Strap in, this was a big day for us with lots of adventures!
I did not capture it yesterday, but every morning we are greeted with a sweeping view of a beautiful Prescott sunrise.
We tried to make sure we got up a little early, since we have a lot we want to do today. I went outside and enjoyed some brisk morning air with my coffee.
We have tried to get going quickly to stay on our busy schedule today, but we are heading out a little later than we had hoped. I feel like I am still learning about how to actually "vacation" in a way that you get the most from your time. I realize it is a skill and while sometimes it can feel contradictory to keep busy when you are trying to be on vacation, eventually the trip will be over and you can get much more memories and experiences if you plan ahead. And I feel like those experiences do make you feel more refreshed and alive when you get back.
We are just about to head out! Next stop Montezuma's Castle!
MOTEZUMA'S CASTLE
After a lovely drive through Arizona country we arrived at the National Park.
We toured the grounds of Montezuma's Castle. What an amazing sight! I so often feel like I can't possibly comprehend these wonders I am seeing.
They had lots of placards explaining the history of the castle. It was originally surrounded by a much larger village that is right next to a river that supported its residents. The Castle is the most notable feature, but there are apparently many floors and caverns carved throughout the mountain that people lived in.
They had a miniature of how the castle may have looked when it was in use narrated by a park ranger from maybe the 50s. I found it very enjoyable.
SEDONA JEEP TOUR
I know I keep saying it, but the drive to Sedona was gorgeous! After some doing, we found parking! Sedona is crowded but cool! I don't think I have been to Sedona, I at least don't remember.
We went to Wildflower Cafe to get lunch. The line was very slow, but it looks good. I can see that Sedona is very touristy, but I can also see why. It is completely surrounded by dramatic red rocks and stunning views. The sandwiches exceeded our expectations. I got an Italiano, which was like an Italian on ciabatta, but it also had turkey and some creamy cheese spread, but it was also spicy. It was excellent!
Watching the crowds of tourists makes me think about what it means to be a tourist. I used to avoid anything that was specifically for tourists because I didn't like the association. But Lauren, ever the skilled traveler, has made me realize that there are many tourist attractions that genuinely allow the locals of an area show you what's most interesting and meaningful. I can still see plenty of people crossing the line into dopey tourists, where is the line? I guess just don't be a problem for others.
We walked the many cute shops of Sedona. Everyone was very pleasant and friendly.
We have a scheduled Pink Jeep Tour coming up, so we made our way over to their headquarters, which is also just walking distance of main street.
It is currently 80 out, but the weather has been beautifully clear and dry. I have been diligent in adding sunscreen and have worn a wide brimmed hat, I don't want to spend the trip with crispy burnt skin.
We are now waiting for our tour, even this area has a huge overlook of the red mountains. The sun is high in the sky and I can tell we are hitting a particularly warm part of the day. Hopefully the breeze from the Jeep cools us off!
Just got off the Jeep Tour! It was very fun and we got lots of scenic points! Our driver and guide David was super friendly and knowledgeable. It was just me, Lauren, and a very nice young woman from North Carolina that is a gospel singer.
JEROME AND GHOST TOUR
Immediately after the Jeep tour we headed out to Jerome. As we took the windy road I felt like Jerome was already living up to its funky legacy with lots of buildings precariously placed on ledges and connected with ramshackle walkways.
We stopped at the Haunted Hamburger for dinner before we go on our Ghost Tour.
We sat on the outdoor patio that overlooks the mountainside and watch the sunset turn into hues of orange and red. I feel like I never appreciated the sunsets in Arizona when I lived there.
The Spirit Room:
The Spirit Room is a famous Jerome bar, I've heard it was popular with bikers in the 60s. Looking online, it was opened with 1898. Last time I was in Jerome, I wandered in and found myself watching a throat singer accompany a belly dancing with a dear skull mask in one of the most surreal and interesting things I've witnessed.
I decided I would go in and get a drink. The bar was completely empty when we walked in, save for the bartender that was doing some cleaning. We had a cordial but quiet conversation. I ordered a drink. We sat quietly and took in the eccentric atmosphere. The doors were propped open letting in the cool night air as the sun had quickly set. After a while the silence was broken was broken when an older bearded man came in with a guitar case. "I was wonderin if I could play tonight for some people." The bartender dismissively said "Sure. If Woody plays he talks less at least." The man pulled up a chair near the bar where we sat and began to play. He played small one minute sections of ballads he wrote. He would stop and say he has forgotten the rest and the go back at it. The songs where genuinely beautiful and seemed to be variations of each other.
I would like to have picture to share, but it felt more appropriate to just live that moment without distraction.
I've been collecting patches from the places I've visited. Lauren noticed that the Spirit Room had patches for sale, so I grabbed one on the way out as a reminder of that strange place.
We are now waiting for the Ghost Tour to begin. They had us sign a waiver and gave us a quick prompt on how to handle the ghost equipment.
They handed us a EMF reader and "Spirit Box" which scans frequencies for sounds, and allegedly ghosts.
We moved to key areas in Jerome and our guide would give us a history lesson on the hard and often short lives of the copper miners.
We stopped at hospitals, bordellos, and hotels that had partially burned down.
The guide had extra equipment like this scanning grid that showed a map of temperatures, looking for cold spots of ghosts.
We have been in the first hour of the Ghost tour and we are about to go on a shuttle to more exclusive areas. It has been fun and spooky.
We moved to a partially abandoned high school from the late 1800s that was used as a hospice for the Spanish flu.
The high school auditorium was very spooky. It was partially collapsed so we were limited where we could go. One of the Ghost doodads lit up a lot during this part.
From there we moved to the basement. We saw the original water boiler. We then moved down to the basement, which was used as living quarters for the teachers. I find this place to be the most spooky.
We headed back through the school and out to the shuttle
where were taken to the last leg of the tour, the Jerome Cemetery.
Here he showed us some graves from the Spanish Flu with pipes to allow air and a string attached to a bell in case a person was mistakenly buried alive.
We also saw lots of graves with old bed frames on top of the graves. He explained that this was done by poorer families to detour animals from trying to dig up graves for scavenging.
We concluded the tour and thanked our guide. The drive back to our cabin in Prescott was long and winding through the mountains.
As we got back into Prescott, we saw some cars stopped on a country road. As we passed we found that a family of Javelinas had been knocking over people's trash cans. I was glad we got to see these small boar like creatures. They are a common sight in Prescott and I was worried Lauren wouldn't be able to see one in action.
"FILE PHOTO"
It was a great way to wrap up our long and interesting day!
More later!
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