Flagstaff is a city near the mountains of Arizona and the Grand Canyon.

Get in

Flagstaff is at the intersection of the major Interstate highways 40 (following historic Route 66) and 17. The main Amtrak route across the Southwest parallels Interstate 40 and has a stop in Flagstaff. The nearest city with major commercial airline service is Phoenix. Driving time between Flagstaff and the Phoenix airport is greater than the 150-mile separation would suggest; the airport is on the opposite side of Phoenix from Flagstaff, and traffic jams in Phoenix are a problem. Allow two and a half hours to get from one to the other by car.

Attractions

 • Lava Flow
 • Lowell Observatory, an astronomical research center at which the planet Pluto was discovered, is on the west side of town. The grounds offer a pleasant walking tour, and visitors can use some of the observatory's smaller telescopes at observing sessions several times a month (inquire).
 • The Museum of Northern Arizona, on the north side of town, has displays on Native American life and the natural history of the region. A good selection of American Indian folk art, particularly Navajo rugs, is available at the gift shop. Open 9-5 daily except some holidays, fee.  

Dining

 • Fratelli Pizza, located on the NE corner of Route 66 and San Francisco Street, is a pizza place that is well-loved by the locals. They have cheese, pepperoni, and pesto slices, and many specialty pies. Their pizza is hand-tossed, thin crust, brick oven pizza, like what is found back east.
 • Macy's coffeeshop, located on the opposite sides of the tracks as the downtown area (if you are in flagstaff, this is an obvious place), they roast their own coffee and have lots of vegan foodstuffs.
 • Dara Thai, Downtown. Centrally located decent Thai food.
 • Little Thai kitchen, Milton road. Thai restaurant popular with locals.
 • August Moon, Milton Road. No frills, but excellent Chinese food and friendly service. Delivery too.

Get out

 • An unusual number of United States National Parks are near Flagstaff, the largest and most famous of which is the Grand Canyon. However, Wupatki, Walnut Canyon and Sunset Crater Volcano National Monuments are also nearby.
 • A different kind of attraction is Barringer Meteor Crater off Route 66 east of Flagstaff. This is an exceptionally well preserved meteor (impact) crater, although not the largest in the world as sometimes claimed. It is on private land, but the owners have done a good job of developing a visitor center that is informative, conservation-oriented and generally well done, in contrast to the many "tourist traps" along 66. Fee.
 • The detour through Sedona on the way South to Phoenix offers a scenic route west of the freeway.

Links

Flagstaff Convention and Visitors Bureau