HISTORIC TOWNS - GHOSTS OF THE PAST IN JEROME, ARIZONA

"Ghosts of the past"...yes. Literally.

Jerome is reputedly one of the most haunted places in the western United States. The town was founded as a mining community perched precariously on the side of a mountain, overlooking the Verde Valley far below.

And, as will happen in mining communities in the 1800s through the 1950s, a lot of people were injured and died, the majority of them in the massive hospital ominously poised on one of the highest points in town. That hospital is now the beautiful and haunting Jerome Grand Hotel.

Poeple who stay at the hotel, particularly on the fourth floor, report, well, some unusual things to say the least. Whether you believe in ghosts or merely think it's all a product of the imagination is up to you.

As for me, I think next time we stay we're going to stay off the fourth floor. Just to be sure.

JEROME, ARIZONA - THE JEROME GRAND HOTEL

One of the reputedly "most haunted" places in America is the small hillside town of Jerome, in Arizona. Multiple haunts are noted in this former mining town which clings almost precariously to Woodchute Mountain with a spectacular view of the world famous city of Sedona many miles to the east.

Of all Jerome Landmarks, the imposing Jerome Grand Hotel, once at the town's medical center, stands tall. Many tales of eerie happenings, incidents and occurrences dot the building's history, and continue to this day.

Just another stop in our journey through October Country.

ROOM WITH A VIEW

"...There are shadows because there are hills."

                                        - E.M. Forster, A Room With A View

Oftentimes hotel room windows look out on some pretty mundane things. Parking lots. Other buildings. Streets. Large swaths of vacant acreage. Noisy tourist hangouts. Or a combination of all the above.

But every once in a while you're blessed with a view that is not only beautiful, but it rises to "spectacular". Below are properties with views representative of those times in my life when the view from my hotel window was stunning and unforgettable in and of itself, not just when I go chasing it on my own.

A few rules. 

 - It would be entirely too easy to post nothing but a handful of shots from various places in the Hawaiian Islands. We've had some singularly stunning visual environments right outside our window on many occasions, ranging from a full view of Waikiki Beach, to the ocean off Maui or Hawaii or Kauai, or even views of a verdant rainforest on the Big Island. So a self-imposed limit of one image from the 50th state. *Sorry, Hawaii*

 - Secondly, the view had to be visible from the hotel room without a great deal of effort. No "lean out and twist right" scenarios. Nor can it be a view from somewhere on a property's grounds. The view must be from the room or from the room's private balcony.

 - Third, the photograph has to be representative somehow of a repeatable experience. It has to reflect something other than a one-time event. (The comet trail across the sunset sky might be amazing, but chances are the next person gazing out of the window wouldn't see the same thing.)

Often we expect the hotel room to be little more than a cozy little warren away from the world, where we can relax and prepare for the next day's adventures. It's so much extra when the room itself offers an adventure of its own.

I'm dead certain there are other, equally thrilling hotel-adjacent vistas on this planet, I just haven't stayed at them.

That noted, these are my absolute favorite hotel views, in no particular order:


The Jerome Grand Hotel, Jerome, AZ

The Grand Hotel looks northeast across the Verde Valley from high up the side of Cleopatra Hill, towards the enchanting Red Rocks of Sedona. In the early morning most days, you can watch as a small flotilla of balloons ascend with passengers for a sky-high view of the surroundings. From the Grand Hotel balcony, you can see that and so much more. Top floor. Balcony.


http://www.jeromegrandhotel.net




Palms Place, Las Vegas

A separate property from the Palms Hotel and Casino, the east-facing rooms of the Palms Place have a staggering view of the entire Las Vegas Strip. During the day it's a beautiful and fascinating vista, but at night, when The Strip lights up with thousands of flashing lights, it's stunning. Upper floors, east-facing.

http://www.palms.com/palms-place



The View Hotel, Monument Valley, UT

The most appropriately named inn on the list, The View looks out on the "Mittens" and nearby Merrick Butte. It's an unobstructed scene with a serene and timeless appeal. In one of the most awe-inspiring spots on Earth, you get a front seat.



http://monumentvalleyview.com




The Hanalei Bay Resort, Princeville, Kauai

The Hanalei Bay Resport is a hotel and residence facility boasting a beautiful pool area and a perfectly-placed viewing lawn for watching sunsets.
Our room faced the mountains, giving us a partial sunrise view, but more importantly a lush jungle right at our feet, and the incredible Kauai mountains -- featuring Mount Waialeale, the wettest spot on Earth. 
Waterfalls cascade down the mountains and you find yourself standing in front of a James Coleman painting as the sun goes down in paradise.


http://www.hanaleibayresort.com



Park Central Hotel, New York City

A city view can obviously be found in all major metropolises, but there's just something special about gazing down into the historic complexity that is New York. From old-style china-hat water towers, to modern gleaming skyscrapers, the city that never sleeps is alive and vibrant in a way distinctive from virtually any other major city.
The Park Central is one of my go-tos when I'm in New York, not only for its amenities, but for its location and views. 
Should you be motivated to stay here, make sure your room looks to the south towards Times Square. Upper floors.



http://www.parkcentralny.com/hotel





Domaine de la Corniche, Rolleboise, France

Using a double shot to demonstrate the stunning view of the River Seine from a bluff high atop a nearby hill. The hotel itself is beautiful, with a world class restaurant on premise. But it's the sweeping view of the Seine -- even through the fog -- as it curves down around below your feet that demands this hotel be included.


http://www.domainedelacorniche.com

And lastly, a special mention: 

The Tundra Buggy Lodge, located in the Churchill Wildlife Management area, outside Churchill, Manitoba.


