Flagstaff 2021- Day 1

Before we begin, this is a note I received from

Blogspot.com

After July 2021, your feed will still continue to work, but the automated 

emails to your subscribers will no longer be supported. 

What that means, as far as I can figure out, 

is that you won't be notified via e-mail when I post a new blog.

I hope that's not what they mean, but if it is and you don't

receive an e-mail like you have for this post you'll need to just

stop by my blog every couple of weeks to see if there's a new post!!!

Sorry about that.  I hope you continue to stop by...

Since the temps were still soaring, we headed for a higher elevation.

Flagstaff is only about 185 miles from Gold Canyon AZ.

Flagstaff has an elevation of 7000'.

Hwy 40 Business Loop is Route 66 and we stayed in one of

the many hotels that line this historic route.

It was an easy drive as most of the way we just traveled  on

I-17 North until the navigator (me) came up with a side-trip.

Walnut Canyon National Monument was established by President Woodrow Wilson 

on November 30, 1915, to preserve ancient cliff dwellings.

From the visitor center, you got a good look at the Canyon

in both directions.

Dwellings sheltered by overhanging cliffs were home

to Walnut Canyons's only permanent inhabitants more 

than 800 years ago.  They made their living both in the 

canyon and in the pine forests on its rims.

However artifacts show that Archaic peoples, who traveled

throughout the Southwest thousands of years ago, probably

occupied the canyon seasonally.

And some didn't live in the canyon but built structures on the

rim tops.  (Click to enlarge to read more.)

The rim elevation where the trail started is 6690' and it drops 350' to the

floor below.  The trail is paved and includes 240 steps, 

that looked like this.  However sometimes there are no handrails!!!  

The steepness and elevation made it out of the question for these two

 80+ year olds.

However if you did it, you were rewarded by being able to walk

closely by the dwellings and even step inside.  Just remember, 

all those steps had to be climbed on the return trip.

We still had time to visit more sites as we wandered around

historic old Flagstaff.

Do you know what this is?    

It was used in the 1870's.

It is a restored logging wheel that was dedicated in 2004

to honor the pioneer forest workers of Northern AZ and

the lumber heritage of the community.  It was sponsored by

the Flagstaff Rotary, The AZ Historical Society of Northern

Arizona and Coconino County & the City of Flagstaff.

Next on the agenda... a local brewery... Flagstaff Brewing Company

We finally arrived at our "Home away from Home"

for the next four nights.  No we didn't get a new car, our's

is that beige  "dog" in the background, but I told Don he

could put that white one on my Christmas List...

With some daylight left, we went out by the pool to enjoy

a glass of wine as the sun was dropping to the West...

That wasn't the only thing dropping.  Do you know what this

is?  Ashes from the local forest fire on my hiking shorts. 

As you know, the western US is burning...  AZ currently

has 14 wildfires.   Tomorrow is a new day...