AZ- There Is So Much More Than Just A Desert

We moved to Arizona six months ago. The average Israeli wishes to have a family member in the US – you know, to have someone to travel to. At least that’s what I thought. So after half a year here let me rephrase it: every average Israeli wants a family member in the US – except in Arizona. ” There is nothing to see there” my beloved ones often say to me.

I will not deny the fact that Phoenix and its suburbs , do not have outstanding sites. But there are places to see, not to mention that the outlets here are AWESOME, much more appealing  than the famous outlets in Las Vegas – but to be honest, I wouldn’t stop in a specific state  Just for shopping; but that’s me.
Saying that there’s nothing to see in Arizona is a big lie.
So I decided to prove its innocence – and show that there are things to see in Arizona and that it is certainly worth exploring.

 Last weekend we drove to Flagstaff, which is like traveling to the north of Israel and getting the air of Jerusalem (best air EVER) and it’s  just two and a half hours from Phoenix. Well, I fell in love- and decided I want to live there, regardless the time Dima would have to drive to work every day.

Every house, every street there reflects perfect life quality. Of course I’m not talking about the size of the houses, or their shape. I’m talking about the people who build cool things in the driveways, those who cultivate the garden, the families who just go on a bicycle trip, people who run in groups in the middle of a forest or near a lake, and the hiking trails that are available a few minutes from wherever you are.

Even those of you who don’t like hiking in nature have quite a few things to do there. There is a ski resort in Flagstaff, which is also active when there is no snow – and it is worth taking the ski lift and see the breathtaking view from up there. It takes about 30 minutes to each direction- and if you have a snack with you, it can even be a better ride! (yes, Jews are all about food).  We’ve already determined that on Christmas time we will go there for skiing.

In addition, there is a perfect little “Downtown” in Flagstaff, and a university too; and as we know, where there are students there is a bustling life. You will find countless restaurants, of course, cool souvenir shops, which by the way I LOVE – all of the tourist knickknack shops.

The place reminds me very much of the town in the Gilmore Girls series: a small and social town, in the evening, in the center downtown, right in the middle of all the restaurants, there is a community choir playing for the local audience, or alternatively a cartoon movies is on for all the children and families, next to pizza, popcorn and even cotton candy(!) stand. Actually Flagstaff is not that small, it has about 70,000 residents, but there’s still a sense of a small, intimate place that you just want to be part of it.

Finally, Flagstaff is an ideal location for other travel destinations: a half-hour drive from Sedona ,  hour and a half drive from the Grand Canyon and a 4-hour drive to Las Vegas.

So, next time you hear about Arizona, think about all the beautiful things that I have mentioned.

Do you know the place? want to add something? have a qustion?  leave comment, like “At Nelly’s” at Facebook and follow me on instegram and save the post in Pinterest!