Flagstaff

So last week I got to travel to another part of the state for a two day work meeting.  The meeting was held in Flagstaff, which is about 2-2.5 hours north of Phoenix and about 5000+ feet higher in elevation, meaning it's much much cooler.  I could actually see the temperature drop the closer I got to Flagstaff.  When I arrived it was in the low 80's, which was about 20-25 degrees cooler than Phoenix.  Talk about amazing weather.  It felt like the Midwest (but more on that in a bit).

First let me talk a bit about the drive.  On the plus side, the drive is pretty much a straight shot on the interstate.  But, that didn't make the drive less nerve-wracking.  As you can expect, with the elevation change, that means lots of hill/mountain driving.  And just to make it more 'exciting' the speed limit is 75 most of the way.  Yes, the speed limit is posted as slower (a measly 65) when going through most of the twists and turns, but who actually follows that?   The drive started out fine getting out of the city, it was nice and flat.  It was kind of neat too, because just north of the city it looked much more 'what I expected AZ scenic driving' to look like, flat, desert, cacti just chillin' in the median and on the side of the road.  Buuuut, that didn't last long.  While most of the drive wasn't too terrifying, there were some segments that made my knuckles white.  The first was a windy, up hill battle.  You increase your elevation so much in such a windy few miles that before you start the climb there is a sign that suggests everyone turn off their AC so their cars don't over heat.  Now, some of you might be thinking, 'well just stay on the inside lane, it can't be that bad' and in fact, your right, it is not quite as bad if you can be on the inside lane.  BUT, all of the semis were in that lane, and if you stay behind them you'll never make it up mountain.  The worst was having to pass a semi on a turn and having another car breathing down your neck while doing so.  I can't even imagine how upset some of the other cars were to be stuck behind me in the fast lane, especially on the 2nd worst segment.  This time, we were going down hill.  Since the right lane was on the edge with the large drop, I opted for the 'fast lane' which wasn't too fast when I was in it.  I still can't believe how fast some people were driving on some of those turns. 

But, overall, I survived.  The drive on the way back wasn't nearly as bad; partially because I had driven the road a few days before, and partially because it was mostly down hill.  The drive back was also much more beautiful.  I wish I could have been the passenger on the drive back because the views were amazing.

What's also interesting about driving in AZ is that, unlike in the Midwest, there are very few rest stops and towns off of the interstate, so you need to know were to stop before you travel.  Luckily my co-worker knew exactly where to stop.  I wasn't overly excited about the rest stop though... while the view was amazing, the actual bathroom was one with the really short doors.  Do you all know the type of stall doors I'm talking about?  You know, the ones that are so short that when you stand up you can see out and people can see you.  I really really don't like those bathrooms.  It's so awkward, especially when you're someone who is already a bit taller than regular bathroom stall doors.

As for Flagstaff, it was gorgeous.  There were trees all over, there were mountains around, and the temperature was great.  It also had such a small town feel; it was wonderful.  It felt like I was back in the northwoods of WI or MN.  Route 66 also passes through the city, so it was neat to be able to walk and drive on the historic road.  Let's just say that after spending a couple days up there, I have now decided that next summer I will make a trip up there for a long weekend (at least) to enjoy and explore the area.  But for now, I am back in the 100+ degree temps just trying to stay cool.