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Grapes

Everything on the menu has a wine pairing suggestion. Top-drawer pizza, pasta and steak in a classy but lively environment. 928-634-8477; 111 Main St, Jerome; mains from $10; breakfast, lunch & dinner

House of Berlin

Schnitzels with noodles and warm apple strudels and other Austro-German classics from Henry Wickenburg’s corner of the world. 928-684-5004; 169 E Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg; dishes $10-16; lunch Wed-Sun, dinner Tue-Sun

Mountain Oasis Café

Food that ranges from Mediterranean to Japanese to Thai, and cuts of prime rib cooked just right on the weekends. 928-214-9270; 11 Aspen Ave, Flagstaff; mains from $10; 11am-9pm

Palace Saloon

There are plenty of framed photos and Old West memorabilia to distract from your pint of Palace Red. 928-541-1996; 120 S Montezuma St, Prescott; mains $8-20; lunch & dinner

Peacock Room & Bar

The fancy-pants dining room at the Hassayampa Inn is famous for its classic American dinners. 928-778-9434; Hassayampa Inn, 122 E Gurley St, Prescott; mains breakfast $6.50-11, lunch $10-14, dinner $18-32; breakfast, lunch & dinner

Pony Espresso

Scones, brownies and sandwiches provide sustenance. 928-684-0208; 223 E Wickenburg Way, Wickenburg; mains $4-7; 7am-8pm Mon-Fri, 8am-6pm Sat & Sun

Spirit Room Bar

A dark, old-timey place with a pool table and a bordello-scene mural on the wall. Live music on weekends and some weeknights. 928-634-8809; 166 Main St, Jerome; 10am-2am

SLEEP

Hotel Monte Vista

In downtown Flagstaff, ask for a quiet room if you’re afraid the live music at the downstairs bar will irritate. 928-779-6971; www.hotelmontevista.com; 100 N San Francisco St, Flagstaff; r $70-140 Nov-Apr, $75-170 May-Oct

Mile High Inn

Home of the original mile-high club, apparently. Seven spiffy rooms have funky furnishings. 928-634-5094; www.jeromemilehighinn.com; 309 Main St, Jerome; r with shared/private bathroom $85/125

Pleasant Street Inn

There are just four units; two suites (one with fireplace, the other with private deck), all decorated differently. 928-445-4774, 877-226-7128; www.pleasantbandb.com; 142 S Pleasant St, Prescott; r $125-175

Rancho de los Caballeros

With a golf course, a spa and fine dining, this 20,000-acre ranch is decidedly upscale. 928-684-5484; www.sunc.com; 1551 S Vulture Mine Rd, Wickenburg; r $400-620; mid-Oct–mid-May

Sky Ranch Lodge

Rooms, though fine, make less of an impression than the views. Spend the extra money and get a Rim View room. 928-282-6400, 888-708-6400; www.skyranchlodge.com; Airport Rd, Sedona; r $80-160

USEFUL WEBSITES

www.outwickenburgway.com

www.nps.gov/grca

LINK YOUR TRIP www.lonelyplanet.com/trip-planner

TRIP

6 Gunfighters & Gold Miners

26 Flagstaff’s Northern Playground

29 Ghosts of the South Rim

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Return to beginning of chapter

Ghosts of the South Rim

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WHY GO The South Rim’s human side is a crazy quilt of colorful personalities – adventurous entrepreneurs carved out livings as prospectors, tourist guides and rustic hoteliers. Artists and architects, environmentalists and explorers counterbalanced the commercial scene, all the while creating the canyon’s history and legends. All these spirited folk have left ghostly remnants of their presence here.

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TIME

4 days

DISTANCE

185 miles

BEST TIME TO GO

Jul – Sep

START

Williams, AZ

END

Williams, AZ

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Though local Native Americans have lived in the canyon since ancient times, the thrall of the South Rim drew a small stampede of intrepid folk in the late 1800s. Miners found the going too tough to live off mineral claims and turned to the tourist trade. While you’re taking in the obvious grandeur of the canyon, get to know it more intimately by seeking out some lingering spirits of the South Rim.

The journey to the South Rim starts in Williams, where Route 66 spirit lives on in old-fashioned soda fountains and refurbished Victorian buildings like the Red Garter B&B. It’s rumored