We were traveling through the area in January and wanted to "look" at the lake. Of course, it was frozen solid but at least I can add it to my list of great lakes I have visited. It was fun to get to see the locals going out to their ice shacks which seemed like they were a long ways out on the lake.
The park looked like it would be a fantastic place during the summer with lots of amenities for picnics, beach time and enjoying the natural area.
This is a very nice, new Residence Inn. The rooms are clean, welcoming and very modern in their decoration. There is plenty of parking once you check in and know where the parking is located, so when you arrive, just pull into the circle and they will let you know more about the parking.
The staff was the amazing part of our stay. I was very impressed with every person that I interacted with. The front desk clerk was very pleasant and paid attention to our preferences on room choice. The staff at the morning breakfast were the hardest working team I have seen at a Marriott breakfast buffet.
The hotel is located right in the heart of Flagstaff and is in wlaking distance to three breweries. How can you go wrong?
Visited - March 2018
The Grand Canyon is an amazing place and truly can change the way your think about time and our world. The views throughout the canyon are amazing and the hiking takes you into the heart of the beautiful canyon.
Be sure to use the shuttle system in the park. If you are a hiker there is a hiker express bus that leaves twice in the morning from the Backcountry office that can save you a lot of time. It only make one stop before reaching the South Kabab trail.
It had been a long time since I had been here and it was amazing how the visitor center has changed and the infrastructure that is now in the park.
Visited - March 2018
Located just outside of Flagstaff, AZ Sunset Crater is a great location for hiking and exploring some interesting geological history. The trailheads are easy to access from the main road. There are a number of short trails here that do not take much time to walk at all and put you in the middle of the lava flow.
The AA Lava trail is a very short walk through a particularly jagged type of lava, it provides a quick and interesting look at this form of lava.
We also walked the Lava Flow Trail which is the top-rated hike in the monument and is only 0.8 miles long. You get to see a variety of formations created by the lava when it flowed from the crater.
Visited - March 2018
The ruin preservation at Wupatki National Monument is impressive. I really enjoyed being able to talk about the ruins and explore the culture of the ancient Pueblo Indians who lived here. To imagine life at the time and what it took to support a village of this size was amazing. We took time to visit more than just the ruin site where the visitor center is located and would recommend it to anyone. The ruins are easily accessible and Wupatki National Monument can be combined with Sunset Crater Volcano for a great one-day loop trip out of Flagstaff.
The visitor center was great and had a wonderful variety of books for the readers out there. Lot's of interesting things for kids as well. The kids doing the Junior Ranger Program seemed to be having a fun time learning as well.
It is amazing that southern Utah can have so many amazing places. Bryce is not as busy as Zion so it is much easier to get away from the large crowds of people. The road takes you to a series of beautiful overlooks, places that are perfect for those screensaver pics on your computer.
If you really want to experience the amazing beauty of the canyon, bring your hiking boots and day pack and go down into the formations on one of the hiking trails. Be sure to have water and be prepared, as the weather can change quickly here.
Our trip in late March was still pretty cold and snow had fallen days before we arrived. It is special to see the park with snow on the hills and we had a great time.
Stayed at Wildcatter Ranch for a couple of nights and had a great visit. We had an opportunity to do skeet shooting and some archery while we were there, the staff was very friendly and made it a fun activity. The rooms were very well decorated, especially the cabin suites. Each one is decorated differently.
Each morning you can go down to and feed the longhorns with one of the ranch hands. This is an experience if you have not done it before that is worth doing. Just ask at the front desk what time you need to meet in the lobby.
The pool here is very nice. It is an infinity style pool and also has a hot tub. There is a beautiful view out to the west, a great spot to be for sunset even if you are not swimming.
I really enjoyed my stay and plan on returning some time in the future.