Returning from the splendid Antelope Canyon and Page, I decided to take a stop in Flagstaff. In many have suggested me to stop their, in fact it turned out to be a very live town well kept. Considering my coming from Kayenta, everything can seam more lively. Flagstaff is situated in the center of a beautiful forest, not many miles from Sedona, the forest makes so the climate is mild (at least in august) in difference of the terrible heat we’ll reach later on at Phoenix.
The thing that really hit us the most at Flagstaff was at the horizon a fire burning. I think a part of San Francisco Peaks. Remembering before I left for the States how many times I’ve seen in TV these fires. But seeing them personally is petrifying. During the day the sun was almost darkened from the ashes falling all over. But the worst was during the night in the distance seeing the reddish gleaming towards the sky while sitting outside it seamed it was snowing. Seeing these fires so close, actually I would have preferred not too.
Besides this incendiary digression, Flagstaff is a well known touristy point and completely crossed from the famous Route 66. To be honest maybe I expected to be more excited from this famous location. You realize you’re on the 66 because every bar, meccanic, store on the road has a giant neon sign with written 66. Flagstaff at night gives its best; it’s full of Bars and restaurants all Western style. The university makes so that there is a constant presence of young men and women in the public locals, it doesn’t even seam to be in the far West, but more like Rimini center during the summer. During the evening you easily find local bands playing excellent music and not always Country.
The evening passes away pleasantly. If you’d like to go a little out further of flagstaff there are lovely Saloons in Western Style, you will find yourself living in one of the Blue Brothers movies. Flagstaff is practically gathered between Route 66 and the Railway of Amtrk* the nice thing about it is the train horn which seams to give the time. It is exactly North of the train station that develops the center of Flagstaff between Santa Fe ave (that’s route 66) at South, the San Francisco St at East, the Cherry at North and the Beaver at West.
If you have some extra time go visit the [Lowell Observatory] that now a days is the most important of the planet. It was from their planet Pluto was sighted for the first time (I read it from a guidebook). Flagstaff has a strategically position if you program to go for a tour towards Southwest. With an hour drive you will reach South Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon, at East the Meteor Crater and Petrified Forest National Park, at North the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Within a few hours you arrive to Glen Canyon Recreation Area with Page and Lake Powell. Not forgetting that the expansion of Flagstaff is on the Route 66.
|
