Sizing up Northern Arizona

My mind explodes here with the size, scale, and vibrancy of this stark place. We've enjoyed two weeks as Flagstaff honorary residents and have found much to explore and admire in the neighborhood with a few overnight jaunts to nearby parks. The expanses of land (and nose-drying arid atmosphere) are humbling. Here is a small taste of our adventures.

The Grand Canyon at sunrise

Red Rocks outside of Sedona

Antelope Canyon

Horseshoe Bend near Lake Powell

Feeling small on the West Fork trail

Arizona sunshine and blue sky

Some adjectives from our first 48 hours in Flagstaff: expansive, vast, dry, blue, sunny, open, overwhelming, prickly, dusty, chill, approachable, breezy, delicious, off-the-grid, groovy.

A good start to our vacation out West, we are reminded what a different space this is from our Washington, DC area bubble. From the moment we landed and were upsold a bigger car  rental to drive "up north" at the airport, we could feel the difference. Driving from Phoenix to Flagstaff through the desert, buttes, hills, and pine forests, our ears crackled with the elevation climb to over 7,000 feet. Our exploration here is decidedly different than out East, even if we just examine our neighborhood with a feed store, gun store, and church side by side by side. The differences are as welcome as the craft beer passport we are trying to earn (1 brewery down), and we hope to squeeze in a daily hike and as many books as possible. Definitely a good start.

What could be more therapeutic than sunshine and blue sky? Almost nothing at all. I feel better already.