Grand Canyon to Flagstaff

Grand Canyon Village to Flagstaff, Arizona.  79 miles

                                   

The Grand Canyon of the Colorado River looking west from the Desert Watchtower.

                                              We woke up this morning, our last day at El Tovar Hotel on the South Rim of the Grand Canyon, to bright sun.  Our enthusiasm was tempered by the chilly and windy temperature.   After a hearty breakfast, we pushed off to explore more of the eastern half of the Grand Canyon South Rim on our way to Flagstaff.   We enjoyed seeing some new vantage points.  

The real treat was Mary Jane Coulter’s Desert View Watchtower.  Designed to look like a structure typical to the Native American culture of the area, like the Hermit’s Rest, its function was to provide an outpost for tourists.  As much as the exterior blends into the scenery, the interior pays honest tribute to Indian art and ceremony. Coulter had unparalleled access to Native American artists and shaman.  We wonder how much of a role Coulter played in getting Americans to accept and understand our First People’s culture.  She certainly tried to make tourism teach through her designs.

The famous Desert Watchtower.  Sure it looks old, but there is a steel skeleton keeping the walls trim and strong - making more space to show the Native American merchandise.

An interior view of Coulter's Watchtower, showing more of her design skills and use of Native American art.

We then drove out of the park and went to Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument.  To be expected, the National Park Service does an excellent job of explaining volcanoes, and we saw an amazing lava field about 1,000 years old. You could still sense the brute force of the lava flow, and through the NPS interpretation could see how it evolved (or didn’t) back into earth forms. 


A view of the lava flow with Sunset Crater in the background

From there it was on to our next lodgings, the England House Bed & Breakfast, in Flagstaff.  We arrived in the late afternoon, and after a wonderful welcome from our hosts Richard and Laurel Dunn, we took a stroll around the historic district.  Flagstaff is a college town, which adds to its vibrancy.  Many of the fine old commercial buildings have been restored, and restaurants and shops abound.   We ate at the Beaver Street Brewery, a brew pub (one of several) that our innkeepers recommended.



The England House B&B, Flagstaff, AZ, is just blocks from the vibrant historic downtown area.