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Flagstaff: Arizona Dream

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Flagstaff: Arizona Dream

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My first impressions of Arizona were forged eons ago by a movie called Arizona Dream. Since then I always thought of it as “Arid Zone” and never even considered visiting it. Timed passed by and I found myself traveling frequently between California and New Mexico. Even by plane that meant stopping at Arizona and the spell was broken.

Over time I visited several of the towns and cities scattered in this vast desert, but nothing compared to my first sight of Flagstaff, the first town of any size I saw in Arizona. Would I have arrived without early ideas about the place, then the effect of the sight would have been weaker. However, a very dense forest covering an area of high hills surrounded the way before reaching the small town and shattered the “Arid Zone” concept I had. I could discern Ponderosa pines and aspen trees among a plethora of trees. I had learned to love the elegant, bluish aspens in New Mexico and was happy to find them here.

At five thousand feet, the town is substantially lower than Santa Fe, but still higher than the country westwards. The town itself is located on a small plateau and thus is rather flat and pleasant to walk. Surprisingly green, it featured plenty of grown up trees. Midway between New Mexico’s high desert and Phoenix low and hot desert, Flagstaff offers a pleasant weather that ensures a pleasant stay.

I immediately flagged Flagstaff for a future and more detailed trip once I found the many attractions it features. Placed about eighty miles away from the Grand Canyon, it is an ideal headquarter in the area. Other attractions are Navajo and Hopi communities, the Arizona Snowbowl, Coconino National Forest (the biggest ponderosa forest in the world), the Wupatki National Monument, the Sunset Crater, The Arboretum, the red rocks of Sedona, the Meteor Crater, the San Francisco Peaks and a wild nature which is hard to find elsewhere.

However, the city itself is interesting enough to justify a visit. The arts and crafts scene in the town reminds Taos in New Mexico and it is spiced up with shops, hotels and all other necessities visitors have. Within the city limits there are a few cultural attractions as well. The Arizona Historical Society-Pioneer Museum, at 2340 N. Fort Valley Rd. shows artifacts, documents, and photographs of the history of northern Arizona and is certainly worth a visit. A visit to the Museum of Northern Arizona, at 3101 N. Fort Valley Road, is a recommended addition to the first museum. One of the most interesting spots in the town is the Heritage Square, at Aspen Avenue between Leroux St. and San Francisco St., which appears to be the social centre of town. Unusually for an American Town, Flagstaff features an enchanted house, usually known as the Museum Club, at 3404 E. Route 66. It is listed in the National Register of Historic Places and is rich in ghost stories; it features a collection of taxidermed unique animals.
From journal Arizona Dream