Grand Canyon Cafe

This cute, little restaurant is the Grand Canyon Cafe. It's located on Route 66 just east of downtown. I haven't eaten there yet, but I plan to soon. I also want to get a good night shot of the neon sign on the front of the building. Look for it in future posts.

Cathedral Rock

Well, technically this photo is from Sedona, AZ not Flagstaff, but I thought I would throw it in anyway, since Flagstaff and Sedona have a definite connection. This red rock formation is called Cathedral Rock and if you are in Sedona, you can't miss it. The photo was taken looking east from the Crescent Moon Picnic Area southwest of Sedona.

Train Depot Sign

This Flagstaff sign can be found at the train depot off of Route 66 in downtown Flagstaff. I wonder how many visitors have been greeted by this sign over the years.

Aspen and San Fran at Night

This shot is of the corner of Aspen Ave and San Francisco Street at night. You can see Babbitts Backcountry Outfitters on the left and the Hotel Monte Vista on the right. I'm still working on getting good at nighttime photography, but this is one of my first successes. I have posted photos of this corner before, which you can see here and here.

New Photos Posted

Hi Everyone,

Just thought I would let you know that I've added a few (47 to be exact) photos to my Flickr.com account. You can check them out at this link: Dustin's New Photos. You can definitely see that there is a Fall theme to them. Most of them were taken here in Flagstaff, but some are also from the Grand Canyon. Anyway, I hope you like them and don't forget to leave feedback if you have time.

Also, if you want to see all of my photos, click this link: Dustin's Photography. They're all there. Prints of these photos are available for purchase. If you're interested please email me at arizonadb2005@yahoo dot com for pricing and shipping information. Sorry, I can not ship internationally at this time.

Dustin

AZ State Flag

The flag flying below the US flag in this photo is the Arizona State Flag. This is what the website 50states.com says about it:

"The 13 rays of red and gold on the top half of the flag represent both the 13 original colonies of the Union, and the rays of the Western setting sun. Red and gold were also the colors carried by Coronado's Spanish expedition in search of the Seven Cities of Cibola in 1540. The bottom half of the flag has the same Liberty blue as the United States flag. Since Arizona was the largest producer of copper in the nation, a copper star was placed in the flag's center."

(image courtesy of wikipedia.org)

Peeling

This close-up shot is of a yucca plant that was growing in the Grand Canyon. The fibers on the outside of the leaf have started to peel and curl on themselves. The yucca plant is a staple of the Southwest and generally grows in warm dry climates. The fibers from the yucca were used prehistorically to produce rope, cordage, woven sandals and many other tools.

Perched

My wife and I took an evening trip to the Grand Canyon last Saturday. We hiked down the Grandview Trail , which starts at Grandview Point on the South Rim. The trail switchbacks quickly down into the canyon and you have dropped 1000 vertical feet before you know it. I captured this shot as she perched herself on a rock outcropping about a mile down the trail from the rim.

Cocktails Downtown

This is the entrance to the Monte Vista Cocktail Lounge on the first floor of the Hotel Monte Vista in downtown Flagstaff. Most weekend nights they feature live music from local bands.

Tagged

I've been TAGGED by Chandlermom at Chandler Arizona Daily Photo! I've been asked to list eight random things about myself that you do not know and in turn, tag eight others to do the same. Here goes:

1. I was born in Canada.

2. I know how to crochet.

3. I speak Spanish.

4. My first car was a 1986 Pontiac 6000.

5. I met my wife in a pub in Scotland, but our hometowns are an hour away from each other. Figure that one out.

6. I’m scared I wont be a good dad.

7. I have a degree in Archaeology.

8. I once had a gerbil named Superdude.

I am tagging these 8 City Daily Photo bloggers (skip if you've already been tagged):

1. Albuquerque Daily Photo

2. Bend Daily Photo

3. Madison Daily Photo

4. Santa Fe Daily Photo

5. Quick Snap 365 (London)

6. Seattle Daily Photo

7. Pin-ups from Portland

8. Barcelona Photoblog

These are the rules:

1. Link to your tagger and post these rules.

2. List eight (8) random facts about yourself.

3. Tag eight people at the end of your post and list their names (linking to them).

4. Let them know they’ve been tagged by leaving them a comment on their blogs.

Cradled Leaf

Taken last year at this time, I love the variety and contrast of color in this photo of my wife cradling an aspen leaf in her gloved hands.

Curved Aspen

We came across this strangely curved aspen on Inner Basin Trail a few weeks ago. For some reason most of the aspen trees in this grove were curved like this to some degree. Mother Nature sure is a mad scientist.

Two Things

This photo is very appropriate for Flagstaff, because it features two things this city has in abundance.....aspen and cinders. As I've mentioned before on this blog, the two predominant species of tree around Flagstaff are the quaking aspen and the ponderosa pine. For the most part, aspen leaves turn yellow in the fall. However, from time to time, you are able to see a cluster or two of branches who's leaves have turned red instead of yellow. From what I read in a recent article in Northern Arizona's Mountain Living Magazine, this has to do with the content of sugar in the leaf, which in turn is due to various climatic conditions in the area (e.g. more vs less sun, cold vs warm days and nights, etc.) You can see the article here.

Now, as for the cinders, Flagstaff is located right in the middle of an extinct volcanic field. Over the last several hundred thousand years, various eruptions have created hundreds of small volcanoes called Cinder Cones. When they erupted and spewed millions of tons of heated rock into the air which spread out over the surrounding land. This layer of airborne rock is composed of millions of small, gravel-sized stones called cinders, which is what the leaf is laying on in the photo above. These cinders are so plentiful that, instead of spreading sand on the roads in the winter like most of the country, Flagstaff uses cinders to provided drivers with traction on the ice.

