Why this first-of-its-kind metropolis has among the most wonderful skies you’ll ever see
America’s Finest Cities to Go to 2024
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For years, Flagstaff was a spot that you just handed by means of in your method to the Grand Canyon or following Route 66 to the California shore. Except you wanted gasoline or a fast meal, there was little purpose to cease.
But slowly however certainly, the northern Arizona metropolis has remodeled right into a trip vacation spot in its personal proper. Flagstaff stays a gateway to the Grand Canyon and different pure wonders. However because the flip of the century, it’s change into greater than only a pit cease.
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These days, there are a number of causes to linger in a metropolis surrounded by the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest on the base of the snowcapped San Francisco Peaks.
A stark distinction to the desert cities of southern Arizona, Flagstaff presents cooler temperatures, contemporary mountain air and a rising popularity for out of doors recreation starting from winter snowboarding to summertime mountain climbing, biking and path operating.
The renaissance of downtown Flagstaff introduced new life to its outdated brick buildings within the type of hip new locations to eat, drink and sleep.
With Lowell Observatory within the forefront, town has change into a hub of scientific analysis in addition to being named the world’s first official “Worldwide Darkish Sky Metropolis” in 2001.
In the meantime, Northern Arizona College upped its sport in athletics and lecturers, bringing much more consideration and guests to a spot thought-about a backwater for a lot of a long time.
With round 76,000 residents, Flagstaff is now not a small city. But the vibe is something however huge metropolis. A few of the first belongings you discover — a slower tempo, the woodsy air and a star-filled evening sky — are kind of absent from bigger city areas.
The college is what introduced native ceramic artist Robin Cadigan to city, however she quickly fell in love with Flagstaff’s wide-open areas, lively way of life and flourishing artistic group.
“Lots of people transfer right here due to the panorama and pure magnificence, the entry to trails and mountains and the Grand Canyon,” says Cadigan, who grew up in Maine.
“There’s like over 300 days of solar right here a 12 months. And it’s a beautiful place to lift a household, particularly for those who love to do issues outdoor along with your children. I really like my tree time!” she beams. (Sunny days might stack up a bit shy of 300, however not by a lot).
Cadigan mentions Lowell Observatory as a spot she typically visits along with her two children for science-based summer season camps or one-off astronomy packages aimed toward locals and out-of-town guests.
Along with excursions, reveals, stargazing and an opportunity to see by means of historic telescopes, the observatory that found Pluto in 1930 is opening the brand new Marley Basis Astronomy Discovery Heart (ADC) this fall.
One of the superior astronomy facilities anyplace on the planet, the ADC will function a state-of-the-art theater with wrap-around display screen and a curiosity zone for teenagers. It should even have the world’s first darkish sky planetarium on the highest ground — a roofless viewing space with theater-like seats the place guests can look straight up on the sky whereas an astronomer explains what they’re seeing.
That’s not Flagstaff’s solely connection to outer area. Meteor Crater exhibits the impression of a meteorite crashing into the Earth’s floor round 50,000 years in the past simply east of city.
The ten-day Flagstaff Pageant of Science in September typically options audio system from town’s lunar legacy, together with scientists from the USGS Astrogeology Science Heart, which helped design the Lunar Rover and map the floor of the moon and planets in our photo voltaic system.
Buffalo Park on the mesa behind the Astrogeology Science Heart is likely one of the metropolis’s finest spots for stargazing and a venue for star events organized by the Flagstaff Darkish Skies Coalition.
Regardless of its heavenly popularity, it was issues taking place on the bottom that actually sparked Flagstaff’s emergence as a bona fide journey vacation spot.
As soon as upon a time, downtown Flagstaff was house to eating places and bars that largely catered to locals who labored within the timber and ranching industries however not college students or vacationers. By the Nineties, even the cowboys and lumberjacks had stopped coming.
Happily, lots of the vintage redbrick constructions had been listed on the Nationwide Register of Historic Locations. In order that they couldn’t be knocked down, and that left them prepared for his or her transformation into immediately’s retailers, eating places and leisure retailers.
Riffing off the historic buildings, new redbrick sidewalks and reversion road indicators and lampposts have been put in.
In the course of downtown, a as soon as vacant lot has been remodeled into Heritage Sq., a “group lounge” that hosts occasions in a 1,200-person capability amphitheater and places on reveals on town’s historical past, biology, geology and anthropology. From summer season out of doors films and concert events to the Northern Arizona Guide Pageant within the spring and Flagstaff Music Pageant within the fall, the sq. hosts scores of occasions all year long.
One other anchor of Flagstaff’s revitalized downtown is the Orpheum Theatre. Opened in 1916, the stage and film palace fell into the identical disrepair as the remainder of the neighborhood however was saved from demolition and revived within the early twenty first century to host a broad gamut of movies and dwell performances.
One other heirloom constructing, with an unique 1888 pressed tin ceiling and sandstone façade, homes Babbitts Backcountry Outfitters, the place anybody headed for the nice outdoor round Flagstaff should purchase or lease gear.
