|
It
was
a
place
to
stop
and
stretch
your
legs
while
on
the
way
to
the
Grand
Canyon,
California,
Chicago,
or
some
other
faraway
place.
You
could
have
a
cup
of
coffee
at
Miz
Zips
or
another
local
diner,
fill
your
tank
with
gas,
or
even
spend
the
night
in
one
of
the
seemingly
endless
supply
of
motels
arranged
like
dominos
along
the
main
route
through
town.
If
you
limited
your
vision
to
Route
66,
with
motels,
eateries,
gas
stations,
and
bars
lining
one
side
of
the
road
while
the
other
side
featured
billboards
and
the
train
tracks,
Flagstaff
wasn’t
a
very
exciting
place
to
be.
It
was
nothing
more
than
a
wayside
stop
on
the
way
to
someplace
else.
But
a
special
magic
was
awaiting
those
who
could
expand
their
vision
and
linger
long
enough
to
leave
the
deceiving
main
street
and
discover
the
real
beauty
of
the
area.
These
were
the
people
who
were
enticed
to
return
again
and
again.
These
were
the
people
who
deserted
long
commutes
and
good-paying
jobs
in
smog-clogged
cities
to
experience
a
different
style
of
living.
They
discovered
the
town’s
potential
as
well
as
its
limitations.
They
were
the
people
who
have
made
Flagstaff
the
city
it
is
today.
Flagstaff
is
not
an
old
town.
In
history’s
grand
perspective,
it
dates
only
to
yesterday.
Born
of a
railroad
in
the
late
1800's,
it
is
still
tied
to
one.
Before
the
railroad
came,
this
was
just
another
pine-covered
wilderness
generously
endowed
with
trees,
bears,
deer
and
elk.
The
railroad
created
the
town
but
a
group
of
travelers
provided
the
name.
The
men
who
came
first
were
not
builders
of a
city.
They
were
simple
sheep
herders
in
search
of
water
for
their
flocks
during
one
of
California’s
severe
droughts.
Finding
water,
they
built
a
cabin
near
one
of
the
springs
in
the
area.
The
year
was
1876,
our
country’s
100th
birthday.
Travelers
arrived,
on
their
way
to
somewhere
else
and
were
invited
to
stop
and
rest.
Deciding
to
stay
and
celebrate
the
4th
of
July,
they
stripped
a
tall
pine
tree
of
its
branches
and
ran
up
the
American
flag.
Once
the
holiday
was
over,
the
flag
came
down
and
the
immigrants
left,
but
the
bare
flagpole
remained.
In
1882
the
railroad,
inching
its
way
across
the
country,
arrived
along
with
its
workers,
hangers-on,
and
those
who
made
their
living
providing
supplies
and
services.
A
sawmill
was
built
to
supply
the
railroad
with
wooden
ties.
The
place
needed
a
name
and
someone
suggested
Flagpole.
Someone
else
said,
“Flagstaff
sounds
better.”
They
agreed
and
Flagstaff
was
born.
The
city
continued
to
grow
and
diversity.
Today
its
citizens
feel
it’s
got
just
about
everything
larger
cities
have--
including
franchise
businesses,
the
big-box
stores,
and
traffic
jams.
The
city’s
backbone
is
still
the
Burlington
Santa
Fe
Railroad,
which
separates
the
town
into
north
and
south.
The
lumber
mill,
once
one
of
the
primary
employers,
no
longer
exists.
But
Flagstaff
still
retains
that
elusive
magic
which
entices
the
visitor
to
linger
for
a
day,
a
week,
or
even
a
lifetime.
Nestled
at
the
base
of
the
age-old
San
Francisco
Peaks
and
surrounded
by
the
world’s
largest
Ponderosa
pine
forest,
the
state’s
third
largest
city
provides
a
striking
contrast
to
the
cactus-clad
desert
that
makes
up
much
of
the
state.
Flagstaff
is
essentially
a
take-your-time
kind
of
town.
For
those
who
have
the
vision
to
leave
the
main
street
of
town
and
discover
its
uniqueness,
it
becomes
an
adventure--a
lesson
in
serendipity--full
of
variety
and
hidden
treasures.
Perhaps
the
best
advice
I
can
give
you
is
to
not
try
to
see
and
do
too
much
at
once.
Scenery
abounds.
Activities
await.
The
town
itself
invites
you
to
linger.
Wherever
you
go,
you’ll
see
residents
enjoying
the
city
as
much
as
you
do.
The
numerous
surrounding
national
parks
and
scenic
spectaculars
will
make
any
visit
memorable.
But
to
develop
a
real
appreciation
for
the
area,
you
should
take
the
time
to
meander
along
the
backroads,
hike
the
trails,
smell
the
wildflowers,
and
just
simply
relax
in
isolated
meadows
where
the
quietness
can
almost
be
heard.
When
you
leave,
you’ll
take
a
bit
of
that
magic
along
with
you.
Wherever
you
go,
the
experiences,
the
memories,
and
the
pictures
etched
in
your
mind
will
make
Flagstaff
a
permanent
part
of
you.
But,
if
you
happen
to
be
one
of
those
lucky
ones
who
return
to
stay,
leave
the
big
city
and
all
its
problems
behind
you.
Enjoy
the
blessings
of
living
this
close
to
heaven
and
always
remains
a
tourist
at
heart.
Author
Joyce
Reid
is
the
owner
of
GiftBasketNetwork
and
Creative
Gifts
To
Go
.
She
is
also
a
staff
writer
for
Gift
Basket
Review,
the
leading
publication
for
the
gift
basket
industry. |
