2022-08-30 07:59:26
With its otherworldly geology, dramatically hued tribal lands and concentration of national parks and monuments, Northern Arizona is a playground for road-trippers and outdoor adventurers alike. Ski through powdery snow. Hike up, up, up to Arizona’s highest peak or down, down, down into the world’s grandest canyon. Time travel to prehistoric civilizations or peer into the vast universe in hopes of making a new astral discovery. Past, present, future—the possibilities are endless in this diverse region. IN THIS REGION Flagstaff, Ganado, Monument Valley, Page, St. Johns, Tuba City, Williams, Window Rock, Winslow Area Highlights ANTELOPE VALLEY CANYON TOURS, PAGE AREA Marvel at curvy sandstone walls lapped smooth by water and shafts of sunlight that shine through crevices in column-like beams when you explore Upper or Lower Antelope Canyon, Canyon X, Mystical Antelope Canyon or Ligai Si’ Anii Canyon with one of the many tour operators in the Antelope Valley area. GRAND CANYON Experience nature at its most awesome with a visit to Grand Canyon National Park. Get your camera ready for breathtaking views from the many scenic overlooks that dot the 277-mile-long canyon carved by the Colorado River. For a truly thrilling adventure, take a multiday whitewater rafting trip through the canyon. GRAND CANYON RAILWAY & HOTEL, WILLIAMS Time travel to another era when you ride the rails from Williams to Grand Canyon National Park on a vintage train car. You’ll arrive at Grand Canyon Village and have three hours to explore the sights and scenery before returning. Spend the night in the elegant Grand Canyon Railway Hotel for the full experience. RIORDAN MANSION STATE HISTORIC PARK, FLAGSTAFF At this state park, take a guided tour of an architectural treasure: the 1904 duplex-style Riordan Mansion, one of the best examples of American Arts and Crafts architecture open to the public today. The 40-room mansion is outfitted in original furnishings by Edison, Stickley, Ellis and Steinway. LYMAN LAKE STATE PARK, ST. JOHNS Bring all your fast water toys to this state park, where the 1,500- acre lake touts no restrictions on boat or motor sizes—a haven for waterskiing, wakeboarding and speed boating. Make a weekend of it when you book one of the cabins or hook up your RV in the campground. HUBBELL TRADING POST NATIONAL HISTORIC SITE, GANADO Dating back to 1878, this is the oldest operating trading post on the Navajo Nation. Tour the original 160-acre homestead—which includes the family home, farm animals, outbuildings and a visitor center with history exhibits—and shop handmade Navajo blankets, jewelry, baskets and pottery. STANDIN’ ON THE CORNER PARK, WINSLOW Nodding to the Eagles song “Take it Easy,” which references standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona, this public park is a popular photo-op for road-trippers traveling Route 66. Don’t miss the town’s annual Standin’ on a Corner Festival in September, featuring country rock and Eagles tribute bands. MONUMENT VALLEY NAVAJO TRIBAL PARK, OLJATOMONUMENT VALLEY Instantly recognizable as an icon of the American Southwest, this dramatic landscape is punctuated by monoliths, mesas and spires. Drive along the 17-mile loop to take in the scenery or book a guided tour for spectacular hiking and photography. HERITAGE SQUARE, FLAGSTAFF This popular gathering spot in the heart of historic downtown Flagstaff is surrounded by local shops and restaurants with welcoming patios. Stop by Heritage Square throughout the year and you’ll find special events like the First Friday Artwalk, live music and performances, children’s activities and familyfriendly movie screenings. Flagstaff Brewery Trail On the Flagstaff Brewery Trail, discover why this is the state’s official craft beer city. BY TERESA BITLER GRAND CANYON BREWING COMPANY Beers here celebrate the state and what makes it unique. Don’t miss Kachina Throwback Ale, the official beer of the state’s NHL franchise, the Arizona Coyotes, and Trail Hike IPA, brewed to commemorate the centennial of Grand Canyon National Park. BEAVER STREET BREWING Flagstaff’s first brewery produces some of the city’s most popular beers. Try the Conductor IPA, Railhead Red or Red Rock Raspberry. Beaver Street Brewing is equally known for its wood-fired pizzas, burgers and salads, available for lunch and dinner. DARK SKY BREWING Dark Sky Brewing likes to experiment with unique ingredients and flavor combinations, but its mainstays are straightforward IPAs and ales. Try one with a pizza made in-house by Pizzicletta while sitting in their beer garden. FLAGSTAFF BREWING COMPANY Known as Flagbrew to locals, this brewery crafts a rotating lineup of beers, from an IPA and pale ale to its popular Agassiz Amber and Sasquatch Stout. You can also sip coffee drinks, Pappy Van Winkle and other stellar