So, So, SO Much to See!

My eyes were wide open from the day's start, when Sarah and I took a walk around Carefree, and I took note of blooming saguaro. Then my friend wanted to take us on a tour of Stagecoach Pass, where the houses are built right into the rocky side of Black Mountain. Holy cow! It’s as if people set about building houses in Cochise County’s Texas Canyon! The architects and builders must really know what they’re doing to do these jobs that look, on the surface, close to impossible. When we said good-bye to my dear friend (our lovely hostess), we left on the Carefree Highway west and then north on expressway in the direction of Flagstaff. 

Although on I-17 we found ourselves at elevations of between 4,000 and 5,000 feet above sea level -- a little scary -- we elected to stay on that road rather than leave it for Sedona and Oak Creek Canyon. The latter is a beautiful drive, but we had already enjoyed it three years ago. Also, it’s so popular that there’s almost nowhere to slow down, let alone stop, on the winding two-lane road. And anyway, the views along the faster road were still spectacular, in a different way, in every direction. 

One thing we’d forgotten was snow-covered mountains north of Flagstaff, so when they appeared in front of us, we were as amazed as if we’d never seen them before. 

Flagstaff is at over 6,000 feet in elevation, and the San Francisco Peaks to the north top 12,000 feet.We were so mentally exhausted from the drive and the eye-popping views that it didn’t seem at all crazy to stop and get a motel at 2 p.m., and the view from our very reasonably priced motel room, as it turned out, was dramatic, too. 

After a little rest break, we set out to explore, because downtown Flagstaff is fascinating, too, with stunning old buildings and lively sidewalks and alleys.

 We peeked into galleries, perused restaurant menus posted on windows, and then --

Bingo! Old books! And the door (left) was open!

Proprietor Hugh Fogel, whose business card calls him 'Creative Director,' has owned Starrlight books only since September. (I didn't ask and haven't investigated but wonder if the former owner was named Starr) He has been told that summertime is "the season" in Flagstaff, but now in early May, Flagstaff is like Northport, Michigan, with chilly air wafting through fragrant pines and junipers, a time of anticipation for tourist town small business. Well I know that feeling!

Our book ardor, however, had not been cooled by the weather. The cool, high-altitude air was stimulating -- as I say, it felt like Michigan -- and we were stimulated as well by shelves and shelves of old books, with a few new ones mixed in. I bought half a dozen volumes, and the Artist and I will definitely return to Starrlight whenever we are back in Flagstaff. Which inspires me to inaugurate something I should have done in this blog years ago. Here it is:

Booklovers' Travel Tip: Starrlight Books, 14 N. Leroux St., Flagstaff, AZ

Hugh & Carrie -- tell them Dog Ears Books sent you!

Jaw-Dropping Surprises Along the Road

More of this coming below -- be patient!

The map showed a very scenic route to the north from Flagstaff, but David didn’t want to take it, not wanting to end up in Denver with snow, and after his heroic driving of the day before I couldn’t argue, so we left Flagstaff on I-40, neither of us expecting much of the ride. I convinced him to exit somewhere so I could mail postcards, but there was no post office or anything else in Winona, except gorgeous views back toward Flagstaff, and that made the stop worthwhile.

We needed to stop for gas (not filling tank each time, as the car is so loaded down we don’t need the extra weight), and David wanted coffee, so we took a break in Winslow, Arizona, and discovered that the Eagles have done as much for the town as historic Route 66. As a long-time Eagles fan, I was pleased but somewhat taken aback, too, by all the "people our age" taking each other's pictures on this corner -- as we did, too!

But the best was yet to come. On our way out of Winslow, I saw on the map that we were headed toward the Petrified Forest National Monument! How could we not visit? We did not take the long road to the south, where the petrified logs are, but the Painted Desert loop was highly satisfactory. Breathtaking!

After a while, though, one despairs of capturing these vast scenes with a camera. “You can say what you want about Montana,” I remarked to David, “but how can a sky be bigger than this?” For relief, I looked to the wildflowers. 

Senses sated, we continued west, but Arizona had not finished surprising us. “Oh, my god, what’s that? Look! Look at that!” The most fantastic rock formations and colors astounded us – and people and cattle and horses just live there, as if they’re on the prairie or something, which is mind-blowing, if you’ll excuse the expression. Amazed and astonished, I revert to a Sixties vocabulary.... “Oh, wow! Oh, wow!” How many times did I say that in a single day? We had not expected the Painted Cliffs!

Oh, Arizona, it’s hard to say good-by to you! Fortunately, we are on our way home to beautiful Michigan, with delights and loveliness all its own....