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1 p.m. update: Winter storm to intensify

February 19, 2011 by

The winter storm that moved into the Flagstaff region last night
has begun to intensify, with heavy snow expected this afternoon and
into the evening.

Search Results – azdailysun.com

Backcountry Scenic Drives: Mogollon Rim Road

The highest road in Arizona cuts 200 miles across the middle of the state at an amazing 7,000-foot elevation. Traveling roughly from Sedona to the New Mexico border, this road hugs the edge of the Mogollon Rim. A dizzying drop from rim to the canyon floor is 2,000 feet in places.

This amazing geological phenomenon that creates a “backbone of Arizona” separates the low southern scorching desert from the higher elevation cooler, temperate ponderosa pine and cedar forest of northern Arizona. The Mogollon Rim Road (Mogollon is pronounced “muggy-own”) provides a cool, serene perch to see forever over southern Arizona deserts.

Today the road follows sections of an original military supply route constructed in 1872 by General George Crook. The wagon road connected Fort Whipple in Prescott to Fort Apache and Camp Verde. The military established the forts to protect early settlers from the frequent attacks of the Apache Indians, rebelling against the takeover of their land and relocation to reservations.

General Crook took command of Arizona Territory’s military in 1871. Amazingly, his original journey from Fort Apache to Fort Whipple formed the basis of the route. During construction, Crook’s men measured the wagon road’s mileage with a cloth fastened the wheel of a wagon. A certain number of the cloth’s revolutions equaled a mile. Soldiers then carved a smooth patch out of nearby trees and rocks and then burned on the mileage. Blazes generally included a letter. For example, 13 miles from Fort Verde would be marked with “V13.” Today a few old trees and rocks still bear Crook’s original blaze marks. Many landmarks along the trail are named according to the mileage of the old route, such as Thirteen Mile Rock and Twentynine Mile Lake.

Approximately 15 miles from the western end and a short distance to the north of the main trail is the site of General Springs Cabin. Louis Fisher built the small wooden structure in 1914 or 1915, and it was used as a guard station for many years. The cabin sits beside springs used for water by General Crook and was reputedly the spot from which he narrowly escaped death during a surprise Apache attack. Camping around the historic cabin is prohibited but the area makes an excellent spot to stop and have a picnic lunch.

Opposite the turnoff to the cabin is the Tunnel Hiking Trailhead. Hike down to see the once ambitious project: a tunnel that was to burrow through 3,100 feet of the rock of the Mogollon Rim to connect Flagstaff to the rich mines of Globe by rail. The tunnel was to be a spur of the Atlantic & Pacific Railroad, which ran from Albuquerque through Flagstaff en route to the west coast.

The proposed 160-mile Mineral Belt Railroad was funded and construction began over incredibly rough terrain. Funding for the project soon dried up after the construction of only 40 miles of rail and blasting only 70 feet into the rock of the rim. The incomplete tunnel is located in General Springs Canyon, a low point in the rim.

Most of the narrow graded gravel and dirt road runs through a cool ponderosa pine forest. Many places along the road run right along the rim with amazing vistas over the canyons and good angles to see rugged rim itself. Take care walking to the edge of the rim, especially in wet conditions. Some trees at the edge hold memorial plaques to those who have accidentally fallen.

The road is uneven in places, but overall the main trail is not a technical challenge. Many smaller more challenging trails leave the main road. To the south trails lead to more secluded viewpoints and campsites on the rim, and to the north, 4WD tracks lead to spectacular overlooks.

The area is heaven for campers. Backcountry campsites abound, but one of the best is at Hi-View Point, an exceptionally beautiful scenic overlook set right on the rim. There are also developed national forest campgrounds at Kehl Spring, just off the trail at Knoll Lake, Bear Canyon Lake, and several sites at Woods Canyon Lake among others.

The eastern end of the trail within the Apache-Sitgreaves National Forest runs within the popular Rim Lakes Recreation Area. Be aware that motorized travel is permitted on numbered roads only, ATVs are not permitted, and there are restrictions on camping in this area.

This information and more can be found in Adler Publishing’s Backcountry Adventures series. To learn more or to purchase, visit http://www.AdlerPublishing.com

Article from articlesbase.com

Categories: FlagstaffTags: , , , ,

Strong winter storm to dump heavy snow

February 19, 2011 by

After a seven-week slumber, Old Man Winter has awakened just in
time for the Presidents Day Weekend in Flagstaff.

