Friends in Flagstaff, Arizona

 Tuesday, June 6, 2023:  The four of us (Geo, Bill, and Rich) all went to Northwestern in the mid-1960s and we have kept in touch over the years. Actually, Bill and I both live in San Francisco so we see each other fairly often. Geo lives in rural Wisconsin, and Rich lives in North Carolina. We all flew to Phoenix and arrived within a half hour of each other, and met at the Avis rental center where Geo had reserved a Buick Elante, 4700 pounds of comfortable and spacious SUV - plenty of room for the four of us and our luggage. 

Since we are old guys we had reserved rooms at a Marriott Aloft a few miles from PHX (the airport) rather than driving straight to Flagstaff. Geo and Rich had been up very early to catch their flight. The Aloft tries to be hip and modern but its main advantage is that it is so close to the airport and down a block and across the street is the last stop of the PHX Skytrain, an elevated train that runs every 5-10 minutes to another city stop, the three PHX terminals, and the car rental center. Very convenient and free. After checking in and settling in our rooms we looked for dinner. The Aloft is in a grungy area but we found a lively brewpub about four blocks away where they had several choices of NA beer as well as their own brews and other bottled beer. 

Wednesday, June 7: Breakfast at the Aloft was limited but what they had was OK - not included with the room, though. We loaded up the Buick and followed Google Maps to I-17 north to AZ 69 to Prescott where we parked and wandered around the downtown area for an hour or so, and had lunch at the Palace Restaurant and Saloon. The decor is western cowboy kitsch, although most of it is original and unchanged so it is authentic kitsch. One of the Palace’s claim to fame is that parts of the Steve McQueen movie, Junior Bonner, were filmed there. Several large creeks converge in Prescott, so that is probably the reason the town was established. There is a central square with a park and the city hall, and various shops and businesses surround it. Someone will have to do a definitive paper on the proliferation of fudge shops in tourist destinations. 

We followed Google out of Prescott and over a twisty AZ 89 to Jerome, an old mining town, where we stopped to wander around a bit. There are galleries, the ubiquitous fudge shops, and watering holes, all very laid back. Back in the Buick we went a mile or so to a Jerome State Historic Park, which is on the site of an abandoned mine. 

Out of Jerome and back on AZ 89 we drove through Sedona, which is surrounded by hills and red rock formations, and after about 10 miles stopped at Slide Rock State Park. It was late in the afternoon so it wasn’t crowded, but judging by the size of the parking lot it is a popular place. The surrounding scenery is interesting, but the main claim to fame is the sliding area on the smooth rocks in the river that runs through the park.

    

Leaving Slide Rock we stayed on AZ 89 north through Oak Creek Canyon to Flagstaff where we found the Drury Inn and Suites, our home for the next four nights. The Drury is an older building of somewhat faded elegance, but the location is good (only a 10 minute walk to downtown) and the breakfast was substantial and tasty. There was a model railroad convention staying there so we were always in the presence of older men (and a few women) who were friendly and excited to be around people who shared a common interest. (On Saturday they would take a train ride to the Grand Canyon.) The desk clerk recommended a brew pub not far away, the Beaver Street Brewery where we were entertained by the perkiest waitress in town. 

Thursday, June 8, 2023: The Drury is right across the street from the north end of Northern Arizona University, the part of campus that is known as Old Main. I was up early and went for a short walk on campus - many trees, old brick buildings - before breakfast at the hotel. We had a busy day planned and we were on the road, US 89 north, a little after 9. We turned off after about a dozen miles at Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument where we stopped at the visitors’ center before continuing and parking for a walk around the lava fields and crater, the remnants of a volcano that erupted  a mere 1,000 years ago, the most recent volcanic eruption in Arizona. 

    

    
    After an hour or so we were back in the car and continued on the park loop to Wupatki National Monument, which features the remains of a pueblo and a (reconstructed) ball field/gathering area. After a quick stop in the visitors’ center we wandered around the pueblo.

This raven in back of the visitors’ center had a lot to say.

    

Back on the road we left the loop road and went north again on US 89 for 20 miles to Cameron, the turnoff for the Grand Canyon east entrance. The Cameron Trading Post is a souvenir shop, restaurant, and tourist trap, but has its own charm. Just pulling into the parking lot ahead of us was a group of motorcycles. All the riders were large men and were wearing vests with “Berglemuller” on the back along with “Born to Be Wild.” It turns out they were all from a small town in Austria and were touring Route 66 on their rental Harleys and two BMW cruisers.

