Wrapping Up Flag

Flagstaff  KOA

Flagstaff, AZ

August 17, 2025 

Indian Blanket...in the sunflower family

Historically, Flagstaff's (or Flag as the locals say) modern history began with settlers and the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad in the 1880s.  This fueled the growth in the lumber, livestock, and railroad industries.  In 1884 the first post office was built beside the railroad depot as Flagstaff began to grow.  By 1886, it was the largest city on the railroad line between Albuquerque and the west coast.  

Flagstaff became incorporated in 1894. When Arizona was admitted to the Union in 1912, tourism boomed and Flag was given the name "The City of Seven Wonders"...Coconino National Forest, Grand Canyon, Oak Creek Canyon, San Francisco Peaks, Sunset Crater, Walnut Canyon and Wupatki National Monument.   The Lowell Observatory was built in Flag in 1894 and it is among the oldest observatories in the US.  Flagstaff is the world's first International Dark Sky City for pioneering efforts to regulate light pollution and protect dark skies. The city implemented the world's first outdoor lighting ordinance in 1958 and continues today to foster strict lighting codes which allows its residents to see the Milky Way in the city.  This effort not only benefits astronomy, but also tourism, human health, and wildlife by preserving natural darkness of the night. 

Trains pass through Flag like clockwork.  The red lights flash and the guard goes down, but there are no train horns.  And sometimes there are two trains at once...one going east and the other going west. 

The original track route was relocated to a flatter area when the first depot caught fire in 1883.  The new depot was built of sandstone in 1889 and a passenger depot added in 1926 in the same area.    

In the background is the sandstone depot built after the wooden one was destroyed by fire.  The statue is titled "The Gandy Dancer".  The crews used rhythms and songs to keep a beat and stay in sync. Their tools were manufactured by the Gandy Tool Company.   

The passenger depot is now the Visitor Center and gift shop.    

A very beautiful and very detailed mural painted just under the ceiling is enhanced by a model of a 1920s train.  When you deposit a quarter in the machine, the train will circle the room.  This mural was painted by Mural Mice who also painted the mural on the side of the old Lumberyard Brewery building. 

Restored logging wheels dedicated to the pioneer forest workers of Northern Arizona and the heritage of our community.

We enjoyed our walks in the Historic Downtown District snd the Historic Railroad District.   As with most historic areas, you can find lots of history, unique shops, local breweries, public art, and restaurants, but Flag is in a charming mountain town setting.  It is clean, friendly, and colorful. 

Constructed in 1935-37 as the main Post Office for Flagstaff.  It's a two story Moderne/Deco style with copper panels.  Today it is a private office building. It was listed in the National Register of Historic Places in 1976. 

Hotel Monte Vista was built in 1927 to provide luxury accommodations for Flagstaff's growing tourism.  It has 73 rooms and suites on three floors. It was listed in the Register of Historic Places in 1970.  

The original gold elevator and stairs have been preserved since its construction almost 100 years ago.  Many famous people have stayed here and have walked the stairs or taken the elevator including John Wayne, Spencer Tracy, Humphrey Bogart, Clark Gable, Anthony Hopkins, Esther Williams, and Barbara Stanwyck

Small balconies at Hotel Monte Vista or "Monte V" as the locals say. 

A public park with benches, tables for a picnic, and colorful flowers.

In addition to lunch at Lumberyard Brewery, we enjoyed two more meals in the Historic District.  First was an early dinner at Pizzicletta.  This owner of this quaint wood-fired pizza cafe was inspired when on a bicycle tour of Italy almost 20 years ago.  After "practicing" for 7 years in his backyard using an outdoor oven he built,  he opened his tiny restaurant with only 15 seats.  The name is a combo of pizza and "bicicletta" Italian for bicycle. 

The restaurant quickly outgrew the 15 seats and added two outdoor patios.  

