Move over Scottsdale! Little-known mountain town is Arizona’s best-kept secret for a winter getaway

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When you think of beautiful mountain getaways, you probably think of places like Asheville, Lake Tahoe, and Colorado’s many mountain towns.

But the Southwest is your best bet for avoiding the chills in the coming months, unless you’d rather stay home and shovel your driveway – who wants to do that?

While sweater weather turns into puffer jacket season in much of the US, Arizona’s vast desert landscape typically sees its harshest temperatures at nightfall, making for an underrated vacation destination, whether it’s a back-and-forth weekend getaway or a full-fledged vacation as an excuse to avoid holiday gatherings (my favorite play in the playbook!).

At Travel Off Path, we do our best to dig deep and not regurgitate the same old lists you find elsewhere – and that brings us here to perhaps Arizona’s best-kept secret.

Full of whimsy, wine, and hints of winter wonderland vibes, Scottsdale leaves this winter to the thousand-dollar millionaires in favor of Jeromea delightfully artsy hideaway, equal parts haunts and history, for a tranquil retreat in the high desert.

Get out of the way, Marfa! Jerome is the coolest city in the Southwest

It may not be a coincidence Prada shop wherever you can, but Jerome offers some notable attractions where you’d least expect it.

You see, Jerome was once a mining town, and after a period of dusty decline, it has become one of the coolest towns you could ever experience.

Are Real full of surprises.

At first glance, it may look like a regular post-Gold Rush ghost town. But once you start wandering the rustic stretch of former bandit hideouts and legendary storefronts, you’ll quickly discover why this unsuspecting town is a secretive secret.

What appear to be old saloons are now sophisticated restaurants lining the weathered gull-wing doors, as well as countless art galleries, boutiques, cozy cafes and a selection of classic inns.

Don’t be fooled by the initial rustic aesthetic. Certainly, it’s packed with history with plenty of accommodations etched in time to immerse yourself within four walls that you’d love to talk about – or maybe not given the endless spooky stories passed down from generation to generation…

But with a vibrant arts scene, friendly but deeply eccentric residents and sensational restaurants in a timeless setting, Jerome is undoubtedly one of the South West’s most fascinating small towns.

One of America’s most underrated wine towns

It’s not just stories of infamous gunslingers who once roamed the mean streets of Jerome.

There’s currently one notable resident who put Jerome on the world stage and prides himself on putting Jerome’s wine scene on the map – and he’s definitely one of the city’s aforementioned eccentric individuals.

Lead vocalist of popular bands Tool, PusciferAnd A perfect circleMaynard James Keenans Caduceus Cellars is even more impressive than his stage wigs.

Jerome is just a two-hour drive from Phoenix, and many of Caduceus’ customers are day trippers or weekenders who enjoy coming to enjoy Arizona-grown red wines.

There is one tasting room on the main strip with critical acclaim. While Caduceus is certainly the most famous at the moment, Jerome is a true wine destination with a few other wineries also worth a visit:

• The Original Jerome Winery
• Passion cellars
• Cabal Cellars

And because the city is so walkable, you don’t have to worry about spitting out the wine so you can drive back to your hotel.

Stay in a real old town (Sorry, Scottsdale)

Old Town Scottsdale is a seemingly endless maze of turquoise trinkets and kitschy souvenirs, but after a while you notice that it starts to feel like a textbook tourist trap, with no authentic character.

The whole of Jerome feels like a proper old town and there is no further evidence than the classic hotels that have unapologetically retained the same creak and crumbling for years.

The Jerome Grand Hotel is undoubtedly the most popular – and this is also reflected in the rates. They’re often in the triple digits, given its historic status in a city with a National Historic Landmark and steps from the heart of downtown.

We also recommend the Ghost Town Inna name that refers to the nickname of previously mentioned ghost stories, hence the popularity of Halloween.

You may be a month late for Halloween ghost tours, but you’re not too late to see Jerome lying in the snow for a postcard-worthy winter.

Although Jerome remains green most of the year, it’s best to check the weather during a road trip in January and February due to the slippery winding roads.

Sam Sears

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Sam, our lead writer and San Diego-based journalist, has visited 36 countries and written more than 1,000 articles with an emphasis on sharing his own travel experiences and highlighting lesser-known gems.