Thursday, January 8, 2015

Loren, Sharon, Joani and I took a little road trip to Jerome, AZ. It's an artsy little town set into the mountainside. I didn't expect there would be any shopping for me (I was wrong), but I'm always up for the food and the million dollar views.  

Jerome sat on the side of the mountain at 5,280ft.  Below you could see the town of Cottonwood, AZ.

Jerome managed to make the leap from Ghost Town to Artists Colony and now has over 500 residents.

Across the valley were the red rocks of Sedona, AZ, (which will have to wait for another day), but even through the haze, the beauty was evident.

After the long drive, everyone was hungry (and we needed our strength for the shopping ahead). The Mile High Inn and Grill was perfect. We had the best view in the house with the window seats right at the front door. Sharon and Loren each ordered the special Italian Meatloaf sandwich. By the end of the meal, I think they wished they had just split one. I, of course, ate all of my huge burger and onion rings and just let my belt out a notch.

The furniture made from reclaimed barn wood by Tim McClellan in the Western Heritage Gallery was amazing and top notch.

I kept seeing more projects I need to try. Some, I would turn on my new lathe and others would just use the exotic hardwood scraps I will inevitably collect as I am turning pens. 

"When is a weed a flower?  When it is given by a child."

Below was a massive, truly unique kaleidoscope. A group of artists worked on it for two years and decided they would never do anything quite so extensive again. You didn't even have to look through it to appreciate the beauty and detailed craftsmanship in this Steampunk inspired work of art. 

Signed "Bro MacHines" and priced at $12,000.

Nellie Bly Kaleidoscope Shop touts the largest collection of kaleidoscopes in the world.

There were a lot of celebrities in this shop, but clearly, Elvis was still the King.

Who knew I would find a shop made for me? The nice lady cautiously allowed me to sample some of her Ghost Pepper sauces. I told her I regularly use Dave's Insanity Sauce (which she carried), so I was pretty well acquainted with "heat". She said her Grim Reaper sauce was even hotter. Of course, I had to try some! I think it was pretty light on the Ghost Peppers, but it had a really nice flavor so I took a bottle home with me.

Several of the buildings have had problems with sliding downhill over the years giving rise to some uneven sidewalks and odd looking repairs. At this point, I just hope they never need to find out if this hydrant is still working.