H
iking through the evergreen and pine trees with the mist rising and morning dew on the plants reminds me of Michigan’s Upper Peninsula. It’s my rst time visiting Flagstaff, and I fell in love in less than a week. So much so that I would consider moving here. The dichotomy of a bustling college town surrounded by no less than seven natural wonders makes this an unbelievable town to explore and one of my new favorite places in the U.S.
Flagstaff Is So Easy to Love
Visit National Monuments Being only an hour and a half away from the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff makes the ideal jumping-off point to travel to the majestic National Park. However, there are several other natural wonders less than 80 miles from Flagstaff that you can’t miss. Check out the diverse landscape of Arizona by visiting three National Monuments in one day. First up is Walnut Creek National Monument, where you can meander down 240 steps to see how the Native Americans lived in cliff dwellings next to stunning canyons. The staircases are steep, but the views are impressively worth the shortness of breath to get to the dwellings. Next, head over to Sunset Crater National Monument to experience what it is like to walk on the moon and among lava rocks like the Apollo Mission astronauts did when they trained here. I couldn’t stop the smile and my giddiness pretending I was an astronaut while pretending to make one giant leap for mankind. The last National Monument to visit this day is practically right next door, and the landscape changes almost immediately from volcano to desert. The Wupatki National Monument houses what remains of the dwellings of families that farmed here in the hot, dry, windy climate. But that isn’t all. Make sure to take a Gondola ride up the Arizona Snowbowl for
By Heather Raulerso
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