<---------Back to main article page

Photo by Jill Richards; models provided by the Agency Arizona Page Springs Vineyards & Cellars

COTTONWOOD & JEROME
Thanks to the Verde Valley’s blossoming wine scene, Cottonwood has enjoyed a renaissance in recent years. Its Wild West-style Old Town, once bypassed by daytrippers beelining to Jerome, has become a legitimate destination, with Main Street storefronts opening up to tasting rooms, cafes, and gourmet shops. In 2011, the town got serious traveler cred when it landed a chic boutique hotel. Meanwhile, the erstwhile copper mining boomtown of Jerome, just 15 minutes away, remains thrillingly artsy, quirky and haunted.

Friday
Cottonwood Wineries
With two wineries in the region (Caduceus Cellars and Arizona Stronghold), Tool frontman Maynard James Keenan is an exemplar of the Verde Valley’s newfound coolness. The winery Keenan co-owns with Eric Glomski, Arizona Stronghold Vineyards (1023 N. Main St., 928-639-2789, azstronghold.com), has a fire-red, rocker-hip tasting room that belies the quality of the nuanced wines. The tasting room for New Zealand filmmaker Sam Pillsbury’s Willcox-based Pillsbury Wine Company (1012 N. Main St., 928-639-0646, pillsburywine.com), is traditional yet cheeky – Pillsbury nicknamed his petite sirah/mourvedre/syrah blend “the Diva” since its acronym is PMS. The Wine Cellar (1029 N. Main St., 928-649-0444, facebook.com/winecellaroldtown) sells seven wines from Dionysian Cellars (California grapes/Arizona wine) and feels appropriately Grecian and classical. Tastings at each usually include five wines for less than $10 per person, and all are open until 8 or 9 p.m. on weekends, so feel free to linger.

Dinner: Rendezvous in Old Town
RIOT (777 N. Main St., Cottonwood, 928-634-3777, riotcottonwood.com), as it’s known locally, is an auto shop-turned-lounge and the premier nightlife spot in Old Town, thanks to its 20 beers on tap and 21 wines, live music and late closing time. Fusion favorites include the Empanadas Italianas, filled with prosciutto, cappicola and queso asadero and topped with house-made chimichurri sauce.

Saturday
Breakfast: Old Town Red Rooster Cafe
Red Rooster Cafe’s (901 N. Main St., Cottonwood, 928-649-8100, oldtownredroostercafe.com) simple menu consists of mostly organic, updated riffs on comfort food (think poblano cheese sauce on everything), and the decor is warm and inviting with a touch of country chic. Grab a newspaper menu and sit at the window-front bar for a perfect morning.

Photo by Jill Richards Cottonwood Shops

Cottonwood Shops
Verde Valley Olive Oil Traders’ (1014 N. Main St., 928-634-9900, vvoliveoil.com) dozens of artisanal olive oils and balsamic vinegars invite experimentation; taste the chipotle chile olive oil mixed with tangerine balsamic for a flavor profile sure to stun the tongue. Bonne Lait (926 N. Main St., 928-634-5535, bonnelait.com) is an artisanal and imported cheese and chocolate shop with a vintage feel and an owner whose passion for fromage is endless and contagious. Pick up incredible edibles at both, then head to Orion Bread Co. (1028 N. Main St., 928-649-1557, orionbread.com) to compile a gourmet snack.

Jerome State Historic Park and Galleries
Soak up Jerome’s boomtown-turned-arts-town vibe starting with a visit to Jerome State Historic Park (928-634-5381, azstateparks.com/Parks/JERO/index.html), where you can tour a mansion-turned-museum and stand on the glass ceiling of an old mining shaft taller than the Empire State Building for a vertiginous thrill. Next, head down Jerome’s main street and pop into RAKU gallery (250 Hull Ave., 928-639-0239, rakugallery.com) to browse a stunning selection of hand-blown glass, namely the Gustav Klimt-esque Mad Art Glass. The ruins of a market next door house the affiliated La Victoria Glass Studio, where artist Tracy Weisel gives frequent glassblowing demos.

