We went through some of my favorite parts of Arizona yesterday - the old mining town of Jerome and Oak Creek Canyon and Sedona.  Jerome is an old mining town that was nearly abandoned in the 1960's.  I remember that they were giving away the buildings just to keep the town from completely dying.  Many artsy types and hippies moved to the area.  In the 1970's and 80's it was a fascinating place to visit.  The old school had been turned into a shopping mall, mostly antiques and even had a restaurant in the library.  The tables were placed among the stacks and you could take down a book and look at it while your food was being prepared.  Really unique.  

Quaint street in Jerome.  The town is built all over the hillsides and some of the buildings seem to cling to the hills.  

This old storefront is just like it was at the turn of the century.  

Old mine tailings near Jerome.

The Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon drive of about 14 miles has been named by Rand McNally Maps as one of the 5 most scenic drives in America.  I remember the first time my family visited the area in the early 60's.  My dad had first found Oak Creek Canyon while doing field research on native plants when he was a professor at the University of Arizona in Tucson.  He came home raving about this really neat place he'd found so the next weekend we all piled in our turquoise and white 1957 Chevy station wagon, picnic lunch and swimsuits and suntan lotion and 3 kids and headed for Oak Creek Canyon.  What a day!  We were out of the desert heat. in the shade of the oaks along Oak Creek Canyon and sliding down a natural slide rock into a sparkling, cool pool.  What fun!  I went down that natural slide so many times that my new swimming suit became threadbare on the back side -had to put on jean cut-offs to stay decent.

   
Entering as we did from the southwest on Rt 89A from Prescot and the old mining town of Jerome, your first hint that something special is coming is the sight of towering red rock formations in the distance.  As the road winds, you see more and more red rock.

Amazing!!  Formations such as these are in every direction.  It's hard to decide which way to aim your camera. 

The town of Sedona lies at the base of these incredible rocks.  It used to be a sleepy little community but is now a prime retirement location and the town is full of people, traffic and the like.

Everywhere you look, the view is more spectacular than the last.

We are spending the night in Flagstaff, up in the high country where there are Ponderosa pines and cooler temperatures - a nice break from the desert heat.  

Joe noticed a broken neck on the radiator yesterday and he will be checking with a club member in Flagstaff to see about getting it fixed.  We may have to stay another day.