whiskeys. MOTHER ROAD BREWING CO. Located on Route 66, Mother Road Brewing Co. is known for its IPAs, like its flagship Tower Station IPA, and specialty brews like the Conserve and Protect Golden Ale, which raises money for the Arizona Game and Fish Department’s conservation efforts. HISTORIC BREWING COMPANY Drop by the brewery’s taproom on the eastside to sample its 16 rotating beers, including its famous cherry vanilla Piehole Porter and seasonal Undercover Cucumber. Historic Brewing Company’s downtown Flagstaff location serves craft cocktails and food as well as beer. LUMBERYARD BREWING CO. Housed in the historic Halstead Lumberyard building, Lumberyard Brewing Co. pours a few beers from its sister brewery, Beaver Street. But it also brews some of its own, including Flagstaff IPA, First Light Lager and Humphrey’s Hefe. It also has a full menu. WANDERLUST BREWING COMPANY Brewer Nathan Friedman’s love of travel inspired this brewery’s name, and the beers he brews often evoke memories of his adventures. Look for farmhouse ales fermented with local wild yeast, fruit sours and glutenfree hard seltzers on the menu. WINTER WONDERS With its lush forests and higher elevation areas, Northern Arizona is a snow lover’s winter wonderland. Take your pick from outdoor snow adventures, whether you’re an absolute beginner or a seasoned snow bunny. Less than 15 miles from Flagstaff, Arizona Snowbowl boasts an average of 260 inches of snowfall and the most beginner terrain in the Southwest. Ski or snowboard down your choice of 55 runs or try something new with a ski-bike ride, ideal for an array of ability levels. The Ski and Snowboard School also offers a specialized adaptive skiing and snowboarding program for people with disabilities. Ages 12 and younger ski free. At nearby Arizona Nordic Village, revel in a serene retreat of sugar-hued vistas and some 30 miles of crosscountry skiing and snowshoeing trails. Backcountry yurts are available for rent year-round. On White Mountain Apache Tribal Lands, you can ski, snowboard and ski-bike at Sunrise Park Resort, where coasting downhill includes magnificent views of the surrounding pines and open sky. For slower-paced fun, take a turn on the tubing hill or go on a sleigh ride. Navajo Code Talkers BY ELIZABETH EXLINE Known as the Diné among themselves and the Navajo to the world at large, this population worked a veritable miracle during World War II. The Japanese had deciphered every code developed by the U.S. Marines until Navajo recruits joined up and changed the course of history. By speaking their native tongue, the Navajo marines were able to communicate in the Pacific theater without the Japanese ever understanding. In fact, the Navajo language was the only “code” the Japanese failed to crack. Today, just a handful of the original Code Talkers remain, but visitors can immerse themselves in the drama and victory of their story at the Navajo Code Talkers Museum in Tuba City. The museum features a smattering of threads that, taken together, weave a tapestry of danger, secrets and, ultimately, survival. There are photos, victory stories, battle gear and tools,and even transcripts of a Code Talker exchange. The museum resides a stone’s throw away from the better known Explore Navajo Interactive Museum, which attempts to put into exhibit form the “Navajo journey through life.” Each of the four quadrants reveals key aspects of Navajo culture, from the traditional hogan (home) to the ceremonies and culture to, yes, that language that made all the difference to U.S. troops in the 1940s. INCREDIBLE Landscapes Some of the Southwest’s most unique landscapes can be found in Northern Arizona. MONUMENT VALLEY This collection of crimson mesas and towering sandstone buttes captures colors that appear only in nature. Please be respectful of Navajo Nation regulations when visiting Monument Valley to help preserve this ancient site. PETRIFIED FOREST NATIONAL PARK Not a forest in the traditional sense, this national park amazes with views of colorful mesas, buttes and badlands—not to mention the fossilized wood the park is named for, as well as petroglyphs, hoodoos and a stretch of historic Route 66. VERMILION CLIFFS NATIONAL MONUMENT Undulating swirls of red and yellow sandstone, dramatic red cliffs and uncommon wildlife such as endangered California condors are just some of the draws to this 280,000-acre monument. Most roads require four-wheel drive—and the most notable sights require a permit—but the rewards are worth the effort. METEOR CRATER NATURAL LANDMARK Approximately 50,000 years ago, a meteor slammed into the earth with the force of more than 2 million tons of TNT, creating a crater a mile across and 550 feet deep. Go on the 45-minute guided rim tour in Winslow to learn about this epic event.
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