Jerome, Arizona

Sunday 16 August

Connor Hotel, Jerome, fantastic digs

Jerome's an old copper mine town, perched up the side of a mountain

40 odd miles south of Flagstaff.

When the copper ran out, the town died, but has had a reprieve as a weekend tourist, biker, destination.

Seems like everything, including this hotel, is trying to fall off the mountain

the floor slopes, the toilet overflowed and ran to the corner of the bathroom

but I got a huge king-size brass-stead bed.

The building across the alley has huge cracks in it, but no worries, its held together by a 20m long tie-rod

and the boys say looks like the side has fallen out of the jail, you can see a bed one storey up.

But for all that the place is a hoot

200m long main street, couple of shops, this hotel, couple of cafes, and the rest, saloons.

The place was rocking when we arrived, the band boys told us their gig is from 2-6pm, when most of the day trippers go home

fortunately, as our bedroom is right above the bar

but another duo took over while we did our carousing.

Ken and Jan have been here before, met a couple 5 years ago, an ex Tauranga girl and her US husband

now every visit Ken phones them up and they come over for the night

Mandy's a stunner, and Dwayne, an ex US marine military policeman

two things are evident

you wouldnt want to mess with Dwayne

and neither would you want to mess with his woman

but I had a lot of fun getting her view on life in America.

I'd come to the view that I wouldnt mind an American pick-up, Chevy Avalanche

and an american woman...

but she says they're high maintenance, the little things like painted nails, manicures, hairdo's,

all the desperate housewife stuff

and with no DPB and social welfare, bust-up legalities get more vicious.

She'd found it not as easy to make deep friendships, under the nice amiable veneer, life's a little more shallow rooted and on the move.

I've sort of mentioned before the hugeness of the place perhaps driving people into community mindedness

but I'd go nuts trying to live here for sort of opposite reasons

I'd always want to know what was over the next mountain, down the next canyon, or across the next desert

and you dont run out of them too quick in this place

so there's also a transience undercurrent too, adding to the hustle.

I prefer norfolk island as a community ideal

2 miles in any direction, you got a cliff, so your mind dosent leave whats important

but there again, maybe thats just a result of how things are here in Arizona.

Dunno...

Grand Canyon, parting shot

But the bureaucracy is alive and kicking in US...

exiting Grand Canyon Park I was a bit short of gas so did a u-turn to ask at the ranger booth where the next servo was

"get back on your bike, re-enter, and come back through" was the response

but I only want to know where the nearest gas station is

no, back on my bike

so OK, but I have to juggle my helmet and gloves and the clutch, and keep Silver from falling over, while I get my park pass card out of my wallet

which I hold between my lips to get to the booth window

a woman pops her head out the booth window and orders me to wipe the card, seeing I had it in my mouth...

so I'm immortalised in the American computer system as having entered South Rim twice in 24 hours

and how do I get out of the park now, I ask

just go along there 30 yards and turn into the exit lane!

At a post office I got told to get back into line too, when all I wanted was a one word answer to a question.

Still, the American parks system has to be admired.

From Grand Canyon we headed south to Williams, on Route 66

there was a concours d'elegance show on there, main street closed for a line -up of classic cars

usual food-stalls, bands playing, I got a burger, chips and coke for $6.

Then onto I40 for another duel with the semis

this time with a 20-30mph crosswind for added interest

jeepers...

although i've adjusted to slotting in with whatever traffic flow reigns at the time

its a bit disconcerting to glance in your rear-view mirror and see a road train getting ever closer

they must be doing 80mph, and when they swallow you, its like the bike engine's missed a beat

but I have to say, their truck aerodynamics are pretty good

you get heaps less buffeting than from similar vehicles back home

or from the mass of RV's on the road here, big square boxes of holiday caravan things.

Dwayne gave us a little sobering message too

the standard penalty for 20mph over the limit is 2 nights in the slammer

Indian craft stalls, Oak Creek

Didnt go into Flagstaff, turned south down Oak Creek Canyon

and have to say it was a totally pleasant little ride, tall oaks lining the road.

Came upon some more Indian stalls, and as observed yesterday, definitely an improvement on the western side of the reservation

younger and better spoken, but seemingly short on their own history

they couldnt tell me the extent of their tribal ground prior to "relocation"

just that the Hopi got in on their Navajo act.

Second day in a row too, where there was no difficulty with them changing a $100 bill for a $10 purchase.

Oak Creek

Next town was Sedona, setting for many classic American westerns, the original Glenn Ford "3.10 to Yuma", "Cheyenne", james stewart was it?,

and one other I saw as a kid that a senior moment maddeningly defies me recall of right now.

The place was full of tourists, it's of course, the height of the summer holiday season, and getting handier to big centres like Phoenix.

Have I mentioned, at least half the tourists sound European, French, German...

with the collapse of the automotive industry, and indebtedness to China

you could almost imagine USA banana republic'ing itself to tourism as the offshore funds breadwinner.

Road to Sedona

So, after a big fat ice-cream it was southward, on and up to Jerome.