Road Trip: Southwest

Day 5: Saturday, April 26, 2025 - Flagstaff, AZ

Day's statistics:
Weather: upper 60s, windy
Steps: Steve 15,290; Linda 10,624
Travel: 43 miles

The breakfast area was very busy today. And the following two days. So I didn't get any pictures as I didn't want to freak anyone out. And I didn't want anyone in any of them either.
Linda had toast with peanut butter and jelly; and I had a waffle, and a yogurt.
There was a woman there with her... emotional support dog? It was a chihuaua.

Today was going to be a local day. But that didn't mean we weren't going to have any adventures!
Right after leaving the hotel, we spotted a snow capped mountain in the distance. It was late April, so this was unusual. To both of us (just seeing it, not that it was late April).

While we try not to eat at chain restaurants when traveling, occassionally we have to make exceptions. Today was one of those exceptions because we wanted to have a picnic in a park. So we stopped by Subway® to pick up a foot-long and Sun Chips®. After the sandwich was assembled, I tried to pay. I was the first customer of the day, but according to the clerk, since the previous night's closer didn't finish his job, he had to close out the register for the previous night before he could ring me up. It only took a couple minutes and it was no big deal.
After picking up our lunch, we headed to a local park area called Picture Canyon.

We were taking the Don Weaver Trail. After we were done, I was convinced that the trail segment itself was 0.7 miles long PLUS a segment of the Tom Moody Loop Trail. I'd say we hiked a mile and half or so in all.
Fortunately for us, though the text said "There are 2 moderately-steep switchbacks required to climb out of the Canyon", it just so happened that the route we took had 2 steep switchbacks to climb INTO the Canyon.

Anyway, here are some of the sights we saw during our journey, including a small canyon with a stream, some signs and pathways, and even a bridge.









When we got to the bridge, we took a selfie.

Just before the bridge and based on the map, we were already "on the way back".
As we got higher, the path took us to the other side of the small canyon, and closer to the water.

Following the hike, we made our way to Walnut Canyon, which was, essentially "across the street" - though the street it was on the other side of was Route 66. And of course there was this Route 66 marker with a snow capped mountain in the background.

After providing our Park Pass (the pass works for the National Parks, and most National Monuments), we headed to the VC.

We perused the store, and got our stamp.

Then we exited out the back of the building. There were a large number of stairs going all the way to the bottom of the canyon. While I probably could have easily made it down, it was the hike back up that I wouldn't want to do. So I didn't. Though we did miss out on some cliff dwellings.
I captured some shots of the canyon from the VC platform.




We walked along the one side of the parking lot, and then up a path that lead to pit house and a two-room Pueblo structure.






It was time for lunch. We figured, rather than drive anywhere, and even though it was a little breezy, we decided to sit in the picnic area and have our sandwich.

We were going to be going to Mass tonight at 4:30. So we had a small window of a couple hours to fill. And what better way to spend some time than at the local public library.



I actually took advantage of the opportunity to work on filing a claim with American Airlines with regard to the luggage - that they claim is "covered under the 'Conditions of Carrier'" or some other crap like that. So we pay to fly with them, PAY to check our bag, and the airline has ZERO accountability for the damage?!!? Yea, I don't get it either...
Anyway, while I did that, Linda sat in the reading area and played games on her phone.
A woman facing me on the other side of the double table, was munching on seasame seeds. Shelled sesame seeds. And she discarded the shells into a little pile on a napkin next to her keyboard.
At one point, I needed some assistance with something, so I sent Linda a text and she walked over.
Eventaully I submitted what was needed to be submitted, and then we walked around the library a little.
We tend to spend the most time and take the most pictures in the younger kids areas because they tend to have the most decorations and things on display than the mature areas do.











We were at the library for about an hour and a half.

Though it was a little early for church, we headed there anyway.
At a T-intersection getting onto Route 66, near the library, was the decision-making display.

We turned left. Not far down the road we passed the train station.

It was just a couple-minute drive and we turned left at the Starbucks®.

It was a short but windy trip up the hillside.
We arrived and parked the car. And beheld the view!


We then headed inside.


As the priest was finishing up the service and making the announcements, he mentioned something about a blue and gold dinner after Mass, and that tickets were still available.
After the service was over, we asked the woman sitting behind us what the dinner was for as it sounded like a fundraiser of some sort. She said she had no idea as she was just visiting too (family in the area) and that she just really liked the church.
After almost everyone left, I took the opportunity to take some pictures (while Linda continued to talk to the woman in the pew behind us).
At first I thought the large paintings were the stations of the cross, but they turned out to be the stages of Saint Francis of Assissi's life.







There was no pipe organ as the music was provided via a piano.
We started our drive out and found that the road to the church overlooked the city, though most of it isn't visible due to the foliage.

Our dinner destination was Little Thai Kitchen.
We punched the address into the phone, and headed over. It was a couple miles beyond the hotel and the train station, and we even passed through the intersection with the roadsign pictured above.
The road eventually forked and we beared to the left. The GPS was guiding us fine, until it told us we had to turn around. Wait, what?!!?
We turned around and had to make another uturn.
Then we had to make another uturn. OK, fine. We pulled into the strip mall parking lot to try to figure out where exactly we had to go. We drove around a pad sight looking for the location, and still had no luck.
Linda called while I drove to ask where they were located. I drove past the pad sight, and onto the side street. As I turned onto Route 66 yet again, I spied the restaurant in a smaller strip mall on the corner. And we pulled into the lot and parked right out in front.

There weren't too many tables, and we were the only patrons eating-in. We reviewed the menu.


We reviewed the menu and chose an order of dumplings, and Bangkok Noodle, medium heat.

The meal was very tasty.

We were back in the room a little after 7:00.
After enjoying some wine and relaxing, we washed up and went to bed.

 <    Summary    1     1     2     3     4     5     6     7     8     9     10     11     12     13     14     15     16     17     18     18     >