Northern Arizona
Stargazing and the road less-traveled
Dear Travelers,
It’s been a busy week over here! It finally feels like summer. It always takes me until after the summer solstice for it to really feel like summer…but it finally does. The days are long and warm and out-of-town license plates fill our freeways.
I got an unexpected surprise this week. I was awarded “top writer in travel” by the Medium algorithm. You get awarded these things when your articles have a lot of engagement. It was completely unexpected and I was beyond excited. Just when I think the engagement with my writing is at a standstill, something else pushes me forward. It’s cool. I’m grateful. Super happy about it.
15 years ago I sat in a small back room with a group of store managers. Our company had been sold and the new leaders were terrible. They literally told us that we needed to “drink the Kool-Aid”. We had to go around and state what our dream job was.
I said, travel writer. They stared at me blankly, made no comment, and moved on to the next person. This week I got the “top writer in travel” thing. Small victories ya’ll.
Since my travel articles seem to have really found an audience I thought I’d send my most recent one about stargazing in Northern Arizona. Enjoy it. Have a great weekend. Stay cool outside, care for your pets - maybe put some ice cubes in their water. Take care of each other.
Peace,
Kit
We popped our camping chairs out in the parking lot as the sun began to set and all the other visitors drove off.
This was one of the best places to stargaze and we didn’t want to miss anything.
The sun set and it got dark. Really dark. We watched lights in the sky. Weird ones hovered in the distance and we couldn’t quite make out what they were. We tried to relax in our chairs and take in the night sky. We could see the Milky Way and it was fantastic!
We kept looking over our shoulders at those weird lights. You should know, alien stuff really freaks me out. This doesn’t bode well for someone who is also a fan of stargazing but, what can you do?
We heard a rustle in the bushes and that was it. I was out! The highway was about a 30-minute drive away, so we threw our stuff in the car and headed back to the cabin we were renting.
Outdoor AZ
Arizona is unbelievable for outdoor activities. People hear Arizona and they just think hot. Yes, it is hot. Parts of it get really hot but Northern Arizona sits at 7,000 feet, so it generally stays cool in the summer. It also snows in the winter. The Grand Canyon with snow is a beautiful sight to see.
Sedona has become very popular over the years and for good reason. It is stunningly beautiful and there is some of the best hiking and mountain biking there. Red rocks jut into a royal blue sky. Red dirt cakes your shoes. There is something very grounding about being in that environment. It is crowded though. It is also expensive. Definitely check it out — drive through it at the very least, but you don’t need to stay there.
Flagstaff and Munds Park are close by and much more affordable. It will take you about 30 minutes to drive into Sedona from there. Whenever I visit I stay in one of these two places. When you visit Arizona, plan on driving a lot. It’s pretty hard not to. So, don’t think too hard about it, just jump in the car.
Flagstaff and the surrounding area
Flagstaff is a great home base while you are traveling around the area. It’s a small college town but it has everything you need. The Grand Canyon is about a two-hour drive from here. That’s to the South Rim. Leave at zero-dark-thirty and catch the sunrise there. There are no words.
Monument Valley is about a three-hour drive so, also achievable. If you do it on the same day, that’s six hours in the car but leave early and stay late. It won’t feel like so much. Leave your pets at home for this kind of stuff. Unless they thrive in the car and the heat, it’s best to let them sit this one out. I know my pup would not be having it.
Stargazing. Flagstaff is an International Dark Sky City. This means that they are committed to preserving and protecting the nighttime environment. They pay close attention to light pollution to ensure that we humans can still enjoy the night sky and still see all the stars. This is also the home of Lowell Observatory, where Pluto was discovered among a list of other amazing things.
We visited one summer night and took advantage of some of their tours. Their astronomers and scientists will give you a close look at our night sky. It’s a history lesson as well. It is so worth it. To see our universe in a new and close-up way is simply awesome.
Buffalo Park. This is one of my favorite places on earth. It’s pretty much a giant open field with a great view of the San Francisco Peaks. Easy hiking, easy bike trails. This place is known for stargazing as well. It stays relatively busy no matter what time of day but it’s big enough for everyone. Bring a flashlight and a chair and stay after the sun sets to catch the stars. I saw the Big Dipper one night and it looked so big — I felt like I could reach out and touch it. There it was, just nestled in between two pine trees.
Wupatki National Monument. I’ve lived in Flagstaff and only just discovered this place. This is where we stayed after dark and I got afraid of aliens and left. But — check it out! It’s an ancient pueblo, about 800 years old. You can walk around the ruins and ask a park ranger all about it. It is about a 40-minute drive from Flagstaff and a way off the freeway but make a point to go. If you head out there you can also catch a glimpse of the painted desert off in the distance. Their parking lot is an unofficial stargazing area. If you’re mellow, they’ll let you hang out and they won’t kick you out.
For more in the way of stargazing click here.
Takeaway
Northern Arizona is one of the gems of this state. Social media has made places like Sedona, The Wave, and Antelope Canyon famous. For good reason. They are amazingly beautiful. It’s hard to get your head around the fact that these places just exist in nature. Nature made these places.
However, places like The Wave and Antelope Canyon require reservations and guided tours. If you can’t score a spot there is plenty to still do in the area.
Grab a cabin in Flagstaff or a small town nearby and just explore. It’s beautiful and still wild. Be sure to have a lot of water with you (it’s not so hot but it is dry), sketch out a loose itinerary and see where your trip takes you. Flag residents are laid back and easygoing. They love nature, just like you do. They love to chat about their city and give you tips.
Take your camping chair with you and a blanket, maybe bring some coffee along. The night sky will not disappoint. This is an adventure you may not have thought of but it’s one you won’t forget.