Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
557
university that supports a lively cultural community, Flagstaff makes an ideal base for
exploring much of northern Arizona.
The San Francisco Peaks, just north of the city, are the site of the Arizona Snowbowl
ski area, one of the state's main winter playgrounds. In summer, miles of trails through
these same mountains attract hikers and mountain bikers, and it's even possible to ride
the chairlift for a panoramic vista that stretches 70 miles north to the Grand Canyon. Of
the area's national monuments, two preserve ancient Indian ruins and the third is an
otherworldly landscape of volcanic cinder cones.
It was as a railroad town that Flagstaff made its fortunes, and the historic downtown
offers a glimpse of the days when the city's fortunes rode the rails. The railroad still runs
right through the middle of Flagstaff, much to the dismay of many visitors, who find that
most of the city's inexpensive motels (and even some of the more expensive places) are
too close to the busy tracks to allow them to get a good night's sleep.
ESSENTIALS
GETTING THERE Flagstaff is on I-40, one of the main east-west interstates in the
United States. I-17 starts here and heads south to Phoenix. Ariz. 89A connects Flagstaff
to Sedona by way of Oak Creek Canyon. US 180 connects Flagstaff with the South Rim
of the Grand Canyon, and US 89 connects the city with Page.
Pulliam Airport, 3 miles south of Flagstaff off I-17, is served by US Airways ( & 800/
428-4322 ) from Phoenix and Horizon Air ( & 800/547-9308; www.horizonair.com)
from Los Angeles. Amtrak ( & 800/872-7245 ) offers service to Flagstaff from Chicago
and Los Angeles. The train station is at 1 E. Rte. 66.
VISITOR INFORMATION Contact the Flagstaff Visitor Center, 1 E. Rte. 66
( & 800/379-0065 or 928/774-9541; www.flagstaffarizona.org). The visitor center is
open Monday through Saturday from 8am to 5pm and Sunday from 9am to 4pm.
GETTING AROUND Car rentals are available from Avis ( & 800/331-1212 , 928/774-
8421 at the airport, or 928/714-0713 downtown), Budget ( & 800/527-0700,
928/779-5235 at the airport, or 928/213-0156 downtown), Enterprise ( & 800/261-
7331 or 928/774-9407), Hertz ( & 800/654-3131 or 928/774-4452 at the airport, or
928/226-0120 downtown), and National ( & 800/227-7368 or 928/774-3321).
Call A Friendly Cab ( & 800/853-4445 or 928/774-4444; www.afriendlycab.com) if
you need a taxi. Mountain Line Transit ( & 928/779-6624; www.mountainline.az.gov)
provides public bus transit around the city; the fare is $1.
16
GETTING OUTSIDE
Flagstaff is northern Arizona's center for outdoor activities. Chief among them is skiing
at Arizona Snowbowl ( & 928/779-1951; www.arizonasnowbowl.com), on the slopes
of Mount Agassiz, from which you can see all the way to the North Rim of the Grand
Canyon. There are four chairlifts, 32 runs, 2,300 vertical feet of slopes, ski rentals, and a
children's ski program. With an excellent mix of beginner, intermediate, and advanced
slopes, and as the ski area that's most easily accessed from Phoenix, Snowbowl sees a lot
of weekend traffic from the snow-starved denizens of the desert. Conditions are, however,
very unreliable, and the ski area can be shut down for weeks on end due to lack of snow.
All-day lift tickets are $49 to $53 for adults, $26 to $30 for children 8 to 12, $26 for
seniors, and free for children 7 and under and seniors 70 and over. In summer, you can
ride a chairlift almost to the summit of Mount Agassiz and enjoy the expansive views
 
Search WWH ::




Custom Search