Legendary Jerome, Arizona

I think the last time I was in Jerome, it was probably 10 years ago.  It is not some place that either Kim nor I would have really picked out at that time.  We went because Kim's brother just loves Jerome.  He didn't warn us about the winding road up there.  If you've read this blog before, perhaps you know that I get very car sick on any stretch of tight, hairpin curves.  And that is exactly what happened 10 years ago.  I was so car sick just getting up there that I didn't even want to get out of the car.  I just wanted to go back to Sedona where we were staying and lay down.

So, it was quite a surprise to Kim that I wanted to go back to Jerome on this trip.  I'm not sure it would have been his choice, but he agreed primarily because his Uncle Bill and Aunt Maria were going too.  He wouldn't have to go into every shop.  He could hang out with Bill while Maria and I browsed.

So the good news is that I survived the trip up to Jerome without getting sick.  Who knows why - smaller car, different driver, or the fact that my depth perception improved greatly after my cataract surgery.  Don't know, don't care, just grateful!

Jerome, a National Historic Landmark, was built on Cleopatra Hill on top of what was the largest copper mine in Arizona - it produced an astonishing three million pounds of copper per month, according to the brochure.

I was skeptical of how long Kim would hold out while we browsed the shops, but there must have been some things for him to enjoy as far as looking around at the old buildings and people watching, because he lasted longer than I expected.

We had two other stops on our itinerary, Old Town Cottonwood and the Alcantara Vineyards.  We elected to have lunch in Jerome before moving on.

I had crab cakes and a side salad.  Kim had the prime rib french dip.  

Bill and Maria opted for burgers.  One of them chose the Mile High's Big Ass BBQ Bacon Burger.  I'm not saying which.....

With our tummies all full, we headed back down the curves to some flat land.  I once again survived the drive (Thank You Bill for taking it easy on me).  We drove into Old Town Cottonwood.  It reminded me a bit of First Street in our home town, Snohomish, WA.  About 4 blocks of little shops and boutiques.  We didn't get out, but instead headed over to the Alcantara Vineyards.

The boys wimped out, but Maria and I were up to the challenge and sampled 5 of their wines.  At this winery, they gave you a list of the wines available, you picked 5 to sample, and they gave you a glass.  You find a table or a spot on the grass, drink your first sample, and then go back for the second. And so on.  Maria and I noticed that when you went back up to the bar for the next sample, if you were standing to the right of the server, you got a bigger sample.  Now the race was on to see who could get on the right side.  Of course, being grown well behaved adults - we took turns.....sort of.

I sampled the NV Viognier (crisp and clean with hints of grapefruit) which was nice, a 2012 Pinot Grigio - not my favorite, a 2011 Zinfandel which we heard others raving about - I apparently have a different kind of pallet, a 2010 Merlot - okay, and my favorite a NV Syrah (the description read "plum currants and peeper w/a nice long finish" - who knew I liked a peeper taste in my wine) which was very smooth and delightful.  It was a little pricey for my budget, so we didn't buy a bottle.  

And a little funny to end this post ;)