    

After lunch at the restaurant we went south on 89 and then west on AZ 64 through Little Colorado River Gorge to the east entrance to Grand Canyon, where I asked the ranger about Shoshone Point. The ranger was fairly new to the park and said he’d never been there, but said that the entrance was near milepost 244. He also said that sometimes events, like weddings, were held there. Geo had been to Shoshone Point ten years ago and was anxious to return and show it to us. It is on the edge of the Grand Canyon and is a wide, rock outcropping so when you walk to the point you are surrounded by canyon on three sides. We found the dirt/gravel parking area and got ourselves together for the short (3/4 mile) walk to Shoshone Point. Just as we were locking up the car a new BMW 850i convertible pulled into the lot, and a young lady in a pale green gown exited and asked us if this was where Shoshone Point was. She was from Alabama, had rented the BMW in LA, and was there for a wedding. We told her that we were not in the wedding and that the point was almost a mile away up the uneven rocky road behind the gate. We left her trying to get a cell signal, walked around the gate and up the road when just then a white van (catering) pulled up to the gate, stopped and a person got out and unlocked the gate, and the van proceeded very slowly up the road. After another 10 minutes or so a white Chevy Suburban with blacked out windows came down the road very slowly, and a few minutes after that the Suburban passed up going the other way. Presumably, Miss Alabama was inside. Geo and I walked ahead up to the point, where we met a young guy in wedding clothes who gently informed us that there was a wedding going on. We could see a picnic table, a washroom, and out to the point where several people in wedding attire were gathered. As we walked back down the trail and met Bill and Rich, Geo was disappointed and going on about how the places in the park shouldn’t be rented out. We all assured him that it all made for a much better story, and we would see plenty of canyon at the South Rim.

During peak season the South Rim is very crowded, the three parking lots fill up, and visitors have to park a mile away and take a shuttle. It was about 4 PM, late in the day, and we had no problems parking. We all walked to the rim and along the rim trail, took pictures, and got back in the Buick and headed west and south and out of the park onto US 180. 

Earlier in the day we’d all noticed a haze in the air and a faint smoky smell. We discovered later that it was the result of a prescribed burn. After 30 miles US 180 turned southeast through woods hills, a scenic route, and after 50 miles or so we were back at the Drury. Dinner was across the street at 1899 and was OK - we’d had a long day and were hungry.

Friday, June 9, 2023: Today is a Flagstaff day. After breakfast at the Drury we walked up Beaver St., across the railroad tracks, and stopped at the nearby Flagstaff Visitor’s Center, which also serves as the Amtrak station. Continuing on we wandered around the small downtown and stopped in at a few shops and galleries. I also went into a real estate office and talked to a sales rep there who printed off a list of 20 houses for sale near downtown. I was exited about a move there until Carol, in a phone call, reminded me that Flagstaff averages over 100 inches of snow a year. Also, one of the clerks in a shop mentioned that they had 175 inches of snow the previous winter. 

    

After lunch outside at the Weatherford Hotel (Zane Grey stayed there) we walked back to the Drury, got in the Buick, and drove the short distance to Lowell Observatory, founded in 1894 by Percival Lowell, a descendent of the pilgrim Massachusetts Lowells, and ancestor of Robert Lowell, the poet. Lowell Observatory is most famous for the discovery of Pluto in 1930 by a young (24 years old) astronomer named Clyde Tombaugh, a farm boy from Kansas who loved astronomy and began his work at the observatory as a low level helper. The boxing glove in the picture below prevents users of the telescope from banging their heads on the lever arm.

The tour was informative and fun, led by a young student at NAU who was very adamant that Pluto was still a planet. Walking back to the hotel we passed by this mural in an alley.

