Travel: Flee the Heat to Fabulous Flagstaff

Sometimes the only way to deal with the inexcusable and unrelenting heat in Phoenix is to leave it behind you for a bit. Flagstaff is only about two hours or so north of Phoenix but the temperature can be more than 20 degrees cooler. Flagstaff boasts a bunch of beautiful AirBNBs as well as plenty of resorts and hotels. Once you’re settled in with a place to stay, get ready for a wide range of cool experiences from fabulous food to adventurous fun!

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Where to Eat:

Tourist Home Café

Start your day with breakfast from the Tourist Home Café. Enjoy a classic breakfast of eggs to order, bacon, sausage, ham or chorizo, hash browns, country potatoes, or tots, greens or a fruit salad and white, 9-grain or gluten-free toast. More adventurous eaters will love the Hash Bowl featuring eggs to order, potatoes, yams and beets with chorizo and cilantro pesto.

Drop in for lunch and taste a burger, Chicken Parmesan sammie or go veggie with their signature BBQ Jackfruit sandwich with whipped avocado and pineapple slaw on a toasted bun. Choose a signature cocktail such as a Sonora Paloma, made with chipotle pepper tequila, grapefruit, lime, honey and soda or grab a freshly brewed glass of iced tea or a true-sugar Mexican Coke for a perfect and perfectly satisfying meal.

52 S San Francisco St. Flagstaff, AZ 86001

(928) 779-2811

https://www.touristhomecafe.com/

Pato Thai

If you’re looking for authentic Thai food, you won’t do any better than the scrumptious selections at Pato Thai. Their full menu includes everything from individual appetizers to carefully composed dinners. Try classic creamy Cheese Puffs or Shumai to start or go wild with exotic fare such as Fried Pumpkin with Dipping Sauce.

Sample soups, salads and side dishes, choose a Chef’s Special or order a la carte to create the perfect meal for everyone at your table.

20 E Route 66 Flagstaff, AZ 86001

928-213-1825

928-226-8940

http://www.patothai.com/

Firecreek Coffee

Dedicated to sourcing, roasting, grinding and serving the finest fair-trade coffee beans, Firecreek Coffee is nestled in the heart of downtown Flagstaff. In addition to the best coffee you will find anywhere, Firecreek Coffee also provides breakfast and bakery items prepared in-house as well as a coffee bar. Stop by in the evening for beer, wine, cocktails and live music.

22 E. Route 66

Flagstaff AZ 86001

928-774-2266

https://firecreekcoffee.com/locations/flagstaff/

Diablo Burger

Come hungry to Diablo Burger for a quarter-pound burger with your choice of toppings. Or grab a signature burger such as the Wrigley Field which is piled high with bacon, Swiss cheese, grilled onions and finished with Rising Hy spicy honey mustard or the Blutarsky with blackening seasoning, bacon, sharp cheddar and holy guacamole. All burgers come with lettuce, tomatoes, pickle, fries and dipping sauce.

Actively partnering with local farmers, cheese-makers, vintners and brewers means that everything available from Diablo Burger is sourced from within a 250-mile radius. Truly free-range grass-fed beef never exposed to growth hormones or antibiotics sourced locally from their award-winning land trust make for burgers that are as good-tasting as they are good for you.

And when it comes to dedication, Diablo Burger puts their money where your mouth is. For every meal ordered directly from Diablo Burger, they donate one meal to a charitable organization serving the local community, whether it be the local emergency room, hungry school children or others in need, ensuring that you can eat well while doing good.

120 N. Leroux Street

Flagstaff AZ 86001

928-774-3274

https://www.diabloburger.com/

What to Do:

Buffalo Park

Buffalo Park is the perfect place to get a real feel for Flagstaff’s beautiful terrain. Start with the Nate Avery Trail, which begins at the entrance to the park and loops around the entire former private wildlife park in a gentle, 2-mile trail. The terrain is easy to walk on aggregate and 93% of the trail is at less than a 5% incline. The steepest part of the trail is a 16% grade, which makes this a very family-friendly hike.

2400 N Gemini Rd

Flagstaff, AZ 86004

928-213-2300

https://www.flagstaff.az.gov/1789/Nate-Avery-Trail

Sunset Crater

The youngest volcano in the San Francisco volcanic field, Sunset crater offers a scenic 34-mile drive which loops down almost 2,000 feet in altitude from its highest point. The route offers the lush greenery of Ponderosa pines at its peak and the gorgeous colors of Wupatki’s red rocks and painted desert, showing you the full range of the beauty Arizona has to offer.

6082 Sunset Crater Road

Flagstaff AZ 86004

(928) 526-0502

https://www.nps.gov/sucr/planyourvisit/index.htm

Arizona Snowbowl Ride

Snowbowl boasts a ski and snowboard resort to rival anything in nearby California, with one very exciting difference – the Snowbowl Scenic Chairlift. Not for those with a fear of heights, the Snowbowl Scenic Chairlift rises to an exciting 10,800 feet, from which you can see Sedona’s red rocks, the volcano field’s cinder cones and on a clear day you can gaze out over the Grand Canyon. Chairlift rides begin on August 16th. Purchase tickets online for the 10:00 a.m. to noon tour or the noon to 4:00 p.m. one.

9300 North Snowbowl Road

Flagstaff AZ 86001

928-779-1951

https://www.snowbowl.ski/the-mountain-summer/about-the-scenic-chairlift/