Search Results – azdailysun.com

The Grand Canyon National Park in Arizona – a Great Vacation and Travel Destination

You must plan a vacation to Arizona to see the Grand Canyon. It is just simply amazing and the maze of canyons, fissures, and gorges intertwine and merge to create one of the world’s most amazing natural wonders. You can actually see the different colors of the rock in the many layers that make up the canyon not to mention the way the sun reflects on them, and then the shadow, affects their color, which is awe inspiring in and of itself. The beauty of the Canyon is one thing, the size is another and it is just as amazing if not more so.

The canyon is huge and that may even be an understatement. The canyon measures between 10 and 15 miles wide and is more than 200 miles long. At some parts of the canyon it measures nearly a mile to the bottom. Can you imagine looking over the edge of the canyon and the ground being a mile below? It truly is one of the must see places in the world, let alone the United States. The Grand Canyon National Park includes the Grand Canyon and other sites and is located north of Flagstaff, Arizona, by about 75 miles. It will take about an hour and a half to get to the north rim’s visitor center from Flagstaff, or if you are in Las Vegas plan on a five hour drive. The south rim’s visitor center requires a 200 mile drive although it is only 10 miles away if you could fly your car over!

The south rim is the best place to visit if you are only visiting one of the rims. That is because the views are outstanding and it has more facilities than the north rim center. More tourists visit the south rim because the north rim is closed from October to May. If you are a backpacker or don’t like crowds then you might prefer the north rim. The Grand Canyon Village is a great place to stay when visiting because there are hotels, souvenir shops, and restaurants near the south rim.

The best thing to do when visiting the Grand Canyon is to allow yourself plenty of time. There is a lot to see and although it might look like you can do it all in one day you may not be able to and really enjoy it. So, give yourself plenty of time when you are at the Grand Canyon so you can see all the rims, head down to the basin, whitewater raft, and just enjoy this beautiful natural wonder.

There is a website that has great information on USA Vacations and Unique Travel Spots Listed State By State and Season, the website is called: Seasonal Vacation Spots, and can be found at this url:

http://www.seasonalvacationspots.com

By Robert W. Benjamin

Copyright © 2007

You may publish this article in your ezine, newsletter, or on your web site as long as it is reprinted in its entirety and without modification except for formatting needs or grammar corrections.

Robert W. Benjamin has been in the software business on the internet for over 6 years, and has been producing low-cost software for the past 25+ years. He first released products on the AMIGA and C64 computer systems in the late 1970’s-80’s.


Unknown-Creatures


http://www.unknown-creatures.com

Article from articlesbase.com

Categories: FlagstaffTags: , , , , ,

Winter weather finally returns

February 16, 2011 by

Two weather systems slated to move into the northern Arizona
region will bring snow — up to a foot of it Saturday and
Sunday.

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Encanto Women’s Flagstaff Ankle-Strap Sandal,Brown,9 M US

List Price: $ 49.99

Price: $ 39.95

Meteor Crater ? One Of Arizona’s Hottest RV Destinations

Located in the windswept Arizona desert halfway between Flagstaff and Winslow on I-40, you’ll find Meteor Crater.  The crater was formed 50,000 years ago when a meteorite from space impacted the earth.  Now, it’s a major tourist destination in the American southwest, and it has an excellent RV park and campground that is a wonderful stay.

 

The park is located just off the highway before you start climbing the raised land around the rim to the visitor center.  The land around the park is flat, with trees and shrubs to provide some green and some shade around the campsites. 

 

Located in the high desert plains, it is hot and sunny in the daytime, but at night the temperatures cool down.  The northern Arizona sky offers a dazzling display of stars, the likes of which you don’t see anywhere else.  Because the nights are so clear, you can see everything and even catch some falling stars.

 

It’s well worth getting up for the sunrise.  The colors of the desert shift and change hue as the sun makes its slow and steady ascent in the sky.  The twilight is another visual experience you won’t forget.

 

Aside from its beauty and quiet, the RV campground has all the conveniences you could want.  There are 71 spacious sites, ranging from full-size RV camping to small tents.  They’ve got laundry facilities, wireless internet service, clean bathrooms and showers, a rec room and full hookups.  Not far there’s a convenience store, gas station and Mexican restaurant.

