March 15th Jerome, AZ

Sedona hiking and a few pictures were taken. We picked up a couple geocaches, hunted

for one we later learned was removed from the sight. We spent maybe 30 minutes trying to find it, hating to give up, however later learned it had been removed.

 We met Francisco (above)along the river with some of his friends that live in Sedona. He has been teaching Parkour for 2 years, which is french for Civilian Fitness. He is planning to move to Sedona soon to begin offering Parkour in rural areas. Watching him was like watching something from the Twilight Series. He could jump all most from flat footed up to another rock, jumping in the air doing a somersault landing on another rock, standing on his hands.

Awesome to watch him display his talents of balance and flexibility.

He plans to teach for another year or so, then plans to attend college.

Unfortunately this should have been recorded instead of still photography since our shutter speed didn't allow us to capture everything.

Located high on top of Cleopatra Hill (5,200 feet) between Prescott and Flagstaff is the historic copper mining town of Jerome, Arizona. Once known as the wickedest town in the west, Jerome was a copper mining camp, growing from a settlement of tents to a roaring mining community. Four disastrous fires destroyed large sections of the town during its early history, resulting in the incorporation of the City of Jerome in 1899.

Founded in 1876, Jerome was once the fourth largest city in the Arizona Territory. The population peaked at 15,000 in the 1920's. The Depression of the 1930's slowed the mining operation and the claim went to Phelps Dodge, who holds the claim today. World War II brought increased demand for copper, but after the war, demand slowed. Dependant on the copper market, Phelps Dodge Mine closed in 1953. The remaining 50 to 100 hardy souls promoted the town as a historic ghost town. In 1967 Jerome was designated a National Historic District by the federal government. Today Jerome is a thriving tourist and artist community with a population of about 450.

Jerome sits above what was the largest copper mine in Arizona and produced an astonishing 3 million pounds of copper per month. Men and women from all over the world made their way to Arizona to find work and maybe a new way of life. Today the mines are silent, and Jerome has become the largest ghost town in America.

Jerome's personality has changed dramatically in the past 30 years. Once a thriving mining camp between the late-1880s and early 1950s, Jerome is now a bustling tourist magnet and artistic community with a population of about 450. It includes a modicum of artists, craft people, musicians, writers, hermits, bed and breakfast owners, museum caretakers, gift shop proprietors and fallen-down-building landlords.

What is the Town of Jerome like today? Is it worth your time to visit? The answer is a resounding yes! Jerome is an enchanting town, and a photographer's paradise. From its external appearances it hasn't changed much in nearly 100 years. Many of the buildings used by present-day business folks are those built after the fires of 1894 and1899. A number of the buildings have been restored and more are planned for restoration. Due to the 30-degree incline of the mountainside, gravity has pulled a number of buildings down the slope. To the delight of some, one of those buildings was the town's jail. Those buildings still standing make for interesting visiting and with a little research you can find their historical significance. One notable section is the "Cribs District." You will find this area across the street from the English Kitchen, in a back alley where all the buildings were are part of Jerome's ill-famed "prostitution row."

We visited the Mansion that belonged to the owner of a mine here and took pictures of what used to be a dormitory for his miners, of course for the time it was pretty luxurious since each room had inside bathrooms. Douglas left the area in 1953 and died later leaving the Mansion to his children who tried to sell it for $10,000 in 1967. Unfortunately they were unable to find a buyer so donated the property to the state, which is now a State park.

Due to WWII the dormitory was dismantled so items could be re-purposed. The roof of the 3rd floor was removed to reduce the tax value as an uncompleted structure. Today it is a single residential home with two floors and a 3rd floor being an open air balcony is estimated to having over 28,000 feet. And it may be a only a seasonal home.