The Gazette (Colorado Springs)
Jun. 9, 2006 04:51 PM
The natural attractions of Flagstaff flaunt themselves along roadways and up hillsides. The city is half hidden by Ponderosa forest.
Surrounded by the San Francisco peaks, some 12,000 feet high, Flagstaff offers a wealth of hiking and other outdoor sports. But mountain biking isn't what drew its original inhabitants.
Natural springs led pueblo Indians, then Spaniards, and later trappers and settlers, to the area. Forests drew loggers and the railroad created traffic long before Route 66 rolled through town and it became the unofficial jumping-off point for the Grand Canyon.
Still, the nature of Flagstaff has been preserved for today's pioneering tourists.
For those coming from the east, wonders of the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest await, as well as the Meteor Crater (where part of "Starman," starring Jeff Bridges, was filmed).
Closer to town is Walnut Canyon, not far off the beaten track (just north of the Interstate 40).
A visitor center helps orient you to the site, but the main attraction is the hike down to the Sinagua ruins.
Don't be frightened when people returning from the hike are panting too hard to answer "Is it worth it?"
It is.
The trip down the trail is easy - coming back up the 240 steps a bit tougher at this altitude. But as many high-country hikers will tell you, it's not how fast you go, it's a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.
Walking the trail lined with rabbit brush and blooming prickly-pear cactus, it's easy to imagine you are an early resident of this silent canyon. Across the narrow chasm, on the opposite wall, you'll spot ruins of the Sinagua people who lived high in these canyon walls a millennium ago.
Pretty soon, you'll be walking right by ruins you can peer into and touch.
In all, 80 enclaves comprise 300 rooms tucked away in this sheltered spot.
Foot traffic is sparse on this warm afternoon, but those who go to this much trouble to explore the site seem to show a reverence for it.
A self-guiding brochure and signs help identify what you're seeing and offer satisfying bits of history.
The Sinagua ("without wat- er") people, common to this area, built their homes in the cliff-sides, just like the ancestral Puebloans of the nearby Four Corners area. If you think those 240 steps are bad, imagine getting up or down these sheer walls just to fetch water from below or get home after a hard day of hunting (while carrying game).
Remnants of the Sinaguas also can be seen on the north side of Flagstaff, past Sunset Crater.
Wupatki National Monument features ruins of what was once a economic hub, a trading crossroads of the Southwest. The area was abandoned when the people felt rumblings in the earth.
Then, about 1065, the volcano blew and devastated much of the area. When things settled down, archeological evidence shows, the Sinaguans returned and remained from A.D. 1100 to 1225.
Highlights of the site include a Hohokam-style ballcourt, an amphitheater and a natural blowhole (air passes in and out, pushed by atmospheric pressure).
To get to Wupatki, you'll pass Sunset Crater, which rises about 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, and is obviously the remains of volcanic action. It gets its name from the reddish cinders that blanket its slopes.
Other craters at the national monument can be seen from overviews and by hiking into the park.
Several man-made lakes round out the natural resources to be enjoyed by locals and visitors. Marshall Lake, Mormon Lake and Lake Mary, southeast of Flagstaff, are popular fishing spots (angle for pike and walleye), and visitors are also likely to spot herds of elk, wild turkeys and ospreys. Bald eagles often spend the winter here.
From volcanic cones to marshy lands to snowy peaks, Flagstaff offers a bit of everything.
Flagstaff began as a hub for trade
Location, location, location.
That's what made Flagstaff prime real estate a century ago. It was a natural hub for rail and wagon traffic, populated by people who depended on it as a commercial center: ranchers seeking supplies, lumbermen using the rails to haul their timber, tourists looking for a place to stay while they explored the West.
It's easy to examine the history of this eclectic and sometimes eccentric town.
The Museum of Northern Arizona is a gem - of the quality more likely to be found in a major city. It could easily vie with larger museums for its exhibits and the clarity with which they're presented.
Take time to explore the prehistoric displays, the cultural timelines, the current arts on exhibit. In addition, there are an on-site nature trail and a retreat center.
For a hands-on look at life at the end of the 19th century, visit the Riordan Mansion State Park, on the edge of the Northern Arizona University campus.
Brothers Timothy and Michael Riordan came here in the late 1800s and started their own lumber business.
They married sisters - Caroline and Elizabeth Metz - and together, with their accumulated wealth, built a duplex mansion in 1904. Originally set on 50 acres (and now on five), the brothers had the latest amenities (including indoor plumbing) in their unusual home, built by Charles Whittlesey - the architect who built El Tovar Lodge at the Grand Canyon. Those who visit both will notice the dark log structures are similar in style.
Impressive interior elements include a skylight ceiling in the foyer that opened to improve ventilation in the summer and a shared ballroom between the two homes. What appear to be gorgeous "stained glass" windows are actually giant transparencies sandwiched between two sheets of glass. They were best viewed backlit - from the interior during the day, the exterior at night.
Some original furnishings remain in the house, including Stickley furniture and an oddly shaped dining room table designed to fit the room.
The house combines Western practicality with Eastern style, reflective of the times in which it was built.
"We were lucky to have so much of the family furniture remaining here," said tour guide and park ranger Theresa Kalloch.
