Flagstaff
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Downtown Flagstaff

Downtown Flagstaff is presently undergoing a renaissance. Turn-of-the-century buildings are being renovated, new cafes and jewelry stores extend onto recently bricked sidewalks and narrow alleys are turned into arcades. Many of the old structures bear plaques detailing their history. With curio shops, restaurants and cafes lining the major streets, this is the best area to shop for American Indian crafts and souvenirs.

For any visitor new to town, the first stop should be the Flagstaff Visitor Center, located inside the 1926 train depot at the Historic Railroad District. The staff is friendly and there is an abundant supply of maps and brochures. Leave your car at the depot parking lot and walk across Santa Fe Avenue to explore the downtown area. Don't forget to stop at the Hotel Monte Vista to admire the nostalgic decor commemorating the times when Gary Cooper, Spencer Tracey, Jane Russell and other Hollywood stars of yesteryear lodged here.

Northern Arizona University

Back at the Visitor Center, turn south on Beaver Street and drive or walk (it's not a very long walk) across the railroad crossing towards the Northern Arizona University campus. The area immediately south of the railroad is dominated by bars, cafes, hostels and shops catering to the student crowd, with Macy's European Coffee House on Beaver being the favorite hangout for both locals and visitors. Enter the northern end of the campus and explore it on foot, or board the free shuttle bus that takes visitors around campus during the school year. The University supports various arts and crafts exhibits as well as theater and music performances both on and off campus. To get an overview of activities, pick up a copy of the free newsletter Un-tv, The Northern Arizona Arts and Entertainment Guide, at any of the cafes.

Adjacent to the campus, Riordan State Historic Park marks an interesting sight for history buffs. The "park" is actually two homes that were once occupied by lumber tycoons Michael and Timothy Riordan, furnished in appropriate turn-of-the-19th century style with several exhibits detailing the lifestyle of the period. Park rangers conduct regular tours of the imposing fieldstone structure.

Hands-on Astronomy

Lowell Observatory sits about a mile west of downtown atop a pine-covered mesa. This is where, in 1902, amateur astronomer Percival Lowell determined that there must be another planet beyond Uranus and Neptune. In 1930, the planet was later actually detected and named Pluto. The Visitor Center features an interactive astronomy exhibit as well as a multimedia presentation. Evening visits are particularly interesting, as one of the telescopes is open for nighttime stargazing

Fine Arts and Fresh Mountain Air

Using downtown as a point of reference, head north on Fort Valley Road (Highway 180) to pay a visit to the Coconino Center for the Arts and the Arts Barn, one of the focal points of cultural activity in Flagstaff. The Center houses a fine arts gallery, a bookshop and an auditorium for special events, while the Arts Barn next door contains a very good collection of Indian arts and crafts, including silver and turquoise jewelry. A little further up the road, surrounded by shady Ponderosa Pines, the Museum of Northern Arizona offers an excellent display of the geology and anthropology of the Colorado Plateau.

A 14-mile drive from downtown Flagstaff on Highway 180 will take you to the alpine meadows of Coconino National Forest. The dizzying heights of the San Francisco Peaks are reachable by taking the sky ride or hiking from the 9,500-foot base to the peak at 11,500 feet. While climbing, admire the awesome vistas of the Colorado Plateau and the volcanic cones jutting out from the plain. Although the Arizona Snow Bowl and the Flagstaff Nordic Center are primarily winter ski areas, the mountain is certainly worth a visit any time of the year, but particularly in the fall when nature turns the forest into a glorious symphony of colors.

Continuing north on Highway 180, new urban developments give way to beautiful forests of birch and aspen, on the way to the world's greatest gorge, the Grand Canyon.

Native American Heritage

The Colorado Plateau is rich with remnants of the people that populated northern Arizona long before the arrival of European settlers. Just seven miles east of Flagstaff on I-40, lie the cliff dwellings of Walnut Canyon, the long-abandoned home for a band of Sinagua Indians who found shelter in its limestone caves some 800 years ago. The caves may be reached via a rather strenuous step trail, or the impressive view of the canyon can be seen from an easy half-mile rim trail.

For another day trip devoted to exploring the geological and historical wonders of the region, head north from Flagstaff on U.S. 89, a road lined with numerous campgrounds and RV parks. After 12 miles, turn right into Sunset Crater Volcanic National Monument. Tinged orange-red by iron oxide, this cinder cone is an impressive reminder of the area's violent geological past. Although Sunset Crater last erupted about 900 years ago, the jagged lava fields look as though they were created just yesterday. As the entry fee to the park includes Wupatki National Monument, continue on north to see the Southwest's largest Indian ruin. The Wupatki Pueblo is a four-story village created from sandstone, with a ball court and an amphitheater whose function still puzzles anthropologists and archeologists. Intrigued by the mysteries of the ancient past, you may want to poke around the less popular sites in the park known as Wukoki Pueblo, Lomaki, and the Citadel. Looking north reveals glimpses of the vast Painted Desert, with the lands of the Navajo and Hopi nations beyond. You may find the beauty of the region so infectious that, once exposed to it, you will have a hard time staying away for long.