Ghosts

Today we visited two of my favorite, so far, places here in Arizona - Camp Verde, site of Montezuma's Castle cliff dwellings, and Jerome, a very interesting resurrected ghost town. It was a mining town which had been deserted when the mining operation closed down, then resettled in the late 1960s by hippies. It is down a very artsy place full of old buildings, facades, half fallen down buildings and very interesting people - and ghosts.

We had heard that most of the old decrepit buildings in Jerome were haunted, but that could easily be a tourist ploy. However, last week the old Hotel in Jerome was featured on Ghost Hunters (so my daughter Sara told me) and they verified that the hotel was indeed haunted. We visited it today and didn't see any ghosts though - maybe they sleep during the day.

The haunted hotel

Part of the town of Jerome

Jonah and the old, easily escapable, jail.

Lloyd with a piece of rusted mining machinery.

At the cliff dwelling site it always seems to be so very peaceful and quiet...you can almost feel the spirits of the ancient people who lived in such precarious homes, farmed the land, and mined the salt deposits a few miles away. I love sitting there in the sun and looking around at the old cliffs. The fall colors were incredibly bright and beautiful.

Jonah

Jenny, Jonah and Sam with Montezuma's Castle

A cotton plant with ripe cotton spilling fro the bolls.

Sam and me enjoying the peace and beauty of Camp Verde