Lunch: 15.Quince Grill & Cantina
With its skeleton-chef logo and bright blue walls painted with skulls, 15.Quince (363 Main St., 928-634-7087, visitjeromeaz.com) brings a vibrant addition to Jerome. Owner/Chef Vladimir Costa spices up his New Mexican menu with six chile varieties that infuse everything from an elk burger to the “Juanito Cash” burrito.

Photo by Evie Carpenter Mile High Grill in Jerome

Jerome Area Wineries
Downtown Jerome is home to yet another passel of primo vino-tasting rooms – between here and Cottonwood, the responsible imbibing never stops. Jerome Winery (403 Clark St., 928-639-9067, jeromewinery.com) and its sister label, Bitter Creek Winery (240 Hull Ave., 928-634-7033, bittercreekwinery.com) are kitschy and casual. Caduceus Cellars (158 Main St., 928-639-9463, caduceus.org) serves Maynard James Keenan’s Merkin Vineyards wines in a historic setting with brick walls, a pressed tin ceiling and window-side couches. About 30 minutes away – but well worth a detour for its award-winning wines and creekside setting complete with tree-shaded picnic tables, occasional live music and massages – is Page Springs Vineyards & Cellars (1500 N. Page Springs Rd., Cornville, 928-639-3004, pagespringscellars.com).

Dinner: Grapes
If you still haven’t sated your inner wino, head to Grapes Restaurant & Bar (111 Main St., Jerome, 928-639-8477, grapesjerome.com). Next to each item on the Italio-centric menu (think shrimp and pesto pizza or a giant baked, stuffed mushroom) you’ll find a “bin number” that corresponds to a specific wine selection, making pairing easy for those already a few glasses in.

Sunday
Breakfast: Crema Cafe
Crema Cafe (917 N. Main St., Cottonwood, 928-649-5785, cremacafe89a.com) is a pint-size space with big heart and a simple, locally-sourced menu. It’s early, but follow your breakfast burrito with their artisanal gelato and sorbet; the butter salt caramel gelato is almost always on the menu, and for good reason.

Hike: Dead Horse Ranch State Park
Less than a five-minute drive from old town Cottonwood is Dead Horse Ranch State Park (675 Dead Horse Ranch Rd., 928-634-5283, azstateparks.com/Parks/DEHO; $7 per car), which makes up for in scenery what it lacks in spiffy nomenclature. Drive north on Main Street and turn right onto 10th Street (not at Fifth Street, deceitful Google). The River Day Use Area is laced with trails that trace the Verde River, from the wheelchair-friendly Canopy Trail to the Verde River Greenway, a two-mile path that weaves through prime nesting habitat.

Tuzigoot National Monument
Montezuma’s Castle may be more architecturally stunning, but you can actually wander through the ruins at Tuzigoot (928-634-5564, nps.gov/tuzi), an awe-inspiring, 110-room Sinaguan pueblo overlooking the Verde River and Tavasci Marsh. From Dead Horse, head back to Cottonwood, then go north and west on winding Main Street 2.5 miles and look for a large sign indicating the turnoff for Tuzigoot Road; entrance costs $5 for adults.

 
Lunch: Flatiron Café
 Snuggled into the end slice of a building, luminous Flatiron Café (416 Main St., Jerome, 928-634-2733, flatironcafejerome.com) is redolent of cabin and coffee. If the few tables are full, take your salmon quesadilla or vegan black bean wrap across the street to the white-picket patio.

Where to Stay: The Tavern Hotel
The new Tavern Hotel (904 N. Main St., Cottonwood, 928-639-6669, thetavernhotel.com) may be the chicest building in Old Town Cottonwood. The front desk is at the Tavern Grille next door, and the complimentary cocktail upon arrival makes check-in that much smoother. Rooms cost $150 or $170 per night and include a free breakfast at Crema Café or Red Rooster Café.

                                                                <---------Back to main article page