Staying in Flagstaff for 1 Night. What's there to do? (restaurant, trains)

[Akio]

Hi all,

Any suggestions for my 13 year old son and I? We will just be staying for the night, and wondered about any places that are a "must."

Also, restaurant suggestions would be greatly appreciated

Thanks!

[MarianR]

The Museum of Northern Arizona is very interesting. And we really enjoyed a tour of Riordan Mansion.
Sunset Crater and Walnut Canyon National monuments are definitely worth a visit, and your teen might prefer them over a museum or historical house. Depending on when you're coming, you could drive up the Snowbowl road and hike or take the chair lift.
I don't recommend the arboretum. We were not impressed. Might just be us.
I would have your teen check out the websites for the places I've mentioned and make a choice.

[Akio]

Thanks!

[Zonie5]

if you go to top on snowlift be sure to wear warm clothing . even middle of summer the winds are cold at 13,000+feet elevation .i learned the hard way . the view though is fantastic . take a camera with a high power zoom lens .

[MotleyCrew]

We ate at the Beaver St Grill and the food was very good. They make their own beer and it was equally good. Have fun.

[Zonie5]

the last time i ate in there the service was lousy and the food WAS fit for a dog . maybe i hit the place ata a bad time . various people had praised it and it thought i'd give it a try .

[Akio]

Thank for your tips, everyone

[ShrikeArghast]

About an hour or so east of the city is Meteor Crater, which is -- unlike the terrain in and around Flagstaff, which is volcanic in origin -- one of the best-preserved impact craters in the world. It's a bit of a hike, but it's one of those 'once in a lifetime' things that you may regret not seeing later.

Nearer Flagstaff, though, let me echo others by recommending Sunset Crater, a cinder cone that erupted in 1066, about the time when William the Conquerer was setting foot in England. There are nifty lava flows and things like that. One thing that many people don't realize is that the San Francisco Peaks (the tallest bunch of mountains north of the city) is as exploded stratovolcano that might have blown up in the same way as Mt. St. Helens. Even more impressive, it was potentially once the highest mountain in the lower 48 (of course, that was 200k years ago or something like that), and some estimates put the original peak at 16,000 feet or more -- almost 4,000 feet loftier than it currently is.

And, if nothing else, spend a little time walking around downtown. Or, if you like trains, head over to the Amtrak station. An average of 70 BNSF freights roll through the city a day, and it can make quite a sight.