It was forecast to hit 115 degrees in the Valley on Wednesday, so I ran away to Flagstaff for a day, where it was in the 70s and beautiful. We left Tuesday and spent the night checking out the downtown area. I especially loved and recommend Collin’s Irish Pub, which had a brew from Sedona that my companion liked and great drink specials ($2 pints on Tuesdays!).
In the morning we rode the Skyride at Arizona Snowbowl up to 11,500 feet and took in the views along the way. It was even a bit chilly on the way up, and we could feel tiny raindrops sporadically falling on us. I should have heeded the advice on the Snowbowl’s website to bring a sweater, but being a little cold was a welcomed change from the Valley heat. (There’s also a coupon on the Snowbowl website for discounted tickets during the summer.)
After Snowbowl, we stopped at Alpine Pizza in historic downtown Flagstaff. I loved the charm of the restaurant and the friendly server, who said he had worked there for more than 10 years. I’ve had better pizza, but it was still worth a visit.
Our last stop on the trip was Lowell Observatory. We took a tour of the facility, met the trustee (William Lowell Putnam, the grandnephew of founder Percival Lowell) and even encountered a deer on the property. It was too early in the day to operate the telescopes, but I hope to go back soon and catch a glimpse of Saturn (the best planet, in my opinion).
Lowell’s remains are in a mausoleum at the observatory.
