I'm visiting Downtown Flagstaff a lot while my daughters are attending NAU. I look forward to and…read moreenjoy picking them up or dropping them off because I know I'll get to stop in and try another restaurant, cafe, or small shop downtown. It's walkable from campus, and the train and bus station conveniently located between campus and downtown. Remember that you are 6,000 feet up in elevation so you may get winded walking, hiking or using stairs if not used to the high elevation. Because of the elevation, this is a cute little mountain town with pine trees and snow, birds and insects, flowers and an extra bright sun. It also offers stellar night sky views. There's even Lowell Observatory on W Mars Hill Rd to take advantage of the dark sky community and look at the stars at night. Students get in free. Walking the streets, I'm reminded of being in a Northern Californian town. It's well kept with a woodsy and outdoor adventure theme. There are also historic sites and museums to visit like Riordan Mansion State Historic Park and the Museum of Northern Arizona. You also know that you are in a college town. I really enjoy the artsy graffiti throughout town and in the alleys that you can use for shortcuts to get around town. It's hard to believe Flagstaff and the school has been here as a settlement in 1876, before the state was actually established in 1912. There's so much cool history and anthropology to discover here. You'll be sure to find something fun to do downtown with all the shops, markets, cafes, restaurants, boutique hotels, and historic sites. You can even stay at Hotel Monte Vista which is supposed to be haunted, and enjoy some really good, classic cocktails like an Espresso Martini and Smoky Old Fashioned in their popular cocktail bar, Rendezvous. My only complaint is that it's hard to find parking, especially on busy weekends. If you don't mind paying to park or walking 3-4 blocks you'll be fine.

Great downtown with so many great things to do. Cafe, restaurants, bars, bookshop, antique hotels…read more(weatherford, monte vista) and lot of parking ($1/hour). Small, walkable, rich with historic buildings and lively place to visit.

On a road trip with my son up to his university in Washington...first stop...Fat Olives! We…read morearrived about 10mins after they opened for lunch on a Tuesday and we were promptly seated and served. It was a good thing, as the place was packed 15min later! This is our 2nd time at Fat Olives. I love their wooden floors, wooden tables and chairs and the brick walls...simple yet stylish! We decided on two pizzas- the 12" Shrimp Fra Diavolo (pesto sauce, spicy shrimp, basil, and the wonderful Calabrian chiles and chili oil) and a 10" Pepperoni. The shrimp pizza was amazing and will have me stopping in here on future Flagstaff trips! The crust was perfectly cooked- a little char from the wood smoke oven and a little chewiness like a good crust should have. Despite the place getting crazy before we left, our waiter was very attentive and got us a box for our last 3 slices (all from the pep) and to-go drinks. Being hot and sunny, we placed the pizza box on our dash and had the last few slices hours later on the road. The only problem with Fat Olives is it being in Flagstaff and not in metro-Phoenix. Okay...2nd problem is I want to try every pizza they have. If the first problem gets fixed, the 2nd problem may go away! Final note- they do have several pizzas with nuts on them, so those with nut allergies should speak to their server to understand any risk.

We ordered two pizzas, one for the shrimp fra diavolo and one for their famous Belgio dolce pizza…read more The shrimp one was pesto base, I liked the pesto flavor. The amount of was generous, it's spicy, but I think it's a little bit oily and too salty for me. The belgio dolce was sweet and salty, it's better than the shrimp one. Their fat olives salad was good, it was refreshing and I liked the chicken breast they grilled, very tender. The caprese was good too. Don't forget to order tiramisu as dessert, it's not too sweet. The Italian soda was definitely on the sweeter side, but interesting to drink. The vibe was also good, and the staff was friendly. Be sure to make a reservation so you don't wait too long.

