Trip to Jerome, Arizona Photos Collected - Short Read & 9 Pics

Downtown Jerome is tucked into the hillside. A former mining community that has reinvented itself or perhaps shed a previous version of itself - it's initial industrial past.

In the foreground of this picture is the Hotel Conor where I stayed a night while passing through in January. The 1898 structure had all the charm of a building erected from that era and maybe a few ghosts haunting it as well. Beneath the rooms was a saloon named "Spirit Room". The play on words wasn't lost on me, I had hung out there the previous night - though only a few others were around the conversation was still spirited.

I woke up in the morning early, ready to see the Jerome that had been shrouded in veil of night when I emerged from the desolate wilderness. It didn't disappoint.

Curving around the treacherous dirt road in the hills had shown me a sprawl of lights through the valley, but I couldn't make out anything in particular though.

A walk in the light of the morning revealed what I couldn't see the evening before.

This old mining town has a legacy. You can explore its history both at this museum and via industrial elements dispersed throughout the streets.

The town of Jerome, Arizona combines art, mining culture, and the western aesthetic into a unique cultural experience that is tucked into the hills that become the Red Rock-Secret Mountain Wilderness.

North Central Arizona has a unique flair that is one of a kind for visitors. As I was releasing these photos through my Instagram account, many of my friends came out of the woodwork to share their experience or appreciation for past visits to the area.

The Artwork of Mark Galen Lucas

Three dimensional, mixed media artwork really speaks to me. While Mark Galen Lucas uses primarily glass, I would add that his use of negative space, or even just open space within his structures is a medium as well. If you ever find the journey leads you to Jerome, Arizona look up his workshop for yourself.

The intricate designs of these few pieces I photographed bring the forms to life. We are viewing humans not just glass. They are expressing emotions and messages.

Maybe it is projection, but this form is feminine to me. It is called "molecular self destruction". I see this entity creating something new from itself. Transforming itself and through that process altering both the environment and the experience of it.

Perhaps this figure is genderless, it is certainly in a position of submission. Or else, awaiting the opportunity for instruction to action.

What do you think? What do you see?

Making the Way out of Town

Hey pup!

There is unique decor throughout the town. This dinosaur skeleton was set up in front of someone's house on the road that lead out of town.

Sights like this are quirky and would be missed if you aren't willing to take the time to explore. That's why when I travel, driving my own car is so valuable. It enables me to take as much time as necessary, breathe the local air and go where ever the map leads (or doesn't in the case of getting lost in the desert).

The view of town on the way out is characterized by the hillside. This mining cart was left in place as a reminder of the aforementioned legacy that built much of the west. Minerals and resources built those states in times when domestic life was hard. Railroads made communities viable but the environment conditions were brutal.

In the distance, there are the visual signs of excavation - a reminder of the past in terraced steps.

Appreciate you reading & taking a look!