A trip to Jerome, Arizona.

Jerome is a little town in Arizona, about two hours from Phoenix that is based above what was the largest copper mine in the United States. The mine produced 3 million pounds of copper per month, and in its heyday the town was home to over 10,000. The current population is said to be 444 – leading Jerome to be called the largest ghost town in the USA.

On the way up we visited Montezuma’s Castle, one of the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America. Built by the Sinagua people over 800 years ago, it is a 20 room ‘apartment’ carved out of the limestone cliffs in Northern Arizona.

It is also known as the most vertical town in the states – built up on a hill, the road winds back and forth upwards with restaurants, art galleries and stores built all the way up the hill. The houses have huge patios on stilts sticking out off the hill, meaning most places have stunning views.

There is a whole heap of abandoned mining equipment scattered throughout the town, becoming part of the scenery with vines and trees growing over and around it all.

We visited what is said to be the largest kaleidoscope store in the world.

I wandered up some narrow staircases between the streets and met the family up at Haunted Hamburger on the top of the hill.

We had mushroom, green chilli, swiss, cheddar, grilled onion and guacamole cheeseburgers, margaritas in Mason jars and deep-fried pickles, and watched the sun set over the valley.