2017 Visitor Guide 1

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The Mountain Nearby MOUNT ELDEN Offers Trails, Nature and Dramatic Views—with Easy Access

FOR THE FAMILY ON FOOT ROUTE 66 CELEBRATIONS CALENDAR PICKS

Visitor Guide 2017

SUMMER

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Route 66 is getting more and more attention these days for various events and milestones.

1/18/17 2:26 PM

Also 14

Calendar Picks Check out our list of great events happening in the coming weeks.

We selected some of our favorite of the calendar offerings.

On the Cover Mount Elden is the mountain located just north of Flagstaff and looms prominently over the east side of town. Photo courtesy of Coconino National Forest.

SUMMER Visitor Guide 2017 PUBLISHER

DON ROWLEY

EDITOR

SETH MULLER 928.913.8668

ADVERTISING DIRECTOR

COLLEEN BRADY 928.913.2279

SALES CONTRIBUTORS

ZACHARY MEIER LYDIA SMITH KEVIN MOORE

ART DIRECTOR LAYOUT & DESIGN

KEITH HICKEY CANDACE SCHIPPER CALLIOPE LUEDEKER

June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017

The

MOUNTAIN Nearby

Mount Elden Offers Trails, Nature and Dramatic Views—with Easy Access

Story by Seth Muller • Photos courtesy of Coconino National Forest

ountain Elden is poised to make news on more than one front this year. First off, the 40th anniversary of its Radio Fire—one of Flagstaff’s milestone historic events that captivated the city with its massive display—will likely pick up some headlines and interest in the coming weeks.

Secondly, a new historic article due out this fall will set the record straight about the infamous murder of John Elden’s son. Written by John Westerlund, it will arrive in the The Journal of Arizona History’s autumn issue and bring some information to light about what really happened.

For the eastside residents of Flagstaff, whether making news,

having anniversaries or revelations about its history, the 9,000-foot mountain is always a striking part of the view. And, for many local outdoor enthusiasts, it remains a wildly popular hiking and biking destination for its ease of access, curious flora and fauna, and interconnected trails for various abilities.

While figuratively and literally dwarfed by the San Francisco Peaks as a landmark feature and iconic aspect of Flagstaff, Elden’s flanks and summit offer a great way to get out on a trail and get moving for locals, frequent visitors and new visitors who have selected Flagstaff as a northern Arizona basecamp. Here are the main trails and how they stack up for length and abilities.

June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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Fatman’s Loop

• DAYTIME TOURS • TELESCOPE VIEWING • INTERACTIVE EXHIBITS • FAMILY FUN!

FLAGSTAFF, AZ

www.lowell.edu | (928) 774-3358 6

Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017

Fatman’s Loop remains one of Flagstaff’s great neighborhood trails that also gets a lot of visitors from all around (just try to find a place to park at its trailhead on a Saturday).

The origins of the name are uncertain, though some Forest Service lore suggests a comment was made upon completion that the trail was easy enough for a heavyset guy to get around. And, at a perfect two miles from start to finish, the hike is done in an hour for most sturdy trekkers.

The trail features views at the top part and includes a wild diversity of flora as part of Flagstaff’s socalled banana belt, where typically lower level desert vegetation mingles with juniper and ponderosa pines.

One of Flagstaff’s favorite trails also includes interesting passages among Elden’s big boulders and a chance to get the lungs and heart moving.

Trailhead is a quarter-mile north of the Flagstaff Mall turnoff on the left side of U.S. 89.

Elden Lookout Trail If the Fatman’s Loop is not enough, consider the upward climb of the Elden Lookout Trail. Another two miles takes hikers up to the summit of Mount Elden. The trail is rocky, twisted and strenuous as it ascends up the eastern flank and opens views up across eastern Flagstaff and beyond.

The junipers give way to higher alpine trees such as spruce and fir and, at the very top, the trail reveals

aspen trees that came in behind the aforementioned 1977 Radio Fire. It’s devastation becomes more visible.

At the top, go left to head over to the Elden Fire Tower, for which the trail is named. This lookout is open during fire season, on watch for blazes much like the one that swept over the mountain 40 years ago. Walking this direction south and around the mountain opens more views of Flagstaff and the forests that reach to the south and edge of the Colorado Plateau. If doing this big hike, plan another three or four hours to take it all in.

