Winter in AZ

Even though we have loved the fact that we have not yet had to shovel any of Arizona's Winter Sunshine, we still have a yearning for the good things about winter. Bright white snow, crisp clean air and snow skiing. (Well, snow skiing for me; Heidi would rather curl up with a hot tea and a good book by the fireplace!) Flagstaff gives us that opportunity. Just an easy 2 hour drive north along Interstate 17 from Phoenix, Old Town Flagstaff has the charm and feel of Traverse City, Michigan with mountains. With a population of approximately 55,000 people, most of the town was build in the late 1800's and is still bustling with lots of upscale shopping, eating, unique gifts and local art.

I even had the opportunity to ski the Arizona Snowbowl. Starting at nearly 10,000 ft elevation you can go up the ski lift to 11,500 ft of the San Francisco Peak, and see the world from a new perspective. The top picture above is the view at the ski lift half way up the mountain and what a sight it is to see! Skiing here is similar to Colorado; with some longer runs down a few pretty steep mountain faces. Or, you can choose to ski the shorter sloops, but more challenging and longer runs than you would typically see in Michigan.

This is a view of the corner coffee shop where we had breakfast on Sunday morning at the corner of San Francisco and Aspen. Look close, that is not a ghost, it is Heidi's reflection as she drank her tea. Old Town Flagstaff is even busy on a Sunday!

I think I have found a new playground. A place to get away to beat the heat and kick back to relax!