GRM Members Flagstaff, AZ

Anyone in Flagstaff or within a short drive?

I'm in Tucson, but that's more than a short drive.

I'm in Southern Utah, about 5 hrs away.

Ahwatukee - about 2 hours

Vegas isn't horribly far - 3 hours, maybe. I've been to Flagstaff. It seems like a great town. There's a small college, so it has a bit of a college town vibe. Folks from Phoenix, etc have 2nd homes there, both to escape the heat in summer and to ski in winter - so it's got a bit of an Aspen vibe as well.

It's comfy in summer and a bit chilly in winter. It's at a pretty high altitude (I forget exactly how high, but it's up there) so n/a cars lose a bit of power, and so do humans, until they acclimate.

I’m a big astronomy nerd and I understand that Flagstaff is a meca for likeminded people….they’ve even got city ordinances to prevent light pollution.

A co-worker of mine recently built a hanger home at an airpark up there and retired. Living large with a Mooney 201 in the garage and a 15” Newtonian sticking out of the roof…sweet.

Biggest complaints I've read are that its:

1) Expensive (which is relative because I'm sure its cheaper than most of California)

2) Wages are depressed (because of endless pool of part-time workers at NAU)

Live there 9 years, 1968 - 1977, loved every minute - BUT, back then population counting the university was 28,000, now it's over 60,000. Used to be able to zip down Oak Creek Canyon, now it's bumper to bumper. went back for a few days last October, really crowded, but still outstanding scenery and climate. The Canyon is just 85 miles north, Lowell Observatory and the Museum of Northern Arizona are great, and Mormon Lake Lodge southeast of town still has great steaks (but they don't have 2-lb porterhouses anymore)and the La Fonda Mexican restaurant is still family owned with some of the best Mexican food anywhere.

Loved it back in the '70s, but I'm happy in my little town in the Colorado mountains now (population 900), Flag's too bag and busy for me anymore.