Saturday, June 10: After a walk and breakfast we piled into the Buick and headed east on I-40 for an hour to the Meteor Crater exit. After a short drive on the access road we parked and paid our admission, wandered around, and joined a tour to an observation area. The tour guide was unamplified, but he had a drill sergeant’s voice so everyone in the group could hear him. The meteorite that caused the crater was about 150 feet across and was composed mostly of iron. The crater itself is three-quarters of a mile across and 600 feet deep (about half as deep as when it was originally formed) and the the force of the impact was the equivalent of a 20 megaton nuclear bomb. Fortunately, it all happened 50,000 years ago. Until the mid-20th century the accepted wisdom was that large craters like this were volcanic in origin, although some geologists had their doubts. A geologist who was studying the aftermath of nuclear bomb tests realized that the Meteor Crater in Arizona was very similar to craters that were formed by a large nuclear bomb, and since the geology of the area didn’t show volcanic activity, he theorized that the crater was the result of a large meteorite, and more study confirmed his hypotheses. 

If you look closely you can see an abandoned mine shaft near the center. There is also a life size model of an astronaut - training for the Apollo moon missions took place in the crater. Just as the guide finished his spiel and was answering questions, one of the visitors collapsed, presumably from the heat. There were a half dozen Army guys on leave and they jumped into action, shading the lady, propping her up, and urging her to drink sips of water. Soon a wheelchair rolled down the path and she was removed to the air-conditioned visitors’ center. 

Back in Flagstaff we walked downtown for lunch, and then took the Buick to the Museum of Northern Arizona, which is part natural history museum (geology, flora, and fauna of the Colorado Plateau), Native American cultural museum, and contemporary artwork by Native American artisans. The gift shop is well-stocked with interesting items, including this painting that I was tempted to purchase.

There are gardens and a couple of nice walking paths near the museum, and Geo and I took one of them that led down to a ravine and a creek. Back at the Drury, we walked downtown and returned to the Weatherford Hotel where we had dinner. Flagstaff is a charming small city, just the right size that you can see everything in a few days and very walkable. It is also the most dog-friendly town I’ve ever seen - even more so than Boulder.

That sign was similar to many we saw in the windows of shops, restaurants, and other businesses. That evening Rich and I spent an hour or so after dinner discussing various sociological, cultural, and political topics - just like when we were in college but with a lot less beer.

Sunday, June 11: After our final breakfast at the Drury we loaded up the Buick and headed south on US 89 through Oak Creek Canyon. It was another beautiful day and we enjoyed the drive and the scenery. When we drove by the entrance to Slide Rock State Park the cars were lined up onto the highway waiting to enter. We passed through Sedona without stopping - no need for fudge or crystals - but did turn off at Red Rocks State Park about 8 miles south. There is a small visitors’ center and museum, and several walking trails. We walked for about an hour and saw a Javelina on our path, who eventually went off into the brush to join his mate.

No idea what these plants are, but they are dramatic.

Someone found a good location to build his house - on a high ridge overlooking the park.

Back on the road we continued south on US 89 and soon joined I-17 south. We stopped at the Rock Springs Cafe and Pie Shop, which was very busy with Sunday customers buying pies and fudge. There was a 40 minute wait for a table, but after a few minutes of wandering around we cancelled the reservation and went back on the road. The restaurant was only about 1/3 full, but there was a staff shortage and everyone who worked there was moving at top speed - the labor shortage hasn’t eased in central Arizona. A few miles later we exited at New River and had lunch at the Roadrunner Restaurant and Saloon, a well-known biker hangout with food, drinks, entertainment, take-out, and a small gift shop. The parking lot had a few bikes, but mostly pickup trucks, the food was OK (we were hungry) the atmosphere was mild on a Sunday afternoon. The special drink of the day was a vodka and wine slurpee - your choice of wine. Geo was amused to see a customer at the next table wearing a bright red MAGA hat. 

At the Aloft in Phoenix we unloaded the car and Geo and I drove to the rental car center at PHX where we dropped off the Buick and took the Sky Train back to the Aloft. Dinner was pizza at the bar in the Aloft.

Monday, June 12. Geo had an early flight back to Milwaukee, and I walked with him partway to the train station before returning to the hotel. I wandered to a nearby donut shop and bought a coffee and donut, and then to make up for it I worked out for 45 minutes in the fitness center. Rich was staying an extra day before flying to Los Angeles to visit family, so Bill and I said our goodbyes, boarded the Sky Train to the airport, and had an uneventful flight back to San Francisco, where Doris, Bill’s wife, picked us up and drove me home. 

A good trip, and more interesting than I expected it to be. I’ve been to about half of the places we visited, but since I was on a motorcycle I only stopped to take a picture or two or grab a bite to eat. It was nice to spend some time exploring the area, and since Geo had been there in the past he had a good idea of what to visit.