Old Route 66

An old gas station pump outside of Flagstaff on Route 66 caught my eye the other day. There are lots of abandoned buildings along Route 66, some of which are very photogenic.

Walnut Canyon

At the bottom of Walnut Canyon runs Walnut Creek. Located 7 miles east of Flagstaff, this creek was once the life blood of an ancient culture. Using its water to cultivate fields of corn and beans, groups of prehistoric people were able to eek out a living in this harsh, high-desert environment.

Galaxy Diner

Located on West Route 66, the Galaxy Diner serves cheap, greasy food that tastes great and fills you up. It's 50s theme brings you back to the days of Marilyn Monroe and Leave It to Beaver. A "Must Visit" when you are in Flagstaff.

Pink Javelinas

Here and there, on the sidewalks of Sedona, AZ, you find these small statues of Javelinas. Each statue is the same, but is decorated differently; this one painted all in pink. Very striking, wouldn't you say?! The Javelina is a species of peccary that is found in the high desert regions of Arizona. I do not believe they live here in Flagstaff since it gets so cold in the winter. But I could be wrong.

Lichen

Lichen on basalt. Basalt is a volcanic stone and, because the mountains north of Flagstaff are an extinct volcano, it is a very common type of stone found in and around the city.

No Hiking Allowed

I'm back. We had a great trip to Copenhagen, Denmark. I will most likely post some photos from out trip later, but until then here is another photo from Flagstaff. This one was taken from the top of Agassiz Peak looking northwest to Humphrey's Peak.

Leave of Absence

Hi Everyone,

My wife and I are going on vacation to Denmark for about a week starting August 17th, so I wont be able to post any photos during that time. Sorry! But I will get right back to posting as soon as I get back. Thanks for your patience. Have a great week!

Dustin
Flagstaff Daily Photo

Color Swap Feature

I shot this photo while I was playing with the color swap feature on my camera. I was able to replace the blue of the sky with the color red I got off of a nearby, discarded Coke can. Created an "interesting" effect, don't you think?

Lockett Meadow

Lockett Meadow is located on the northern side of the San Francisco Peaks at an elevation of about 8600 ft. It's a pristine meadow surrounded on all sides by mountain peaks. The last time we camped there we heard elk bugling long into the night.

Aspen

There are two species of trees that dominate the Flagstaff area. One of them is the ponderosa pine and the other is the quaking aspen. Luckily for me, they are both very photogenic, especially the aspen.

Route 66

Route 66 passes right through the center of Flagstaff. In fact, I drive on it every day on my way to work at the hospital. This is a collection of signs at the intersection of Route 66 and Humphreys Blvd. which is the street you take out of town on your way to the Grand Canyon. Looking at these signs it would seem you could get just about anywhere from here.

Oak Creek Wading

This is a photo of my wife wading in Oak Creek at Crescent Moon Picnic Area near Sedona, AZ. This photo has been post-processed a little bit to accentuate the red rock cliffs. Oak Creek is one of the few places near Flagstaff where you can find enough water to make for good swimming and wading.

Heritage Square Benches

This photo is of one of the interesting benches in Heritage Square in downtown Flagstaff. The city commissioned an artist to make these benches in the mid 90s. The orientation of the benches creates a nice effect in the morning when the sun is shining from the east and castes a shadow of the benches design on the ground.

Drops

This photo was taken yesterday on Kachina Trail, north of Flagstaff. It had finished raining for the day so my wife and I took an evening hike on the mountain and I got this great macro shot of some leftover rain drops on a plant. Not sure what kind of plant it is, but they are very common on Kachina Trail.

Yucca in bloom

This is a yucca plant. Its a member of the agave family (the plant they make tequila from) and grows primarily in hot, arid conditions. Its leaves are made of long, thin, tough fibers and were used by Native Americans prehistorically for making everything from woven sandals to rope to bow strings. As you can see from its large white flowers this yucca plant is in bloom.

Lamp

I like the contrast in this photo. Also, the light coming from the lamp produces a nice shape on the wall.

Koshari, the Clown Katsina

This photo was taken in Sedona, AZ. The figures on top of the building are reproductions of Hopi Katsina dolls, in this case the Koshari or Clown Katsina. The carving of Katsina dolls by the Hopi tribe goes back into prehistory. Traditionally carved from cottonwood root, Katsina dolls are representations of the Hopi gods called Katsinom (pl.) who are believed to live atop the San Francisco Peaks. The dolls are used to tell stories about the Katsinom and pass on the Hopi religious tradition to the children. There are over 250 different Katsinom each of which represents a different characteristic. In this case, the Koshari is a joker and trickster and represents the entertainer of the Katsina group. To learn more about the Hopi and the Katsina tradition click here, here and here.

One of our Katsina dolls

Our Little Fluffy One

Our cat, Imara. "Imara" in Swahili means "strength". I guess not much to do with Flagstaff in this photo. Although, technically, she is a Flagstaff resident, too.

Canyon Jumping

This photo was taken at the South Rim of the Grand Canyon near Yavapai Point. We were just leaving and I snapped this shot of my wife jumping back from a outcropping she had been sitting on. The photo looks a lot more dangerous than it was.

Switzer Mesa Sunset

This photo was taken yesterday evening as the last rays of the sun disappeared behind the horizon. The view is west (obviously) from Switzer Mesa, a small, undeveloped mesa in the middle of town. The views from this area are amazing.

Ponderosa Pine Log

Dang

I missed City Daily Photo Theme Day! On the first day of each month City Daily Photo suggests a photo theme that we are all supposed to follow for that day's photos. This month it was "A Typical Breakfast". It would have been my first theme day. Oh well, there's always next month!

Click here to see a list of all the Daily Photo sites that participated in Theme Day.

Museum Club Sign

The Museum Club, a country western bar in east Flagstaff.

Babbitt Brothers Trading Co.

This building was once the location of the Babbitt Brothers Mercantile, which was the closest thing to a grocer that Flagstaff had in the early 1900s, providing residents with everything from canned pinto beans to western-style saddles. Today, it houses the Babbitt Brothers Trading Co., a high end sporting goods store. The Babbitt family was a major force during the early part of Flagstaff's history and today the family's descendants still own several prosperous businesses in the area.