I'm in Flagstaff, AZ. Sure, it's 31 degrees, but it's also mellow and different and earthy and fun. Don't let the above photo mislead you. I'm happy to be here.
I'm writing this from a three star hotel I splurged on for $80 a night. I'm enjoying a glass of red wine from the hotel bar (aptly named "Lounge") while warming my toes by the fireplace in the lobby. A family of three plays cribbage on the table in front of me. A man to my right speaks French into a cell phone. Every time someone comes through the sliding front doors a chilly wind interferes with our contentedness.
I forgot that Flagstaff is home to my favorite coffee shop ever - Macy's on Beaver Street! I even bought a T-shirt. Favorite is a strong word, but it's definitely a contender among the top five. Not necessarily in any particular order, my favorite coffee places are:
1. Macy's - Flagstaff, AZ
2. The Market - Denver, CO
3. Kafein - Evanston, IL
4. The Iguana Cafe - Tahlequah, OK
5. Sabor y Cultura - Hollywood, CA
I'd say the criteria are good coffee, good pastries, cozy atmosphere, cleanliness, and feeling like no one will mind if you stay for several hours. I did a search on best Chicago coffee shops and was disappointed to see I was unfamiliar with them all! I will check them out on my next extended trip, and, if you live there, maybe you should go see what the fuss is about!
Back to Flagstaff. I first discovered it very much by accident on a road trip around the Southwest in spring of '05. It was a cheaper alternative to staying in Sedona, and it ended up being the most surprising and wonderful of all the cities I stayed in (the others were Vegas, Durango, Moab, and Santa Fe). It appeals to the side of me that craves an acre of land, a garden, mountains, simplicity, community, and lots of time to do things like knit and make jelly.
On this trip I've taken a yoga class, read my book (In America by Susan Sontag, a gift from Shrek's mom Eloise), strolled through downtown Flagstaff, driven to Sedona for a cheap massage, eaten sushi last night, anchovy mushroom pizza tonight, shopped at Target, written a wee bit, thought about writing a whole heck of a lot, drove 50 miles in the snow tonight and truly nearly died while passing a truck, and... that about sums it up. Nothing too exciting, but just right.
I was originally scheduled to fly to Chicago last week, but through a series of unfortunate events I found myself in standby hell. I'll spare you the details, but suffice it to say that I pity everyone who tried to fly on this holiday week. And another snowstorm destined for Denver tomorrow! Sad, sad, sad.
I'll share some photos from my trip.
View from my hotel room window this morning after a night of snow!
I was horrified to find that somewhere along the way I'd given up my snow scraper, or whatever the heck you call that thing. I know. Shameful. I searched my trunk and found a way to make do with a plastic flowerpot.
A barber in town. His client requested not to be in the photo.
Lastly, a foggy view of the beautiful Sedona redrock.
Tomorrow it's back to LA! Flagstaff, until we meet again....
3 comments:
Oh my god! Best blog ever! I laughed so hard when i saw the flower pot ice scrapper. You better patent that sucker!
Aaron kindly left a comment but revealed my last name. Aaron, I can't have people googling me! He wrote:
I am constantly enamoured by you Ann {Smith}, I think it's fantastic that you decided to just get in your car and hit the road, that's fucking awesome!
Aaaaaahnie, I think you are a star! You are the adorable, adventurous, luckier than snot on Brad Pitt traveler who needs a co-pilot like me! Next trip....Seattle. You got it!
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