Descendants of the Riordan brothers donated the home and its contents to the state park service in 1979.
Surrounded by the San Francisco peaks, some 12,000 feet high, Flagstaff offers a wealth of hiking and other outdoor sports. But mountain biking isn't what drew its original inhabitants.
Natural springs led pueblo Indians, then Spaniards, and later trappers and settlers, to the area. Forests drew loggers and the railroad created traffic long before Route 66 rolled through town and it became the unofficial jumping-off point for the Grand Canyon.
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Still, the nature of Flagstaff has been preserved for today's pioneering tourists.
For those coming from the east, wonders of the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest await, as well as the Meteor Crater (where part of "Starman," starring Jeff Bridges, was filmed).
Closer to town is Walnut Canyon, not far off the beaten track (just north of the Interstate 40).
A visitor center helps orient you to the site, but the main attraction is the hike down to the Sinagua ruins.
Don't be frightened when people returning from the hike are panting too hard to answer "Is it worth it?"
It is.
The trip down the trail is easy - coming back up the 240 steps a bit tougher at this altitude. But as many high-country hikers will tell you, it's not how fast you go, it's a matter of putting one foot in front of the other.
Walking the trail lined with rabbit brush and blooming prickly-pear cactus, it's easy to imagine you are an early resident of this silent canyon. Across the narrow chasm, on the opposite wall, you'll spot ruins of the Sinagua people who lived high in these canyon walls a millennium ago.
Pretty soon, you'll be walking right by ruins you can peer into and touch.
In all, 80 enclaves comprise 300 rooms tucked away in this sheltered spot.
Foot traffic is sparse on this warm afternoon, but those who go to this much trouble to explore the site seem to show a reverence for it.
A self-guiding brochure and signs help identify what you're seeing and offer satisfying bits of history.
The Sinagua ("without wat- er") people, common to this area, built their homes in the cliff-sides, just like the ancestral Puebloans of the nearby Four Corners area. If you think those 240 steps are bad, imagine getting up or down these sheer walls just to fetch water from below or get home after a hard day of hunting (while carrying game).
Remnants of the Sinaguas also can be seen on the north side of Flagstaff, past Sunset Crater.
Wupatki National Monument features ruins of what was once a economic hub, a trading crossroads of the Southwest. The area was abandoned when the people felt rumblings in the earth.
Then, about 1065, the volcano blew and devastated much of the area. When things settled down, archeological evidence shows, the Sinaguans returned and remained from A.D. 1100 to 1225.
Highlights of the site include a Hohokam-style ballcourt, an amphitheater and a natural blowhole (air passes in and out, pushed by atmospheric pressure).
To get to Wupatki, you'll pass Sunset Crater, which rises about 1,000 feet above the surrounding terrain, and is obviously the remains of volcanic action. It gets its name from the reddish cinders that blanket its slopes.
Other craters at the national monument can be seen from overviews and by hiking into the park.
Several man-made lakes round out the natural resources to be enjoyed by locals and visitors. Marshall Lake, Mormon Lake and Lake Mary, southeast of Flagstaff, are popular fishing spots (angle for pike and walleye), and visitors are also likely to spot herds of elk, wild turkeys and ospreys. Bald eagles often spend the winter here.
From volcanic cones to marshy lands to snowy peaks, Flagstaff offers a bit of everything.
Flagstaff began as a hub for trade
Location, location, location.
That's what made Flagstaff prime real estate a century ago. It was a natural hub for rail and wagon traffic, populated by people who depended on it as a commercial center: ranchers seeking supplies, lumbermen using the rails to haul their timber, tourists looking for a place to stay while they explored the West.
It's easy to examine the history of this eclectic and sometimes eccentric town.
The Museum of Northern Arizona is a gem - of the quality more likely to be found in a major city. It could easily vie with larger museums for its exhibits and the clarity with which they're presented.
Take time to explore the prehistoric displays, the cultural timelines, the current arts on exhibit. In addition, there are an on-site nature trail and a retreat center.
For a hands-on look at life at the end of the 19th century, visit the Riordan Mansion State Park, on the edge of the Northern Arizona University campus.
Brothers Timothy and Michael Riordan came here in the late 1800s and started their own lumber business.
They married sisters - Caroline and Elizabeth Metz - and together, with their accumulated wealth, built a duplex mansion in 1904. Originally set on 50 acres (and now on five), the brothers had the latest amenities (including indoor plumbing) in their unusual home, built by Charles Whittlesey - the architect who built El Tovar Lodge at the Grand Canyon. Those who visit both will notice the dark log structures are similar in style.
Impressive interior elements include a skylight ceiling in the foyer that opened to improve ventilation in the summer and a shared ballroom between the two homes. What appear to be gorgeous "stained glass" windows are actually giant transparencies sandwiched between two sheets of glass. They were best viewed backlit - from the interior during the day, the exterior at night.
Some original furnishings remain in the house, including Stickley furniture and an oddly shaped dining room table designed to fit the room.
The house combines Western practicality with Eastern style, reflective of the times in which it was built.
"We were lucky to have so much of the family furniture remaining here," said tour guide and park ranger Theresa Kalloch.
Descendants of the Riordan brothers donated the home and its contents to the state park service in 1979.
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