The focus is on quality ingredients, and a connection to Italy's food and wine culture.  House-made mozzarella and burrata, a naturally leavened dough, sauces made from scratch, and fresh herbs and veggies is just a small portion of what makes the award winning cafe a delightful place for dinner.   

Pizzas are cooked at very high temps in a custom-built Italian wood-fired oven.

Neapolitan pizza...a soft, thin-crusted pizza characterized by its high, puffy, leopard-spotted edges and a thin, moist, floppy center.

And pizza wasn't the only thing this owner learned while touring Italy on a bicycle. Gelato made from scratch on-site is a yummy end to an already wonderful meal.

We choose a gelato flight...chocolate sea salt, coffee, olive oil (quite the yummy surprise) and salted caramel

Our other downtown meal was brunch a Brandy's Cafe.  

The cafe is the "little sister" of a bigger Brandy's Restaurant and Bakery.  The cafe was opened in 1976.  The current owner was hired as a dish washer at Brandy's when in high school and eventually made his way up to general manager.  When the original owners put Brandy's up for sale, he and his wife took the leap and bought both restaurants. His deep-rooted connection with both locations and the original owners prompted him to preserve rather than to remodel.  The focus is on made from scratch breakfast and lunch, locally roasted coffee, and local art. Our focus was on omelets! 

 

A 3-egg omelet with cheddar cheese, bacon and tomato topped with hollandaise sauce served with hashbrowns and an English muffin. By far, the best omelet I have ever had! 

  That's a wrap on our second week of vacay.  I really like Flagstaff. What's not to love about the mountains and outdoors, a vibrant downtown, and great places to dine.  Flag celebrates all four seasons and maybe another visit in fall or spring might be next.  

We stayed at the Flagstaff KOA.  It is very convenient and close to anything and everything we wanted to do or needed. The folks who work there are friendly and helpful. The birds were chirping, The tall Ponderosa pines provide lots of shade. It was quiet. It was clean. And the views of the San Francisco Peaks was a nice way to start the day.  

  

My two sleepy heads...and my world!

Until next time,

HAPPY TRAILS!

P.S. In real time, we returned to the sticks and stucco on Aug. 24. We had a wonderful third week of vacation which we spent in Prescott.  Those photos will be next.

Colorado River Historic State Park

Cocopah RV Resort

Yuma,AZ 

February 22, 2025 

Sunset at Cocopah...walking Lucy 

Saturday's adventure was a history lesson and a yummy lunch at one of the points of interest in the Yuma Crossing National Heritage Area along the Colorado River. 

The bluff overlooking the Colorado River...

Yuma began to experience the American westward movement in the mid 1800s when over 60,000 people crossed by ferry from Yuma on their way to California in search of gold.  A military post was established in Yuma in 1850 and the Colorado River Historic State Park is located on the bluff overlooking the river on the site of the U.S. Army Quartermaster Depot established in 1864.  The purpose of the park is to protect its historic structures and interpret the diverse history of the area. 

The Quartermaster Depot...front porch with the river below.  

The Depot  served as a storage yard and a military supply center for fourteen military posts in Arizona, New Mexico, Nevada, Southern Utah, and West Texas.  There was a six month's supply of ammunition, clothing, and food at all times.  The supplies were brought from California by ocean-going vessels traveling around the Baja Peninsula and then north as far as the mouth of the Colorado River.  At this point, supplies were transferred to river steamboats and brought up the river to the Depot.  There sere several displays in side the Quartermaster's Office including uniforms and offices for the Quartermaster, and a military telegrapher from the Signal Corp. In 1873, the U.S. Signal corps operated Arizona's first non-private telegraph line from this office.  The telegraph stretched from San Diego, through Yuma, and on to Prescott and Tucson. But the most interesting bit of history to us was the Weather Station was also housed in this Depot.  

The Quartermaster's Office at the Yuma Depot became the first Signal Service weather station in Arizona Territory.  