Sunset Trail At the top of the Elden Lookout Trail, going right sets up a connection to Sunset Trail, which follows the eastern flank of Mount Elden and the Dry Lake Hills and all the way back to Schultz Tank off of Schultz Pass Road. Any amount of hiking along this four-mile route can reveal more views from the highlands and a chance to catch views of Sunset Crater to the

northeast and the San Francisco Peaks to the north.

Sandy Seep Trail To access the Mountain Elden system of trails in an area with a little less usage than, say, Fatman’s Loop, use the Sandy Seep Trail. The trailhead is located a half-mile north of the Townsend-Winona Road intersection with U.S. 89. Hop out of the car and enjoy the leisurely mile-and-a-half trail as it climbs up toward the lower slopes of Elden’s northerly plateau.

The hike is somewhat exposed, with the occasional ponderosa for shade.

Hiking the path in the early summer will bring the fragrant blooms of the cliff rose on the air.

Heart Trail The Sandy Seep Trail’s western terminus is at the junction of the Little Elden and Heart Trails. The aptly named Hart is sure to get the blood pumping for a rigorous climb to the top of Elden and the aforementioned Sunset Trail. Its two-mile huff to the

top is on par with the Elden Lookout Trail. Both are mostly exposed, though the exposure means sweeping views during the big climb.

groves of aspen and mixed conifer stands of spruce and fir.

Oldham Trail

While Oldham Trail heads out from Buffalo Park and Elden Lookout from Fatman’s Loop, another route that involves the Forces of Nature Trail and the Pipeline Trail breaks off from Fatman’s Loop and ends at Oldham Trail just north of Buffalo Park, often another in several possible big day loop hikes. It’s about three miles of hiking and goes past such landmarks as the Elden homestead site and nearby Elden Spring. The Pipeline Trail is literally in Flagstaff’s backyard, as it skirts the edge of neighborhoods for a closer look at Flagstaff’s nearby mountain.

To take on Mount Elden from a different vantage, the Oldham Trail provides access on the western side with its five-and-a-half mile ascent. It’s a great walk or mountain bike ride to head out from its beginnings in Flagstaff’s Buffalo Park and on around the south slope of the mountain.

Along the lower reaches of the trail, boulder fields and cliffs bring crevices to explore and rocky nooks to rest in. During the climb to the higher reaches, ponderosa pine forest gives over to

Forces of Nature/ Pipeline Trail

June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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For the

Family

Flagstaff Offers a Bounty of All Ages Trails for Getting into Nature By the Staff

hile northern Arizona bristles with burley trails, steep climbs and high adventure, it also features numerous easy trails and simple paths through the wilds that are particularly accessible for families with smaller children. We rounded up a handful of favorite allages and nearly-all-abilities trails to consider for the chance to explore but with shorter lengths and leveler grades. We also picked ones with some added features or attractions sure to pique the curiosity of young and old alike.

Picture Canyon A mile east of the Flagstaff Mall on Old Route 66, Picture Canyon falls within in the city limits but offers stunning reminders of the ancient past. The city has done much to fight and preserve the area, where a section of the Rio de Flag flows through a small basalt gorge peppered with ancient rock images known as petroglyphs. And, over the past few years, much hard work

8

has taken place to develop a trail system at Picture Canyon.

A great path is the Tom Moody Loop. It starts at a trailhead on the right, a half-mile down El Paso Flagstaff Road. We suggest hiking east on this trail. The start of the route passes north of a water treatment plant and under power lines, but a short distance later moves out of the utility zone into a ponderosa forest.

Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017

Keyhole Sink

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DOUBLETREEFLAGSTAFF.COM June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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Veit Springs Trail

Picture Canyon

The Rio de Flag, here flowing with effluent water, drops down on the left side of the trail. A spur trail leads to a place to view a ten-foot waterfall into the gorge, just downstream from the remains of a historic railroad trestle. Farther down the trail are the petroglyphs—go over the red footbridge and make a right to find some stunning examples on the rocks to the left of the trail. Picture Canyon also has the Don Weaver Trail and a portion of the Arizona Trail to mix things up.