Autumn Mountain Sunset

The San Francisco Peaks at sunset last night. This photo was taken on Hwy 180 just outside of town. You'll notice that this photo looks very similar to the one I've used as my headline banner at the top of this site. They were taken from the same spot, but obviously at different times of year.

Sun Sets on the Week

And the sun sets on another week. I love Fridays!! I hope you all have a great weekend.

Fall Aspen Trunk

A closeup shot of an aspen trunk with its fall colored leaves on the ground in the background.

Mossy

A thick covering of moss completely hide the boulder it was attached to from view.

Contrast

This photo was taken on Kachina Trail a few weeks ago before the aspens had changed, but after the ferns had died. I like the contrast of colors here with the black and white of the aspen trunks and the brown and green of the ground cover.

Frosty

Brrrrr! It's frosty today!

Coming North

This is the view you get as you drive into Flagstaff on I-17 from the south.

Beginning of Fall

This photo was taken in Lockett Meadow on the north side of the San Francisco Peaks. The yellow aspen leaves hint at the beginnings of Fall. This photo was actually taken a few weeks ago and the photos from our most recent trip last weekend (which will be coming in future posts) show that right now the leaves are at their peak color in the Meadow.

Because Lockett Meadow is at an elevation of 8600 feet and is located on the north side of the mountain the leaves usually change there first. It will be another week or so before the rest of the San Fran Peaks are peak color.

Flagstaff Websites

Hi Everyone,

I just wanted to take this opportunity to mention two Flagstaff websites. The first is a new website called Faces of Flagstaff.com. Created and maintained by Emily Patterson, a Flagstaff local. Each month "Faces of Flagstaff" features several individuals from Flagstaff, giving background info on the person as well as discussing how the individual contributes to our community. She also distributes copies of a Newsletter version of the website to over 15 popular local businesses in Flagstaff. It just so happens that I'm featured in the October issue as a new and upcoming photographer from Flagstaff, so I hope you will check out her site. I think she's doing a great service for our city.

The other website I wanted to mention is Flagstaff.cc, which is geared more toward tourism in Flagstaff. If you are planning a trip to Flag or are just curious about what there is to do here in this northern Arizona mountain town this site is a must see. Of particular interest to me is their Flagstaff Bloggers section, of which Flagstaff Daily Photo is a new addition. Also, a feature they add each Fall to the site is the Leaf-O-Meter, which tells you how much the leaves around Flagstaff have changed. A useful tool if you are planning a "leaf run" to Flagstaff this Fall.

Please take a moment to check out these two wonderful Flagstaff websites. Thank you.


Dustin
Flagstaff Daily Photo

Downtown Sunset

I got this shot almost a year ago when my wife and I were going to dinner for our 2nd Anniversary in downtown Flagstaff. The Weatherford Hotel can be seen at the end of the street on the left.

Weatherford Hotel

This is the front of the Weatherford Hotel in downtown Flagstaff. The Weatherford opened on January 1st, 1900 in what was, at the time, the heart of the new town of Flagstaff, Arizona. In continuous operation since its opening, today it houses an historic hotel, Charly's Pub & Grill, and The Zane Grey Ballroom. If you're looking for a place to stay, a bite to eat, or just a relaxing drink don't forget to check out the Weatherford Hotel.

Flowered Fields

Taken a few weeks ago, this photo captures the local wildflowers at the peak of color. The San Francisco Peaks can been seen in the background.

Chow Chow

I caught this fuzzy, little guy taking a break in the shade downtown the other day. I'm pretty sure he is a Chow Chow because when he opened his mouth, his tongue was a deep purple color, a sure sign of that breed.

Fall Dew Drops

My wife and I went for another hike on Inner Basin Trail yesterday and I got this great shot of an fall aspen leaf with dew drops still on it. I have to give her some credit for the shot since she was the one who found the leaf for me. I love the colors in this one.

Solitaire

This one is called "Solitaire in the Aspen". My wife taking a break during a hike through an aspen grove on Inner Basin Trail.

66 & SF

The street sign at the corner of San Francisco & Route 66 in downtown Flagstaff. This busy corner was, at one time, the heart of the city.

Sunset Starburst

I caught this sunset photo just as the clouds were moving out after a fall rainstorm. I got a little wet, but it was worth it for this photo. Several small cinder cones can be seen in the distance.

Looking Over the Edge

I call this one "Looking Over the Edge". It's my wife sitting near the edge of the South Rim of the Grand Canyon at sunset.

And One in Color

I'm moderately sure that this is what my book called a layered daisy, but please, if you know better, feel free to correct me. You can see more of the plant, including the leaves, if you click here. I found it growing wild on a recent camping trip and the light was perfect for this macro shot. I hope this photo adds the color that yesterday's shot lacked.

One in B/W.....

The view up the trunk of a dead ponderosa pine tree. Like Colorado, Arizona is starting to have problems with bark beetles which can ravage complete forests of pine. I'm not sure if this one succumbed to a bark beetle infestation or if it simply died of old age, drought, etc.

Heritage Square

This photo is part of Heritage Square, an open, public plaza on Aspen Ave. in downtown Flagstaff. Believe it or not, not long ago, this was an undeveloped, dirt parking lot. Then, in the early 90s, the City of Flagstaff decided to revitalize this area of downtown and started construction on what would become Heritage Square. Today, it is used as a public gathering place for tourists and locals alike. In the summer, they have something called "Movies on the Square", where every Friday night they project a newly released, family friendly movie onto the backside of the Babbitt Brothers building and every one can enjoy this open-air entertainment for free.