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Flagstaff from nearby hill

Flagstaff, named for a flagstaff erected here for the 1876 Independence Day celebrations according to Encarta, was blessed by a visit from us twice on this trip. The first time was because we were looking for somewhere cool (literally) to hang out after our two weeks in Las Vegas. We spent lots of time working on our computers doing mundane things like downloading account statements and the like and getting our finances in order. The second visit was on our way back from northeastern Arizona to Phoenix and was again to allow us to cool down some, but this time before we hit the oven-hot temperatures of Phoenix in July.

Lowell Observatory

Lowell Telescope

Lowell Telescope

When we got bored with taking care of business, we did venture out as tourists once in a while. One fun outing was to visit the Lowell Observatory. We had tried to tour it when we were first in Flagstaff together in 1997 but on that day it was closed. This time we picked a mid-afternoon and arrived just in time for a one-hour tour, which we both found enjoyable. Even if the tour itself had not been of interest, just being up on a hill above the city gave us a new perspective on the place.

Mount Humphrey?

Near Mt Humphrey?

For those who don't know, Flagstaff is the gateway to the Grand Canyon. On our first, longer trip we almost made a quick foray into the park on an excursion out of town looking for the nearby ski resort and trailhead to Mount Humphrey, the highest of the San Francisco peaks. We had missed the turn for the resort and were halfway to the park when we decided it was too late in the day and opted instead for a small nature trail that we happened upon. While driving back into Flagstaff, we finally found the road we had been looking for and so did make it to the ski resort and trailhead. Sadly we never managed to get up the energy to try the hike up to Mount Humphreys. It is something we will try another day.

Some other Flagstaff-related sites for your edification are: www.lowell.edu , www.meteorcrater.com , and the Museum of Northern Arizona at www.musnaz.org