A Highly Spirited Heartland

As a misty orange daybreak gives way to stunning blue; haphazardly sprinkled tufts of white linen float lazily above the Verde Canyon Railroad, where the hauntingly winsome whistle bewails the waning darkness, when spirited entities engage in cosmic pillow fights above the valley plains.

Arizona’s heartland lies above the arid desert and below the high ponderosa country where a vast array of discoveries awaits the adventurous in too many forms to mention in one blog—or see in a single day, so we’ll just meander as if on a long weekend drive from Jerome.


In Clarkdale, it is believed the spirit of Sheriff Jim Roberts continues foot- patrol on the now mostly deserted Main Street; where in the summer of 1928, he foiled the greatest bank robbery attempt in Arizona history.  The ClarkdaleHistorical Museum offers as much education as it does experience, with frequent reports of hijinks and apparitions in the building which was once a clinic for ailing smelter workers before it was a police station with a jail cell, built in the basement; where many shadowy figures are seen.

A short walk down the quiet street takes you past a small park; where a lone gazebo emits enough energy to suggest it being perhaps a portal, and to the Pool Hall where balls are reported to knock around by themselves at night.

Is it ever too late in the day for fresh baked goods? The Orion Bread Company, down the road in Cottonwood,  is highly acclaimed and doesn’t seem quite old enough to already have its own ghost in the form a young child who reportedly wanders the store; gazing longingly at all the fresh goods.

The Cottonwood Jail was temporary home to several high-profile (for the era) individuals; including an influential bootlegger named Joe Hall, who was visited by the infamous Al Capone (who carved his name above the cell door during the lengthy visit), in an effort to recruit ‘runners’ between the US and Mexico. Another notorious criminal was found detained in the Jail, thanks to Sheriff Buck Snoody (America’s Most Wanted), was extradited from the Cottonwood Jail and led unhappily back to L.A. where he was sentenced to Death (As depicted in the 1967 Dragnet series ‘The Hammer’). And even celebrities such as Burt Lancaster spent a little time there; though he was filming the 1946 movie ‘Desert Fury’, as did Elvis Presley; during the filming of ‘Stay Away Joe’. 

While the mountains are but glowing embers of the swiftly passing day, I’m struck by how very much I value the simplest freedoms; to explore and learn, to have and share, and to celebrate with friends and family, any holiday I please!  Happy Thanksgiving, Everyone! 

Would you enjoy Arizona’s heartland?  For many years, we always listened to “Alice’s Restaurant” on Thanksgiving day, do you have any special traditions regarding the holiday?