Nothing captures the romance of Old Route 66’s heyday like its roadside stops – tiny trading posts and hole-in-the-wall diners that fed travelers as they crossed the country from Chicago to Los Angeles – and nothing embodies that romance more than a Valentine Diner. The tiny prefab diners that sprang up across the West sporting distinctive red-and-white-striped paint jobs after WWII are fast falling into disrepair and disappearing. Valentine Diners were born in Wichita, Kan., but after the … [Read more...] about Valentine Diners – A Slice of History
Tourism
Sale of Plastic Water Bottles Banned in Canyon
Grand Canyon National Park is eliminating the in-park sale of water packaged in individual disposable containers within 30 days under a plan approved today by National Park Service (NPS) Intermountain Regional (IMR) Director John Wessels. Free water stations are available throughout the park to allow visitors to fill reusable water bottles. The park’s plan calls for the elimination of the sale of water packaged in individual disposable containers of less than one gallon, including … [Read more...] about Sale of Plastic Water Bottles Banned in Canyon
Lowell Observatory’s Expanding Universe
It's not only with the new Discovery Channel Telescope (DCT) that operations are getting bigger at Lowell Observatory. They've also been hiring new staff, revamping the website and expanding outreach activities. A lot of the money to fund the upswing in research activity at the observatory has come through the hard work of its research astronomers, explains Development Manager Rusty Tweed. The funding that those astronomers bring in via research grants form a crucial part of the observatory’s … [Read more...] about Lowell Observatory’s Expanding Universe
Partnering for Watchable Wildlife
One of the great advantages of living in Northern Arizona is the chance to see all sorts of wildlife. Now, knowing where you’ll have the best chance to do that in the Flagstaff area should soon be easier. Arizona Game and Fish Department (AZGFD) is developing a new Watchable Wildlife program for the Flagstaff area. Although still in the planning stages, Jessica Gist at AZGFD’s Flagstaff Office is organizing a group of local government agencies and nonprofits working collaboratively to establish … [Read more...] about Partnering for Watchable Wildlife
Canyon Ranger Wins Prestigious Harry Yount Award
Grand Canyon National Park Supervisory Park Ranger Lisa Hendy was awarded the National Park Service’s (NPS) 2011 Harry Yount National Park Ranger Award for excellence in the field of rangering. The award is named after the nation’s first park ranger (hired in Yellowstone National Park in 1880) and is the highest honor that can be bestowed on a park ranger today. According to NPS Director Jon Jarvis, “Each year, we ask those rangers who tackle the toughest assignments, protecting park … [Read more...] about Canyon Ranger Wins Prestigious Harry Yount Award
Bearizona’s Fall Festival Underway
Bearizona Wildlife Park is ushering in fall with their Howly Growly Owly Fall Festival, going on the entire month of October. Feel the crisp mountain air as you hop on their Howl-O-Ween Express Bus, which takes visitors through the animal enclosures, with a knowledgeable tour guide at 10am and 12pm daily. There are plenty of other family friendly activities to take part in during your visit including: Haunted Bear Cave: Visitors, if they dare are able to walk through … [Read more...] about Bearizona’s Fall Festival Underway
Free Entry to Grand Canyon Saturday
Grand Canyon National Park will be joining national park units across the country in celebrating National Public Lands Day (NPLD) with fee free entry into the park. National Public Lands Day began in 1994 and is intended to encourage shared stewardship of our nation's public lands. Today, NPLD is the nation's largest hands-on volunteer effort to improve and enhance federal, state and local public lands. In Grand Canyon National Park, volunteers and park staff will be working with … [Read more...] about Free Entry to Grand Canyon Saturday
Volunteers Sought on National Public Lands Day
In celebration of National Public Lands Day and to encourage a shared sense of land stewardship, the Forest Service announces another “fee free day” Saturday, September 24, along with several volunteer events. Day use fees will be waived at all standard amenity fee sites operated by the Forest Service including the Red Rock Pass. This includes access to Palatki and Honanki Ruins, V Bar B Cultural Site and approximately 300 miles of multiple-use trails. National Public Lands Day … [Read more...] about Volunteers Sought on National Public Lands Day
Several Factors Contributing to Mixed Tourism Figures
Tourism seems to be picking up across the country and in the state of Arizona, following a 2009 crash related to the economy. But some aspects of Flagstaff’s tourism appear a bit slower to catch up. Nationally, according to the Arizona Office of Tourism, hotels are doing a little better than they did last year. Occupancy went up about five percent across the country. Those numbers held true regionally, statewide and for the Phoenix metro area. But in Flagstaff, occupancy rates went down a … [Read more...] about Several Factors Contributing to Mixed Tourism Figures
Several Factors Contributing to Mixed Tourism Figures
Tourism seems to be picking up across the country and in the state of Arizona, following a 2009 crash related to the economy. But some aspects of Flagstaff’s tourism appear a bit slower to catch up. Nationally, according to the Arizona Office of Tourism, hotels are doing a little better than they did last year. Occupancy went up about five percent across the country. Those numbers held true regionally, statewide and for the Phoenix metro area. But in Flagstaff, occupancy rates went down a … [Read more...] about Several Factors Contributing to Mixed Tourism Figures