The University Student's Perspective of Flagstaff

Two hours south, in the sweltering metropolis of Phoenix, Arizona, cacti line the road. At under 2000 ft. in elevation the citizens don't need much of an imagination to forget that they aren't in Los Angeles, palm tree boulevards in Scottsdale attest to this theory. Yet in the heat of the summer what the millions of residents of this desert city need is escape from the 120 degree days, and nights where you only wish you could sleep on ice. So, they pile in the car, turn the A.C. as high as possible, and steer north into the mountains ahead.

Flagstaff, 140 miles distant, sits at nearly 7000 ft. of elevation at the base of the San Francisco peaks, at 12000 ft. the tallest mountains in Arizona. Once surrounded by a magnificent Ponderosa Pine forest (the largest in the world) you can easily forget that only two hours past you had been panting harder than your dog.

Main street Flagstaff is appropriately named Route 66 because it is one of the few remaining sections of that historic fifties road. Thus all along the road are friendly diners reminiscent of a fifty's Burger and Shake diner. Some are authentic, others aren't, but the trick about finding the right one is one that doesn't mention the Fifties in the title. Consequently Suzie's Café is possibly the best of these diners, at least as far as breakfast is concerned. Flagstaff can bring much more than fifties diners to the table however, the quaint old town is still reminiscent of a pioneer outpost. Now it is just an Arizona outpost for the thousands of weekend warriors set on seeing Arizona's greatest geological sight, the Grand Canyon. Flagstaff's many motels and hotels regularly cater to these weary travelers, mostly possessing the fancy cursive of a California license plate.

Unfortunately, what most Canyon viewers don't realize is that place where they slept for two nights and left before dawn, that place actually holds a great deal of exciting diversions itself. For Flagstaff is buoyed into an eclectic spot due to the Northern Arizona University Campus next to old town. At first glance any visitor will marvel at the sheer beauty of the place, the old buildings and magnificent abundance of trees. Yet a sports fanatic will want to walk briskly through this part to the other side of this wonderfully narrow campus, through a small forest and then out to gaze on the largest wooden beam structure in the world, NAU's Lumberjack Stadium. Here the mighty Lumberjacks play Big Sky opponents in Football, Basketball, and all the other sports, as well as exciting matchups each year with in state rivals Arizona State and Arizona.

If sports are not your kind of excitement, the bars around Flagstaff must be, because the students all enjoy them. From brew pubs like the Flagstaff Brewing Company to more modern, chic Martini bars, the town of Flagstaff has more than its fair share of watering holes. Then, and only then, after a sufficient experience in this wonderful mountain town, can you go and see the marvelous hole about 90 miles north, and have fun.