All right, I hear you say, enough of this history stuff (fascinating as it is). Let’s do some shopping! I agree, it’s time to hit the shops and galleries, which are the biggest pleasure in Jerome. In the Artists Coop, I find a beautiful selection of ceramics, glass, paintings, and more. It’s great to look through the windows of the gallery to the landscape that inspired the artists. Next door, Jerome Ghost Pepper Company carries art of a different kind, with a huge selection of hot sauces, salsas, and seasonings. Need some Carolina Reaper hot sauce? Habanero olive oil? You’ll find it here! Next to a stage set-worthy façade, I see La Victoria studio, with its hand-blown glass and nice selection of ceramics. Upstairs from here, in my favorite spot in town, Raku Gallery, I admire two floors of glass, jewelry, wall art, and ceramics. I totally want the lidded, deep green glass vessel, the horsehair vase, and about fifty other things. (Can I get a raise? I have art to buy!) It’s an absolutely stunning collection, and I never visit Jerome without stopping here.
There’s even a Puscifer store, with memorabilia of these songmeisters from CDs and vinyl to wild masks and costumes—an unlimited supply of fantastic folly. Puscifer’s MJ Keenan is also represented by the nice Caduceus Tasting Room, where you can sip flights of wine from the sister company to Merkin, whose wines we experienced in Cottonwood. In The Rock Shop, I drool (figuratively, of course) over tourmaline, jasper, and blue quartz, both carved and in more raw forms. In Firefly I admire a wide variety of housewares, jewelry, knickknacks and more inspired by nature and its forms. I make sure to save plenty of time for Nellie Bly Kaleidoscopes and Art Glass, where you almost won’t believe the incredible variety of kaleidoscopes on display, from beautifully carved little wooden tubes to elaborate black onyx and tour- maline numbers, and even musical kaleidoscopes. I look through the various creations at stars and diamonds, two-sided bursts of color, revolving pearls, and rainbow-hued swirls. It’s a feast for the eyes, something that has to be seen to be believed (and yes, of course, I buy one!). More galleries await down a flight of steps into the New State Motor Company Building, a 1917 landmark (you can’t miss it, it’s the one with the car on top of a huge pole outside), where I also find the lovely Canary Coffee Roasters and marvel at the presence of two great coffee places pretty much across the street from each other. Well, it takes a lot of energy to do all this shopping!
Now, of course, we need to get some food in us. Options are surprisingly limited for such a tourist-driven place, but there are a few good choices. I love Asylum, located high above the town and offering not only amazing views but great food and some of the nicest service in town. Whether you go for roasted duck breast, charbroiled ribeye, or some of the lighter selections at lunch, don’t miss their signature butternut squash soup, complete with a spidery crema design on top.
Photo: Kevin Oke Photo
Right on Main Street, try The Clinkscale, a relaxing spot with a pubby feel, where you can enjoy some great food and creative cocktails at a table or (my choice) the bar. While my neighbor’s Tort Mac & Cheese (tortellini with a creamy cheese sauce) looks amazing, I decide on a chicken pesto sandwich, made even more complex by brie and arugula, with a side of yummy tomato/poblano soup. I wash it down with a glass of wine, but you might want to try their craft cocktails like a Serrano Mango Margarita or Black Walnut Manhattan. Speaking of cocktails, I suggest end your night in the Spirit Room, a sociable spot just up Main Street (well, nothing’s too far away in Jerome), where you’ll find a selection of local beers, craft cock- Street Art in Jerome tails, friendly staff, occasional live music, with a Western feel under the large mural depicting Jerome’s wild history.
There are all kinds of spirits in Jerome, from the kind served here at this friendly tavern to the type that haunts the town. Most importantly, though, is the spirit of the town itself: welcoming, a little (ok, a lot) eccentric, and oh-so-friendly. Don’t count on dashing in and out of a gallery without spending twenty minutes in conversation with your new best friend behind the counter. Don’t think that place will be open at 10 today just because it was yesterday. Don’t think you’ll hurry off to dinner, because you’ll be distracted by the sun as it sets over the distant bluffs of Sedona and creates a kaleidoscope of color as beautiful and ever-changing as anything Nellie Bly’s has to offer. From its perch on Cleopatra Hill, Jerome seems to float above the world, and yet there’s a down-to-earth feeling that’s belied by its lofty location. It really is (and I don’t say this often) one of a kind.
So there you have it. You can do this exploration in any order you like: start in Cottonwood, then move on to Jerome and Prescott, start in Prescott, then do Jerome (you drive through it on the way to Cottonwood). Just remember that these three unique and very different towns are all waiting for you, only a couple of hours drive from Phoenix/Scottsdale. You really need to explore them all at some point, for their pleasures are undeniable and very different from each other. I’ll leave the order up to you. Just get there!