New on the downtown scene is Planet Science, which faucets into town’s astro-tourism scene with merchandise corresponding to meteorite fragments, NASA swag and spaceship fashions. Classic outfitters, vogue boutiques and Western artwork galleries additionally populate the revitalized downtown.
The native meals scene has additionally flipped the script.
Dara Wong, the chef-owner of Shift Kitchen & Bar and Oeno Wine Lounge (and one other NAU graduate), says downtown Flagstaff eating was “very steak and potatoes about 10 years in the past” when Shift debuted. “I assumed it was time for somewhat extra tremendous eating — small plates and distinctive taste combos using native merchandise.”
Had been native diners prepared for such a drastic change? “Like several new enterprise,” says Wong, “it took somewhat little bit of time. However we positively bought some fantastic regulars proper off the bat, and I’d say it was proper on pattern.”
That pattern has introduced a various vary of eateries to downtown and the Southside neighborhood on the opposite aspect of the railroad tracks. Among the many most talked about are fashionable American restaurant Atria, FLG Terroir: Wine Bar & Bistro and Beaver Avenue Brewery & Whistle Cease Café. The latter is one in every of eight stops on the Flagstaff Brewery Path that highlights town’s prime craft beermakers.
Town’s location in the course of Coconino Nationwide Forest and close to the bottom of the San Francisco Peaks means it presents out of doors journey alternatives for all seasons and nearly each stage of health.
“It’s not unusual to see skilled runners come right here to coach due to the altitude and the entry to several types of terrain,” says native photographer and path runner Austin Corbett.
However you don’t must be an expert or aggressive athlete to take off down the various trails that fan out from Flagstaff.
The ever-expanding Flagstaff City Trails System (FUTS) stretches 56 miles (90 kilometers) by means of forests, fields and canyons. Mountain climbing lots of the sections of the Flagstaff Loop Path surrounding city takes just one to 2 hours.
A portion of the long-distance Arizona Path meanders by means of the center of town on its manner from the Mexican border to the Grand Canyon and past. The three sections round Flagstaff are lengthy (averaging round 5 hours to hike) however not particularly difficult.
Humphreys Peak is floor zero for Flagstaff’s winter sports activities scene. Or extra particularly the Arizona Snowbowl in Coconino Nationwide Forest on the mountain’s west aspect.
The ski space boasts 55 runs, three terrain parks and eight lifts together with an enclosed gondola. Topping out at 11,500 toes (3,500 meters), the resort recorded 23 toes (7 meters) of snow for the 2023-24 season.
Flagstaff, AZ: No. 6 on America’s Finest Cities to Go to listing
Looming simply north of Flagstaff, Humphreys is the very best of a handful of summits that comprise San Francisco Mountain — extra generally known as San Francisco Peaks. Along with its scenic and leisure roles, the mountain is revered by Native American teams together with the Navajo, Hopi, Zuni and Apache peoples of northern Arizona.
“Rising up on this space, the San Francisco Peaks — Dookʼoʼoosłííd as we name it in Navajo — is one in every of 4 sacred mountains for Navajo folks. And being right here, on this space, on the base of this mountain, is actually dwelling in heaven,” says Darrell R. Marks, a group activist, educator and Native American mentor at two Flagstaff excessive faculties.
Marks, winner of a 2021 JFK Profile in Braveness Award, labored along with his teenage sons to petition the state authorities to vary the title of Agassiz Peak to Öo’mawki, its Hopi title — a change that was authorized by Arizona officers final 12 months. As a member of town’s Indigenous Fee, Marks is advocating the event of cultural facilities to host “public occasions that commemorate indigenous tradition, id, voice, presence and share these narratives of simply how essential this space is to us.”
In the meanwhile, he says the easiest way for guests to faucet into native Native American tradition is attending the Flagstaff Excessive College Powwow in Could, which options greater than 250 dancers and drummers or shopping the various Native American reveals on the metropolis’s Museum of Northern Arizona.
“Earlier than curating and placing reveals collectively,” says Marks, the museum “consults with the tribes, brings them into the area and has them assist set up what must be current. They’ve finished a very good job.”
Simply exterior Flagstaff are two important Ancestral Puebloan websites — the 12th-13th century cliff dwellings of Walnut Canyon Nationwide Monument and the 12th century pueblos of Wupatki Nationwide Monument.
“There’s a lot to rejoice on this area,” says Marks of his hometown.
“The variation is likely one of the issues that blows my thoughts. One aspect of city might be snowing, and the opposite aspect might be sunny. And it’s important to drive a brief distance to go from forests to the Painted Desert to grasslands with pronghorn antelope and Oak Creek Canyon. It’s wonderful how the panorama adjustments in simply a few miles.”
Learn how this Southern city went from “ghost city” to “popping” vacation spot.
Creator of the Nationwide Geographic Guide “100 Cities, 5,000 Concepts,” Joe Yogerst has been visiting household and associates in Northern Arizona since he was somewhat child.
