Flagstaff

The world's first International Dark Sky City, where Lowell Observatory discovered Pluto, surrounded by Sunset Crater, the Native sites of Wupatki and Walnut Canyon, and Meteor Crater, with a charming Route 66 downtown.

Flagstaff sits on the southern edge of the Colorado Plateau in northern Arizona at an elevation of about 2,100 m, surrounded by the world's largest contiguous ponderosa pine forest and backed to the north by the San Francisco Peaks, the highest in the state. In 2001 it became the world's first International Dark Sky City; Lowell Observatory discovered Pluto here in 1930, and the Milky Way is visible from town at night. Thanks to the altitude, summers are cool (with frequent afternoon thunderstorms in July–August), aspens turn gold in late September, and snowy winters bring skiing—a sharp contrast to Phoenix's heat, making it a year-round destination. The area divides into three parts: in town, the Route 66 historic district, Lowell Observatory and the Museum of Northern Arizona; to the north, the Sunset Crater–Wupatki loop, the Snowbowl gondola, Lava River Cave and Red Mountain; and to the east, the Walnut Canyon cliff dwellings and Meteor Crater. Sedona, the red-rock town, is about 45 minutes south, and the Grand Canyon's South Rim is about 1.5 hours north; both are separate destinations, but Flagstaff is often used as a base. Getting there: a small airport connects to Phoenix, Amtrak's Southwest Chief stops at the historic train depot, and I-40 and I-17 link the city to Los Angeles and Phoenix respectively. Sights are spread out, so renting a car is recommended; plan on 2–3 days. Mountain roads can be icy in winter, so check road conditions.

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