Other points of interest include :

 the Water Reservoir

The Colorado River has always been a source of drinking water in Yuma. Prior to dams, the water carried  a large load of sediment.  Reservoirs forced the sediment to collect at the bottom allowing the clear water at the top to be siphoned off for drinking. The Army built this beautiful stone reservoir in 1865.

the Corral House

The adobe building, built in the early 1860s originally had an adobe corral all the way around it and thus named the corral house. From 1904 to 1951, it was somewhat modernized and housed the Bureau of Reclamation's Headquarters for the Yuma Project which was the first major irrigation project on the lower Colorado River.   The building provided both living and office space during that time.  

I peeked in one of the doors...it's been awhile since 1951...I know because I was born that year.  No one has occupied it since.

At the other end of the corral house is the Reclamation office. There are several rooms filled with photos, historical information and short videos about the Colorado River...the irrigation project, farming, and living in Yuma. This video was very nicely done.

 

the Quartermaster's House and Kitchen

Overlooking the once mighty Colorado River, this building may be Yuma's oldest home.  The living quarters are on the left with the detached kitchen on the right.  

President Roosevelt signed an order in 1902  dedicating this building to the Customs Service and  this home became a port of entry station for people and goods entering the U.S. via the river from Mexico.  It remained as the Customs House in Yuma until 1955.

The dining room and door to the kitchen...

The kitchen and laundry room...

The kitchen garden had veggies and herbs...

the Storehouse

Back in the 1800s this huge adobe building was used for storage brought in by steamboats.  Supplies were separated and organized and then dispersed to military posts by wagons.  Today it is a museum housing military and work wagons, old baggage carts from Southern Pacific Railroad, a mule drawn fire wagon complete with ladders and a bell and even a 1913 Model T Ford.  There are displays about steamboats and the Southern Pacific Railroad and how Plank roads were built over the sand dunes we drive by going to San Diego.  

Wagon wheel on a dump wagon...

The mule drawn fire wagon...

Army military wagon...

1913 Model T Ford on a plank road...

As you can tell, the storehouse was our favorite part of this very informative historic state park.  We are happy we went and checked off another great Arizona Sate Park.  Unlike other state parks we have visited, this park has a yummy Italian Restaurant.  It is located in the Corral House with inside and patio sitting.  

Although the cafe is inside the park, if you just want to enjoy a great lunch or dinner, you can ask at the park store when you enter for a voucher and not pay the park entrance fee which is $8.00 for seniors. 

Joe and I shared a Zucchini e Ricotta Pinsa.  Neither of us has had a Pinsa (pronounced Peens-ah) Romana before so I had to google it up.  It's described as "a cloud-like Pizza" that has crispy textures on the outside and a super soft and scrumptious inside.  And yes, we each had Tiramisu di Treviso which was absolutely melt-in-your-mouth delicious.  Mario is the owner and the chef of his little Italian cafe which has been in Yuma for three years.  It's definitely on our list of "let's go back there" places.   

Back at the park, Ronnie grilled burgers and we all chipped in with fixings and sides.  I love these meals and time spent with friends and it's been great to get to know Don and Jan better.  Still no friends photos, but Carol has a green thumb and travels with the prettiest flowers.  

And I always love seeing this lantern...we passed it on to Carol years ago.

Starlings were first brought to North America in the 1890s...in fact all the Starlings in North America descended from 100 birds let loose in Central Park in NY. They are now among the continent's most numerous songbirds.These common birds are great  vocal mimics and have up to 20 different bird species calls.   

Starlings turn from spotted and white to glossy and dark each year without shedding their feathers. They grow new feathers in the fall with bold white tips and by spring the tips have worn away.  That's pretty cool and I don't ever remember seeing a Starling with its spots.  

So pretty!  And so very fast...these birds with their short tails and triangular wings can fly up to 48 MPH.

Lucy is such a joy...a great little travel puppy !  

Meet and greet at the park.  

Picnics on the patio...

So until next time...

HAPPY TRAILS!