 

If you stay at the campground, you can get into Meteor Crater’s visitor center at a discounted price.  Aside from letting you have a glimpse at the best preserved meteor impact site in the world, the visitor center is a full-scale space exploration museum.  Astronauts used this site for training before the Apollo 11 mission.  The crater floor bears a resemblance to the surface of the moon, and so they practiced collecting rocks and soil samples there.  The visitor center has all kinds of artifacts, exhibits, simulations and an Interactive Discovery Center.  Among the highlights, they’ve got an actual piece of the meteorite that you can touch, and a movie called “Collisions and Impacts” that simulates what the crash would have been like.

 

This RV campground is also a great place to stay when you’re exploring the southwest.  They offer coupons for other attractions in the area, including the Grand Canyon, Petrified Forest, Wupatki National Monument and lots of other.  It’s close to the Navajo and Hopi Nations, Camp Verde, Sedona, Flagstaff and Winslow.

 

Finally, the staff at Meteor Crater are friendly and helpful.  This is not just another tourist trap.  Although it’s one of the most famous sites in the area, it’s still a family run operation, and you get that friendly family feeling staying here. 

 

You can make reservations at Meteor Crater’s website.  You can also blog about your trip on their site.

 

After a day of hiking the rim and exploring the universe at Meteor Crater’s visitor center, there’s nothing like a relaxing night watching the stars in their comfortable, modern RV campground.  Enjoy your stay and take advantage of the coupons and special deals!

 

Greg Scott lives in Flagstaff, Arizona, not far from Meteor Crater, the Grand Canyon and lots of other great southwestern attractions.  When not busy writing, he’s camping.

Article from articlesbase.com

Categories: FlagstaffTags: , , ,

Around the Town: Snowbowl to host Winter Games

February 15, 2011 by

Arizona Snowbowl will host the Grand Canyon State Winter Games
Feb. 26 and 27. Alpine and telemark skiers as well as snowboarders
will be competing in a Giant Slalom course in the
boarder/skier/telema

Search Results – azdailysun.com

Arizona Dream

The name “Arizona” descends from the Indian word “arizonac”, which means “short spring”. Arizona is the state of the high mountains, narrow canyons, green meadows and deserts. Arizona is situated on the South-West of the United States. It’s called “the state of the Grand Canyon”.
Thousands years ago Arizona was inhabited by the Navajo tribe. The history of the state of Arizona began on 14 February 1912, when Arizona became the 48th state of the United States of America. Arizona the sixth biggest state in the country.
The capital of the state is the city of Phoenix. It’s the largest city in the state. Its architecture can be described as a mix of the Spanish and Mexican styles. Phoenix Botanical Garden is full of cactuses of every shape!
State’s main attraction is Grand Canyon. It lies between two lakes. Grand Canyon is a complex of small canyons, waterfalls, graves put all together. Some archeological finds shows that the place was inhabited about 4000 years ago. Now it’s a natural reserve. Canyon has 365 km in length and 29 km in its widest part. The depth of the canyon in some parts reaches 1,6 km. There are no bridges across the canyon and those desiring to get from north to the south will have to make more than 300 kilometers trip (although the direct distance is 19 kilometers).
Deep down in canyon flows Colorado river. From 1,5 km height it looks small, but actually it’s very rapid and powerful river. Esplanada – red sandstone terrace looks especially impressive during the sunset. Now this place is very popular among tourists. Some courageous people dare to make pedestrian trips along the canyon, but the most of the tourists prefer buses.
Flagstaff is a cultural oasis in Arizona deserts. Very picturesque place, once having been the railway station, look much more different than usual American small towns with a couple of motels and bars along highways. Ancient hotels neighbor here with the vegetarian cafes and the most popular music here is jazz. Lowell observatory is famous for the fact that the planet Pluto was discovered here in 1930. Flagstaff, built along the famous Route 66 can be called the gates to the Grand Canyon. The way from Phoenix to Flagstaff takes about 3 hours.
There are some other interesting places in Arizona. Sunset crater – is the national monument. It was erupted for the last time 800 years ago, but its slopes are still deserted and covered with the ash and the black clinker.
Wupatki National Monument consists of the several ancient Indian settlements in the plain. The place was inhabited till 1250 AD and then was left because of volcano eruption.
Monument Valley impresses with the really Martian landscapes created by the huge red rocks of the odd forms.
The crossroad of the four states borders Colorado, Utah, Arizona and New Mexico is called Four Corners and is also worth visiting.
The significant part of Arizona is occupied by Navajo reservation. Indians here live in poverty and the main income comes from tourists. Souvenirs are sold everywhere in reservation.

If you like to book hotel, please visit Phoenix hotels page

Article from articlesbase.com

Categories: FlagstaffTags: , , , , ,