We decided we definitely wanted to stay another day here in Sedona so made the trek to the RV camp office as soon as they opened and were lucky to get another nigh. This really is one of the nicer spots we have ever stayed in and will definitely stay here again. The owners take impeccable care of this campground. The shower facilities are spotless, it is totally peaceful just about any hour of the day, and the location is spectacular. Laurie, at least, would rate this among the top three of any campgrounds we have stayed in across the U.S. since getting the camper.
Today we drove south on Highway 89A to Prescott, but most importantly through the mining town of Jerome, where our good friends, John and Mary Lou McKenney lived for five years back in the '90s.
To get to Jerome from Sedona, you follow Oak Creek Canyon south, traveling first through the surprisingly -- and somewhat annoyingly -- congested Sedona.... I guess we have just as little right to be here as any other tourist, but this poor little town is at capacity, even in late March, before peak season. We made a very necessary stop at the local Safeway, then chose the right direction on Highway 89 as people seemed to be more interested in going north today.Jerome is only about 30 miles from Sedona but about an hour away down Highway 89A. You pass through a couple of small towns along the way, and remarkably about six seemingly unnecessary roundabouts. If you have not traveled through Europe or seen these roundabouts, they are a method of slowing traffic and directing you through several optional right turns. Often this is done at one would normally be a four-way stop. Everyone rolls through the intersection without stopping, although you have to yield to others coming into the circle and heading your way, sometimes resulting in your stopping. These seem to make great sense in the middle of Paris, but in the middle of Cottonwood, Arizona, it is kind of strange. Surely some traffic engineer somewhere understands the rationale, but it seemed more hazardous than expedient to us in this situation.
At any rate, eventually you start winding your way up Cleopatra Hill to Jerome, a great hillside mining town at 5,200 feet that was founded in 1876. Once known as the "wickedest town in the west" because of its reputation for gambling and prostitution, Jerome was a copper mining camp, growing from a settlement of tents to a thriving mining community. 
The town's population reached a peak of 15,000 in the 1920s. Although its prosperity as a mining town ended in the 20s, it had a short rejuvenation in the 80s, but has essentially become an artists community with a population of about 450, with a number of popular restaurants and hotels. We found the main draw to be the photogenic quality of this town, perched so seemingly precariously on this hillside with a view across the valley to the red rocks of Sedona. The road winds through the town via four or five hairpin turns, and everything seems to be just hanging there. 
The mine itself is no longer operational and sadly, because of Arizona state budget cuts, the park is only open Thursdays through Monday now (we arrived on a Wednesday). Fortunately the townspeople have sort of adopted the old mine site and there were a number of people there with some knowledge of the place.
The home where our friends the McKenneys used to live was bought some years back by a woman who totally restored the house, including small details like the butler's call bell that is a foot pedal under the dining room table. This was reportedly the honeymoon cabin built by the mine owner, James Douglas, for his son and his new bride, who he hoped would take over the mine. 
Unfortunately, after only a few months in the place, the daughter-in-law declared she would not live here and they vacated the premises. Today, due to the lack of smoke and haze and crap generated from the smelt operations of the mine that surely she was inundated with then, the view from this house is unbelievable. 
It stretches 30 miles to the north and the red hills of Sedona, at least the same distance to the east and those desert plains, and up the hill to the south to the picturesque town of Jerome. Probably a million dollar view in any state today. But that was then and this is now....
We followed Highway 89 out of Jerome, up and up to about 7,000 feet, then back down to Prescott Valley, then into the town of Prescott. We took a loop from 169 back to 17N then 179 back through Cottonwood to 89A going north, basically one giant loop. We wanted to see The Enchantment, a resort that our friend George Renwick had highly recommended for lunch. Unfortunately, they had a strict no-pets policy so we just drove through the property to take a look at the accommodations and views. It is an absolutely unbelievable place and next time we will make arrangements to have a meal there. They have three restaurants, all of which get excellent reviews. This is their website: http://www.enchantmentresort.com/.
We got back early enough and with a fresh load of groceries to marinate chicken and get the BBQ out. We had a delicious meal of lemon rosemary chicken, rice, skinny asparagus, and leftover biscuits from last night. Another successful camper meal:-)
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