Jerome

 Jerome is another former mining ghost town, perched even more precariously on a mountainside than Bisbee, although the above photo doesn't do it justice.

We made the mistake of visiting on a Sunday during spring break season.  There was absolutely no place to park.

Instead we had to drive all the way through town till we were able to turn around at the viewpoint further up the mountain.

We stopped for a photo. That's the Verde Valley below where we are camped.

We made a second attempt the next day when the town was busy but we able to find a place to park.

Jerome was a busy place with 10,000 people in the 20s but when the mine closed the population dropped to 100. Restricted as an art town/tourist trap, there are now 500 residents.

The history of the Garcia House above reflects the city's history: it was built in 1886 to house mine management. Then it was a boarding house owned by the Garcia family for 50 years.  In the 30's the second floor was set on fire when a bootleg still exploded. In the late 70s it became an art gallery, and for a while it was an ashram.  Then it was turned into a restaurant and now it's a bed and breakfast purported to be haunted.

Not all the buildings are in such great shape:

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This ruin  below is now part of a glassblowing studio and a raku pottery business.

Down in the valley is the former mansion of the mine owner, now Jerome State Historic Park, and converted to a mining museum.

You can also see various former mines in the Verde Valley below,

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