Griffith Springs Trail

Griffith Springs Trail

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Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017

Griffith Springs is a tucked-away little gem that features seeps and a damp canyon floor, even during drier years. Wild mint and onions grow near the springs, not far from brambles of blackberries.

The water, grasses and wild fruits draw all manner of animals. Sightings of elk, deer, coyote and a wide variety of birds are common.

The small canyon that cradles all this

is located along the Griffith Springs Trail loop, about 10 miles south of Flagstaff on U.S. 89A on the way to Sedona. The loop offers a mile of hiking through the pines.

But the real treasure lies below the rim. A couple of social trails head down into the canyon, where a well-worn path hugs the creek bed.

Children visiting this lush spring area will marvel at the chance encounters with critters and insects, from tarantulas to garter snakes and from hummingbirds to hawks and about every bird in between.

The opportunity to spot deer or elk might surface, as well.

Keyhole Sink Like Picture Canyon, Keyhole Sink is a prominent archaeological site. It features 1,000-year-old rock art pecked into the dark basalt of the box canyon. One of the rock art scenes has been interpreted as hunters corralling game into the box canyon has part of a hunting strategy.

The hike is an easy one that most kids will handle without a problem—less than a mile one way and relatively flat. It winds its way through the forest west of Parks and ends enclosed with rock walls. The area often features running water in times of Monsoon and spring thaw, and a pool of water at the back of the shallow canyon lingers through a good portion of the year.

This means chance encounters with wildlife.

Take Interstate 40 westbound from Flagstaff to Exit 178 for Parks. Make a right off of the interstate and then a left at the T intersection onto Route 66. Travel two miles and turn left in the lot for the Oak Hill Snowplay Area. The trailhead is on the opposite side of Route 66. Learn more by calling the Kaibab National Forest at (928) 635-5600.

Veit Springs Trail This trail on the San Francisco Peaks features all aspects of a good northern Arizona hike. It has Native American rock art like what is found at Picture Canyon and Keyhole Sink, remains of early pioneer settlers and sources of water. This combines with an overflow of natural beauty and wildlife attracted by the springs. And, in the summer, it can be a lush and fern-filled journey punctuated by wildflowers and a chance to bask in the shade of aspens.

The drive to the trailhead is about fourand-a-half miles up Snowbowl Road on the right side. The trail switches back into the direction of Snowbowl Road before heading back into the mountain wilds. The path, less than two miles round-trip, leisurely follows an old jeep road before becoming a singletrack trail. It’s a relatively short and easy stroll with a nice payoff in the form of all of the features surrounding the springs.

A hiker not paying attention can lose the route easy, though, because of a number of forks. But trail markers with obvious arrows lead the way to the Lamar Haines Wildlife Area memorial. The memorial honoring Haines—a Flagstaff educator and conservationist who lived from 1927 to 1986—is an unusually prominent feature in the forest. It’s on a large boulder that features an artist’s rendering of Haines. Haines himself would love for children of all ages to visit this gem in the forest and make all kinds of discoveries.

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June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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Artistic duo The Mural Mice pose in front of the Route 66 emblem they pained at the Flagstaff Visitors Center. Photo credit Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau

RETURNING

orthern Arizona is home to one of the most famous highways in America in Route 66, and, in last few years this heralded road has found itself on an upswing in research coverage and interest. This is mostly linked to last year’s 90th anniversary of the establishment of the famed highway, but also ties in another milestone a few years back, the 75th anniversary of John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath. And this year marks the 60year anniversary of the ultimate cross-country road trip novel, Jack Kerouac’s On the Road.

Along with recent historical observances, new research and books have brought more insight and detail to the birth of the highway,

‘MOTHER’

to the

Route 66—The Mother Road—Has Received New Attention By the Staff

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Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017

particularly with Susan Croce Kelly’s Father of Route 66: The Story of Cy Avery, published by University of Oklahoma Press. Avery was a Tulsa man who took proactive measures to establish Route 66 and route it through Tulsa, Oklahoma City and smaller towns that Avery hoped would benefit from the economy of the road.

Among those small towns are ones in Arizona. And, in Flagstaff, Route 66 remains in intact as it runs from east to west through town.

