarksdale to Perkinsville on a four hour trip through stunning countryside with narration and train music from every genre! We chose first class which included comfy seats, a champagne toast and yummy appetizers as well as alcohol for purchase. We decided on a bottle of the railroad label Chardonnay that was delicious. It was a fun afternoon and the scenery speaks for itself but pictures don't do it justice!

We all enjoyed our trip to Camp Verde, Sedona and the surrounding area, now on to the Grand Canyon!