#14 Jan 2014 Old copper, cliffs and highways

When we inquired about points of interest near Sedona many people suggested Jerome. It was known as the “wickedest town in the west” in its heyday. Jerome was a copper mining boomtown in the 1920s with a population of 15,000 and produced 3 million pounds of copper per month – yes, 3 million. Today the ghost town of 450 people hosts businesses in original buildings from the 1890s and clings to the mountain at a 30* angle.

We found a wine tasting store with an incredible view of the valley and waited for dusk with a great glass of local wine.

Montezuma’s Castle and Montezuma’s Well are near Camp Verde. The word Montezuma left us wondering what a Mexican ruler had to do with a “castle” in Arizona. Nothing apparently, since the castle (cliff dwelling) was constructed before Montezuma was born. When settlers found the dwellings in the 1800’s Mexican history was very popular. Mexican names were given to places with no connection to Mexico.

Nestled in limestone cliffs the dwellings are from 700 to 1,000 years old. This dwelling could have housed 35 people. Due to damage from the public it is no longer accessible except for maintenance and repair.

There are additional rooms along the cliff that would have been used for storage of food, etc. The access ladders could be pulled up section by section for protection from enemies. This model shows how the rooms were likely used.

Looking out from the Castle, residents had a commanding view of the their fields, the creek and beyond.

A short distance from the Castle is Montezuma’s Well, a naturally occurring spring which flows constantly from deep underground.

These dwellings were occupied during the same time as the Castle and were part of extended communities along the Verde Valley. They would have been accessed either from above or below the rooms.

From Camp Verde Flagstaff is about an hour uphill and 45 minutes downhill. The city is at 7,000’ elevation with winter, as in snow, at this time of year. The information centre volunteer gave us so much info about the area that we knew most would have to wait for another trip. We did go to the Lowell Observatory and participate in two presentations about the sky above us. After dark there were 4 telescopes available to the public with knowledgeable staff to explain what we were seeing. The most impressive view was of Saturn’s rings and 4 moons. Wow!

Part of Route 66 has been preserved around Flagstaff. We enjoyed reminiscing about the music and mystique of that era.