SEDONA AND JEROME ARIZONA

Yesterday we took a bus tour north from here to two towns located between Flagstaff and the Grand Canyon. WHAT BEAUTY!! There is not much that we can say as no words can describe or enhance the natural beauty! Following are views as we approached Sedona:

Next are pictures from a stop the bus made for just this purpose:

Upon arriving in Sedona we had the option of tours in the area by trolley, Jeep or Hummer. We opted to walk the main street and take in the art galleries and the tourist trap shops. There was plenty to look at. We started with the Sedona Arts Center where they had the art instructors works on display in one large room. What amazing talent!! We really enjoyed this and would have loved to take pictures to share with you. However as in most galleries, use of cameras was not permitted. Gary did get some pictures of some other art figures.

Sacajawea

Below are pictures of mountains right behind the shops. What views!!

There were many sculptures about town also.

When we finished in Sedona, our bus took us on to Jerome which is a town built in the mid 1800's on the side of a mountain at the location of a copper mine. Our tour guide called it the only vertical town in the United States. But I beg to differ with her as Harper's Ferry was built much the same way.

This is a town that is very slowly being rebuilt as an artists community.

It will be wonderful when it is closer to being finished. In the mean time it is narrow switchback streets, many which are just one way traffic. The roads in to Jerome are all switchbacks also. But the bus driver did a great job. If I had been in one of the cars coming around a curve meeting a 45 foot tour bus, I sure would have had white knuckles!!

Below town is this Hotel which is no longer in use.

However, above town stands the Grand Hotel that has been refurbished to be used both as a hotel and for dining.

Other buildings are in use as galleries and stores in various stages of restoration.

This thriving community back in the 1800's boasted a population of 15,000. But now it only has a recorded population of 450. We did see plenty of traffic coming and going today, so they must keep busy.

Late in the afternoon Gary was feeling the effect of not having eaten since breakfast. So we asked a store clerk where we might find some type of snack bar and she directed us to the General Store --- on the next street above where we were. You can see the store at the top left in this picture. Next to the General Store on the top right in the picture is a Hamburger restaurant.

While Gary climbed to the General Store, I shopped in a Curiosity Shop on this street, a few doors down from City Hall and the Police Department.

Before going back down to the parking lot for our ride back to Mesa, I took this picture of the valley as seen between the buildings of this quaint town. There are homes along the highway coming in to town with the fronts level with the road and the back on stilts going down as much as three stories. You wonder where the children play!! What is the attraction to live here?

We will be going to Verde Valley for a four hour train ride in these same mountains in March. We will be leaving the driving to the tour bus driver and the train engineer!! We also hope to drive down with another couple to Tuscon before we leave Mesa at the end of March. Only time will tell whether we get it done.

I hope that you enjoyed these. We did, although Sedona was our favorite for the day. I had this Blog finished much earlier in the day, but could not publish it for some unknown reason. I finally had to shut down and start over. I lost most of it except the photos. I was so aggravated!! I am sure that this is not written as well, but that is what I get for not saving from time to time as I work. You would think I would learn!! After all it is not the first time this has happened to me!!

You all take care and God Bless.