Redolent with the charm of both the nineteenth-century Wild West and the twentieth-century heyday of
Route 66
, the small college town of
FLAGSTAFF
ranks among the most atmospheric and attractive places to stay in the entire Southwest. It's split in two by the twin east-west routes of the main drag, Santa Fe Avenue, which was once Route 66, and before that the pioneer trail west, and the tracks of the
Santa Fe Railroad
whose mournfully whistling trains still reverberate through the desert night. Immediately north lies the characterful downtown area, while the lively, low-rent blocks to the south are predominantly the preserve of the town's student population.
Flagstaff's first Anglo settlers arrived in 1876, lured from Boston by widely publicized accounts of mineral wealth and fertile land, but they soon moved on, disappointed, towards Prescott. However, they stayed long enough to celebrate the centenary of American independence by flying the Stars and Stripes from a towering pine tree. This flagpole became a familiar landmark on the route west, and as the community grew it inevitably became known as Flagstaff. Right from the start, it was a cosmopolitan town, with a strong black and Hispanic population working in the (originally Mormon-owned) lumber mills and in the cattle industry, and with Navajo and Hopi Indians heading in from their nearby reservations to trade. Today, Flagstaff makes an ideal base for travelers, with hotels, restaurants, bars and shops aplenty within easy strolling range of the center (and a number of food and lodging chains a couple of miles away beside the interstate). There's not all that much actually to see in the town itself, but the countryside in every direction is very much worth exploring
The Town
Flagstaff's appealing
downtown
stretches for a few redbrick blocks north of the railroad. Filled with cafés, bars, and stores selling Route 66 souvenirs and Indian crafts, it's a fun place to stroll around, even if it holds no significant...
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