FLAGSTAFF: Jax Takes on The Grand Canyon…and Laundry

Let’s be real: there wasn’t much to do in Flagstaff that was easily accessible without a car. I really wanted to go to the Lowell Observatory for a dark skies tour or the Museum of Northern Arizona’s Heritage Days but they were too far out of the way. That was totally fine by me because I was able to rest, regroup, take care of housekeeping things, and focus all my attention on the main attraction: the Grand Canyon!

What I Did

I started off my first day in Flagstaff walking from the train station to my motel at 5 a.m. because I couldn’t get a Lyft/Uber. Thank goodness for the early rising sun. After checking in and showering, I crashed for a few hours, got breakfast, then decided to tackle the challenge of laundry.

Y’all, it’s crazy the things we take for granted. I acknowledge I’m privileged at home to have a washer and dryer in my apartment. It’s easier for me than most to knock out my laundry.

Laundry on the road is NOT that simple.

First of all, I was glad that the motel even had a guest laundry room because after nine days on the road, my clothes were RANK. But that was where my luck ran out. Said guest laundry room only took quarters for both the washers and dryers, and DIDN’T have a coin machine. It also didn’t sell any detergent, dryer sheets, etc.

What was a girl to do? Order an Uber to take her to Target right down the road! At Target, I filled a prescription I knew I’d run out of down the line–can we talk about how the tech who rang it up asked what NC stood for? We’re failing our children. I had to buy full-size detergent and dryer sheets and worry about how to transport them in the little space I had because I knew I’d need to do laundry again. Again, that was the EASY part. Who would have thought the first part of this whole laundry process would be getting quarters? Okay, maybe you did since we’re having a coin shortage. Just know I had to visit three different cashiers and buy random shit like stale popcorn and a package of Reese’s Cups to get four dollars worth of quarters.

ANYWAY, to conclude the longest story about laundry ever–I managed to get it done, and I have never been so THRILLED to have clean clothes.

My second and only full day in Arizona was devoted to my Grand Canyon tour! I selected an all-day tour that picked folks up in Sedona before picking me up in Flagstaff and carting us the hour and a half to the Grand Canyon.

Our tour guide, Steve, was grizzled, leathery, and hella knowledgable. He made lots of dad jokes and puns and loved talking about word etymology, specifically phobias and likes. On the way to our first stop, we saw prairie dogs lined up and standing at attention along the side of the highway, a great omen to start off the tour. In fact, we saw a ton of animals throughout the day: two big elk bucks, mules (“long-eared taxis of the Grand Canyon”), wild horses, and mule deer.

Our first stop was the Bonito Lava Flow at the Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. The Sunset Crater Volcano erupted sometime between 1040 and 1100 and is the youngest volcano on the Colorado Plateau. The flow was composed of a’a (Hawaiian for “stony rough lava”; a great Scrabble word) which has sharp edges.

The second stop on the tour was Wupatki National Monument, an archaeological site preserving pueblos that ancestors of the Hopi and Zuni people once lived in. What I found coolest about Wupatki was the number of painted pottery shards scattered everywhere. They get uncovered by rain and some of them are really big and intricate. Occasionally after a big rain, you might find projectile points. As we all know–NEVER pick anything up and take it with you unless you’re trying to star in your own personal horror movie. Oh! There was also a blowhole in the ground where they said the earth was breathing and you could determine the weather by leaning your head over it and seeing if your hair was blown into the air or sucked down. “Bad weather sucks; good weather blows.”

After Wupatki, Steve drove us to the Cameron Trading Post for lunch [check out Notable Eats for my thoughts on fry bread] and a little shopping. Leaving with chocolate chip cookies in tow, we made our way to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon!

There’s really nothing I can say that would do it justice, but I’ll tell you where we went since that seems to be what everyone wants to know: Navajo Point (South Rim overlook with the highest elevation), Lipan Point, and walked the rim from Mather Point to Yavapai Point.

Like I said, Steve knows his stuff so he at first took us to quiet spots where it was only us. He also knew the best locations for photos and cheesy poses. He definitely earned his tip being my personal paparazzo for the day.

After our Rim Walk, it was time to head back home. We got caught in a downpour but when we arrived back in Flagstaff, there was a huge rainbow. Steve said we couldn’t have had a more perfect day and I agree.

Where I Stayed: The Highland Country Inn Flagstaff

A simple motel (but they have a guest laundry room) but it was all I needed to recharge for a couple of nights. They do have free parking if you travel by car. [Forgive me, I was so worn out I forgot to snap a photo.]

Notable Eats

Cameron Trading Post – Navajo Taco: Navajo fry bread made with blue bird flour, topped with a little ground beef, chili beans, lettuce, cheese, tomato, and green chile. Y’ALL. WHY AIN’T NOBODY TELL ME ABOUT FRY BREAD? Like, AUTHENTIC NATIVE AMERICAN FRY BREAD? I literally could have just eaten the fry bread. I can only imagine the explosion of my tastebuds if I tried fry bread with honey or something sweet.

Tips

• Even on a day trip, pack for all kinds of weather. The day started a little chilly so I had a long-sleeved shirt on over my other shirt. I discarded it by our second stop, added a bucket hat, and slathered on sunscreen.

Overall Thoughts

The Grand Canyon was amazing! I’d love to spend at least a week out in Arizona doing a rafting trip in the Canyon and revisiting the Cameron Trading Post to try other dishes and eat more fry bread. I also want to go to Sedona and let my witchy, woo-woo, stargazing soul run free…and see the McDonald’s with the teal arches.

That’s right, I’ve got two more fun facts for you:

1. Sedona has the only McDonald’s in the world with teal arches! City officials thought the yellow would clash with the red rock landscape and look awful, so teal the arches are.
2. Flagstaff became the world’s “First International Dark Sky City” in 2001, and as a result, it’s literally one of the best places to stargaze.

Songs Added to the Playlist

I’ve just got one for you this time: “Young Blood” by The Naked and Famous. It’s anthemic and makes me think of letting all my worries go so I can enjoy all things summer. Check out the full playlist here:

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Is visiting the Grand Canyon on your bucket list? Let me know in the comments!