Imagine being in a giant "RV" designed to carry you out into the wilderness, for an experience like none other on Earth. Then imagine a lodge made up of equally gargantuan trailers with sleeping and dining facilities.

Welcome to Churchill.

Outside your window you will see the vast, empty expanse of the Canadian Tundra, and perhaps a few of the area denizens, like Polar Bears.

Yeah. A view like that.

http://www.frontiersnorth.com/adventures/tundra-buggy-lodge-adventurer

Pic of the Day: Hogs at the Ready

Bikers taking a break from the road in Jerome, Arizona.

ROAD TRIP: Things that Went Bump in the Night

It's early morning, the week before Halloween. 

I'm sitting here in the dark, wondering if there is a halfway finished blog somewhere I can wrap up, add a few pictures and post. Then it occurs to me that I've never posted my "Bohemian Hedonist" essay here in the Thumbnail Traveler, which is really more of a lifestyle essay than one oriented on the subject of "being somewhere else". Maybe I'll republish that at a later date, but not this morning.

So, it being o'dark thirty, I figured I'd just launch into things and see where we go.

This being the Halloween season and all, I've been looking up all sorts of scary and haunted information on the web. Just up the road sits the Queen Mary, reputedly one of the most haunted places in America. And no wonder, really, given her history. A number of deaths, accidental ones, have occurred on the ship, giving rise to her reputation. Many people, including a few film crews, have seen and/or heard things which cannot readily be explained, at least by those people who want to believe in ghosts.

(I'm personally on the fence. While my romantic and fantasy-oriented nature make we want to believe such things exist in this world, my logical side hoots in derision. And my imaginary HATES being hooted at.)

But I have to keep an open mind, particularly in light of something that happened to us in the small -- and very haunted -- town of Jerome, Arizona. 

Located a few miles west of Sedona, itself the center of a mystical mythology, Jerome is a former mining town. It clings to the side of a mountain, giving the townspeople a sweeping view of the Verde Valley, and in the distance, Sedona and her famed red rocks.

Being a former western mining town, the history of Jerome is rough and tumble. A real boomtown after the discover of copper under Cleopatra Hill, the mountain upon which Jerome is situated. And, like all towns built upon the hope for vast riches, there were more than a few gruesome deaths (both deliberate and accidental) over the years.

Today Jerome is a small community of some 500 people, mostly based around the arts community. There are many galleries and artisan shops throughout town. The hotels are rustic and fun, and there are a number of places to get a good meal.

Sitting at the highest point in town is the Jerome Grand Hotel, built in 1926 as a hospital to care for the sick and injured -- again, in a mining town there were ample volumes of the latter. Being a hospital, the building is full of history. And death.

So...bearing in mind my logical side is openly rebelling, I have to relate a story which, to my imagination, leaves the subject of ghosts very much in the air.

A handful of years ago, we were on a moving vacation, visiting some of our favorite spots in Northern Arizona. The Grand Canyon, Route 66, Sedona, Flagstaff. And in my pre-trip planning, I found the Jerome Grand. My wife was game, so we made reservations and planned for a fun afternoon and evening in a town marketed as Arizona's Largest Ghost Town.

We checked in, getting a balcony room on the fourth floor, and confirmed reservations at the hotel's wonderful ASYLUM restaurant. However, it still being relatively early, we decided to go into town and look around. 

As we were getting ready, my wife went in to check her makeup in the bathroom mirror, calling out to me a moment later, saying the room smelled like rubbing alcohol. I went in and could smell it too. A strong scent, and very identifiable. I opened the door to the balcony and after a few minutes the smell went away. It hadn't been there when we first got to the room, indicating it hadn't been left over from a cleaning crew. We soon forgot about it and went about our business contributing to the local shops and buying several pieces of art for our walls at home.

We got back to the room in time to watch the spectacular sunset. Being that the room balconies face East, you're able to see the effect of the setting sun on the distant rocks near Sedona. 

Then, that night my wife kept tossing and turning and woke early the next morning complaining that she'd been dreaming all night that people kept rushing by her and making a lot of noise. I'd been unable to sleep well myself but it was because the room and hotel were actually pretty quiet -- which I found to be too quiet for me to drift off very well. Nothing scary, just too much city in me I guess. I need ambient noise.

So.

No real spooky stuff. Certainly no orbs or visions or other manifestations of things that go bump in the night, right? 

Four weeks later, as I was reading a book I'd picked up on Arizona hauntings, I discovered the floor we were occupying was, in fact, the surgical center for the hospital. 

Over the years a number of people had reported the strong smell of ether and alcohol on the floor, and that many people couldn't sleep because they had a sense of being in a chaotic environment...something like an Emergency Room or surgical center. *Ahem* 

None of which we'd read prior to the book, and none of which we noted or reported to anyone else. No chance anyone could have dropped a suggestion or otherwise influenced our experience. I was shocked, and both my wife and I got goose bumps. The descriptions in the book were so close to our own night that it was more than just uncanny, it was freaky.

So ghosts? Maybe, maybe not -- but there's no way I can dismiss this sort of thing as having a degree of credence. Been there, done it.

Can't explain it away.

Happy Halloween.

http://www.jeromegrandhotel.com/