Flagstaff sits at 2,100 metres in the ponderosa pines of northern Arizona, a college town with a mountain-west character that feels nothing like the desert cities to the south. It is the gateway to the Grand Canyon — the South Rim is about 80 miles north — and a good base for exploring the red rocks of Sedona, the Navajo Nation, and the volcanic landscapes around Sunset Crater.
Northern Arizona University gives the town a youthful energy, and the historic downtown along Route 66 has good restaurants, brewpubs, and independent shops. In winter, the Arizona Snowbowl ski area on the San Francisco Peaks draws skiers from across the state. Lowell Observatory, where Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto in 1930, sits on a hill above town and is open for public stargazing. Walnut Canyon National Monument and Wupatki National Monument are both within an hour's drive and contain excellent ancient Sinagua and Ancestral Puebloan sites.
The climate is a welcome relief from the Arizona heat — summer highs hover around 27°C, and winters bring real snow. If you are driving between Phoenix and the Grand Canyon, Flagstaff is the natural place to stop.