Several businesses embrace the Route 66 ethos, including the Museum Club, The Crown Railroad Café, Miz Zip’s, Mike and Rhonda’s The Place, the soon-to-reopen Grand Canyon Café and Galaxy Diner. The Flagstaff Convention & Visitors Bureau also has dialed up the Route 66 focus with a new streetscape mural located outside the Visitors Center at the downtown train station.

The first time Route 66 emerged gained notoriety, it came with an event not soon after the road’s establishment in 1926. The U.S. 66

Photo credit Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau

Highway Association, as it was called, became a source for maps, advertising and, in 1928, for one of the greatest promotional events ever: a footrace from L.A. to Chicago via Route 66 and then on to New York City. After that, Route 66 was on everybody’s radar.

Picking up from the 1928 event and beyond, Steinbeck’s 1939 novel chose Route 66 as the exodus road. This, despite the fact that it was not the only road used by Dust Bowl migrants. Route 60 to the south might have carried more.

“Obviously, the novel highlights Route 66 as the location and the setting for this exodus,” said Sean Evans, a Route 66 researcher and enthusiast who works at Northern Arizona University’s Cline Library Archives and Special Collections, as he spoke of The Grapes of Wrath.

Less than 20 years later, Kerouac explored parts of the highway and others in On the Road. That 1957 novel also tapped into the love of car culture and the road trip, which became notable in Route 66 and its iconography. There also was the “(Get Your Kicks on) Route 66” and television show, Route 66.

“On the Road is this dark and smoky take on life on

the road,” Evans said. “Like Grapes of Wrath, it is another controversial author and another controversial novel. And you think of how that road trip movie that has become such an overworked genre. Well, it lives its life out of that novel—whether the highway is 66 or anything else. It has become part of our presumed cultural experience.”

In the modern context, two phenomena are emerging. One is that historians are finding different avenues to explore. The other is that tourism of Route 66 continues to grow, particularly as European travelers are looking for it as exploration of the American landscape.

Still others, looking for a break from the chain businesses and high-speed interstate system, are finding old segments of the road such as the one from Seligman—a town that embraces Route 66 with its businesses and spirit—to Peach Springs or Kingman to Oatman.

“It’s amazing that so much of the landscape and so many of those places have remained unchanged,” Evans said. “We still have those iconic places like Petrified Forest and Grand Canyon Caverns that are evocative of that checklist. And you needed the bumper sticker that said you were there.”

June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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June 17

BoDeans and the Smithereens: Courtesy Photos

of Events June 17 through July

By the staff Saturday, June 17

BODEANS AND THE SMITHEREENS: 6:30 p.m. Pepsi Amphitheater. $32.

THEATRIKOS PRESENTS “THE GRADUATE”: 7:30 p.m. The Doris Harper-White Community Playhouse, 11 W. Cherry Ave. Fifty years after its big screen premiere, the play adaptation of the 1960s iconic film “The Graduate” will begin seducing local audiences. $18-$21. 7741662, theatrikos.com.

Sunday, June 18

RIORDAN COMMUNITY DAY: Noon-

June 24

Lisa Lisa of Lisa Lisa and the Cult Jam Courtesy Photos

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Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017

sanctioned event and include all of the traditional events, barrel racing, tie down roping, steer wrestling, team roping, bareback riding, saddle bronc riding, and bull riding. 877-840-0457, flagstaffrodeo. com.

Saturday, June 24

PRIDE IN THE PINES: 12-9 p.m.

Thorpe Park. Annual festival celebrating the lesbian, gay, bisexual and transgender (LGBTQ) community of Flagstaff and northern Arizona. This year’s headliner is Lisa Lisa! 213-1900. $15 in advance; $20 at the gate. flagstaffpride.org.

4. Riordan Mansion. Activities for the whole family including time period games, Route 66 car club, local community organizations, craft vendors, and Riordan Action Network’s annual bake sale and hot dog stand. 779-4395. azstateparks.com/ riordan-mansion/.

FLAGSTAFF FOLK FESTIVAL: 10 a.m.-6 p.m. Coconino Center for the Arts, 2300 N. Fort Valley Road. The best in folk and acoustic music in Arizona and beyond featuring over 150 acts on five stages, including workshops, jams, and more.

606-2064. $5/person or $15/family per day. http://flagfolkfest.org.

THEATRIKOS PRESENTS “THE GRADUATE”: 2 p.m. See June 17 listing.

