273 Steps to Walnut Canyon
Flagstaff, AZ is a nice mountain college town. MK almost went there to finish her B.A. We spent one afternoon checking out the area, driving through Northern Arizona University and up the mountain to see SnowBowl, the local ski area. It was surprisingly crowed despite the lack of fresh snow. We finished our day at Dark Sky Brewing, a downtown dog friendly brewery. We moved the TV outside to watch the Superbowl by the bonfire.
Another afternoon was filled with a vigorous hike on a trail called Fatman’s loop, right behind the Flagstaff KOA. The trail was full of excellent city views and a tight rocky climb. At times the trail was difficult to find but our trail guide, Cece, always seems to know where to go.
Walnut Canyon National Monument
At Walnut Canyon National Monument, we descended (and later ascended) 273 steps down to the impressive cliff dwelling ruins. The approximately one-mile loop gave us an up-close look at how the Sinagua, a pre-Columbian cultural group that lived in Walnut Canyon from about 1100 to 1250 AD, lived.