Walking around downtown Flagstaff needs an occasional break. Just on the southeast corner of San…read moreFrancisco St and Route 66 is a interesting sculpture surrounded by a nice sitting area with trees, benches and a set of bike rails. Just to the south, the railroad tracks still whirl with trains, and the impact of this beautiful sculpture is felt all the more. I was wandering around and looking to stop and rest when i found this well shaded area. But the centerpiece of the tiny park is a beautiful sculpture called "The Gandy Dancer", a tribute to the crews who laid and maintained the railways over the past two hundred years. The benches and trees are a nice touch, allowing someone to chill out and stay out of the sun, which even at 75 degrees can burn in the thing mountain altitude of Flagstaff's 6900 feet locale. If you are walking around downtown and want to see a tiny bit of history out into a nice public work of art, take a short trek to see the "Gandy Dancer" sculpture and enjoy the nice cool breeze in the tree shaded area as you do.

Great value for money, the food choices were not stingy at all, and plenty of wine choices for…read moreevery taste level. Lines were reasonable and there were shady spots to sit. I would bring a blanket next time and dress more casually. So far this is the best food festival I have been to in Arizona.

This is a review of the Third Annual Flagstaff Wine and Food Festival. It was held on June 9, 2012…read morefrom 1pm to 5pm at the Pepsi Amphitheater at Fort Tuthill Park. It is a beautiful park, surrounded by trees and a very relaxed atmosphere. It is also very intimate and low key, making it easy to get some wine and food from the vendors. The ticket price is $30 which is fair since it is all you can eat and you get 4 wine sampling tickets (although some places don't take your tickets). There were about ten food vendors and the best had to be Cottage Place which served up beef with potatoes au gratin. We were lucky to win tickets through Friends of Coconino County Parks, but I would gladly pay the $30 next year to go again.

I attended Lunafest last March and it is a wonderful, positive event for a great organization…read more Lunafest is a series of short films about women. The films range from sweet stories of relationships to documentaries about the figurs of mannequins. Their is also a silent auction. The proceeds raise money for Girls on the Run, a program designed to help girls ages 8-11 develop positive relationships with each other while raising their self esteem and understanding of issues that affect females as they enter their teen years. I attended this event with several friends and everyone enjoyed it thoroughly. Well worth the cost of $10, plus the chance to bid on a fancy lunch, massage, running shoes, etc.

There's a reason why the line was so long when we went (making a reservation and arriving early is…read morebest). The food is good and I really liked the caramel Italian cream soda. We started with the fresh bruschetta; the accompanying salsa was dip was delicious. Calabrian chile and burrata pasta with peas was very good (not spicy at all though). Scaffetti's pasta was also good. I would get the Calabrian chile pasta again. I would definitely return to try more dishes here.

Came at 730pm on a Sunday evening in August. Joined the Yelp wait list and got a text out table was…read moreready. We were met with a line of five groups waiting at the host station. The hostess was gone for a long time and the proceeded to sit each of the five groups before us. We left before she sat the group in front of us. There were also live parrots on the back of some people at the bar that people were putting on each others heads. Felt more like a Mexican cantina bar than a nice Italian restaurant. The staff ignored us.

This is a true local market with high ethical standards. Mountain Town Market collaborates with…read morelocal entrepreneurs who own small businesses and with small farmers who follow healthful and sustainable growing practices. There are no peddler businesses at Mountain Town Market. Karen Enyedy

Mountain Town Market has various markets and pop-ups throughout the year like the City Hall parking…read morelot, Heritage Square, the Hive, and Pine Forest School. Make sure you go to the website to see days and hours, because there are always new dates and locations! It's a gorgeous day, and wonderful to see this market filling the gap of the larger community market. Local music going on too which is fun! Many retailers and food vendors. You can find Proof Bakery, Whipstone Farms., Lillie Mae's Pickles, Tamales USA, Pie Guys, Laughing Goat, Doney Park Coffee, Chocolita, Sunset Crater Farm, Kula Bee, Copper Mountain Confections and so much more! Meg is really trying to grow her markets, so come out and show your support!