June 23 listing.

Friday, June 23

Sunday, June 25

Fort Tuthill County Grandstands. A PRCA

a.m.-6 p.m. See June 24 listing

FLAGSTAFF PRO RODEO: 7 p.m.

FLAGSTAFF PRO RODEO: 7 p.m. See

FLAGSTAFF FOLK FESTIVAL: 10

Saturday, July 1

HOPI FESTIVAL OF ARTS & CULTURE: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. Museum of Northern Arizona, 3101 N. Fort Valley Road. Jewelry, kachina dolls, pottery, paintings, woodworking, baskets, textiles, and more by master and emerging Hopi artisans.

Traditional music, artist demos, dancing and authentic food, as well as lectures and a children’s area. 774-5213. $12 adult; $8 senior (67+), student (w/ ID), American Indian (10+), youth (10-17); children under 10 free. musnaz.org/.

FLAGSTAFF ART IN THE PARK FOURTH OF JULY SHOW: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. Wheeler Park, 212 W. Aspen Ave. Food vendors, regional and local entertainers, and fine arts and fine crafts booths. 556-9498. flagstaffartinthepark.com.

SUMMER CONCERT/CAMPOUT: 5:30 p.m. The Arboretum at Flagstaff, 4001 S. Woody Mountain Road. Camp out at the Arboretum with your family! Concert with Crying Uncle. Evening programming with campfires, ‘smores and Lowell Observatory will bring their telescopes for summer star-gazing. 774-1442. thearb.org.

Sunday, July 2

HOPI FESTIVAL OF ARTS & CULTURE: 9 a.m.-5 p.m. See July 1 listing.

FLAGSTAFF ART IN THE PARK FOURTH OF JULY SHOW: 9 a.m.-6 p.m. See July 1 listing.

June 17 ‘The Graduate.’

July 1

Hopi Festival of Arts & Culture

        ’    • 500 ACRES OF PRIVATE FOREST • 247 ELEGANTLY REMODELED & SPACIOUS ROOMS

• COMPLIMENTARY

HIGH-SPEED INTERNET

• HEATED OUTDOOR POOL & HOT TUB

• FITNESS CENTER

• NEW SILVER PINE RESTAURANT & BAR

• NEWLY RENOVATED

CONVENTION, BANQUET & WEDDING FACILITIES

• FULL-SERVICE TRAVEL CENTER • 2½ MILE HIKING TRAIL

..

A A A & S E N I O R D I S C O U N T S AVA I L A B L E

Tuesday, July 4

FOURTH OF JULY PARADE: 9 a.m.

Downtown Flagstaff. This Flagstaff Fourth of July tradition will feature 100 entries and goes through the heart of historic downtown. This year’s theme is “Let Freedom Ring.” 774-4505. Sponsored by the Greater Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce.

THE FLAGSTAFF SYMPHONY INDEPENDENCE DAY CONCERT: 2-5

FOR RESERVATIONS, CALL 1 800 352 4386

     .             .  

p.m. Pepsi Amphitheater, 2446 Fort Tuthill. Free concert performance, “A Flag Fourth.” Bring the kids, bring a blanket and relax under the Ponderosa pines. 866-977-6849. pepsiamp. com.

Friday, July 7

FIRST FRIDAY ARTWALK: 6-9 p.m. Art galleries and businesses in historic downtown Flagstaff stay open late to feature special art exhibitions, performances, live music, treats and more. flagartscouncil.org/artwalk/artwalkgallery-map/.

June 17–July 15, 2017 | Summer Visitor Guide

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99

THINGS TO DO IN NORTHERN ARIZONA

The

Crow Rail n road

SCRATCH COOKING.

BIG PORTIONS. Breakfast, Lunch, Dinner & Kids’ Menu

L a r ge

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Café

ic r t c e l e tr aiyns in d i s pl a n ! to w

6 6 s e t t e l e m O on rou t e 6 6!

r ib s , s t e a ks , chop s Distributed throughout Northern Arizona

3300 East Route 66, Flagstaff, AZ At the Howard Johnson Inn • Open 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. Daily (928) 522-9237 • visit us on Facebook!

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Summer Visitor Guide | June 17–July 15, 2017