Travel Adventures in Arizona and New Mexico, Part 9: Sedona to Flagstaff

This is my ninth post about our adventures traveling through Arizona and New Mexico. I recommend reading the first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh, and eighth posts before this one. Because I blog about educational travel, I received complimentary passes, media rates, and other benefits for several of the places we visited throughout the trip. Some of the attractions we toured are free to everyone; we paid full price for the rest. What I paid or didn't pay has no bearing on my reviews. Everything that I share is something I recommend without hesitation.

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Travel Adventures from Sedona to Flagstaff

To properly experience Sedona, you'd need to spend at least three days and ideally a lot more. Steve and I were there for 16 hours and we were asleep for half of those. Still, we made the most of the time we did have. After an early breakfast at our hotel, we walked down to Oak Creek to enjoy the beauty. This is all part of the hotel property. 

Then we headed out to explore more of Sedona in the short time we had left. We got a good feel for what makes Sedona special. Even if it didn't have stunning natural beauty, it'd be worth visiting to see all of the art.  

  

  

More javelinas!

  

  

In Sedona, even the benches are beautiful. 

  

We said a reluctant goodbye to Sedona and headed north toward our next city, Flagstaff. Our first stop was at the Visitor Center. 

It's located on Route 66. 

2026 is the 100th anniversary of Route 66, the Mother Road. The main reason we chose to visit Arizona and New Mexico this year was to experience the centennial celebrations. 

There is no shortage of Route 66 information and souvenirs at the Visitor Center. 

  

We'd previously traveled at least some portion of Route 66 in California, New Mexico, Oklahoma, Missouri, and Illinois, so it was nice to add Arizona to the list. We need to drive a portion of Route 66 in Texas and Kansas to complete the checklist. Kansas is a tough one. There are only 13.2 miles of Route 66 in the state and it's not exactly in a location we'd otherwise be visiting. 

Next, we headed to the Museum of Northern Arizona. What an incredible place!

  

Set on 200 acres of land, the Museum of Northern Arizona has many historic buildings, as well as a library, gardens, trails, event space, and even rustic cabins, which are home to interns, visiting scholars, and artists in residence. It was founded in 1928 to protect and preserve the natural and cultural heritage of Northern Arizona. 

This is a beautiful museum. I especially loved the stunning Native Peoples of the Colorado Plateau gallery. 

There is so much information packed into this space. Showcasing each tribe gives a more complete picture of their customs, traditions, and values, as well as the similarities and differences between them. 

I love when museums include hands-on learning! We don't just learn with our eyes. Smelling ceremonial scents, touching jewelry and dolls, and designing patterns are great ways to more fully experience the exhibit. 

I love Puebloan pottery. 

The exhibit about Hopi katsina dolls was fascinating. 

  

The temporary exhibit, called Wagon Road to Mother Road, looks at the history of Route 66. 

This was fascinating. It's a cross-section of pavement taken from Route 66. You can see the original dirt road of the 1920's at the bottom, the modern asphalt at the top, and each of the layers in between. The accompanying sign explains that as vehicles became heavier and faster, roads had to be built stronger and smoother. 

  

Roadside diners are such a fun part of Route 66. 

I really enjoyed this exhibit and I'm so glad we spent time on Route 66 during the centennial. 

The kids' spaces at the Museum of Northern Arizona are fantastic. 

Check out all of the ant sculptures decorating the space. 

There's a lot to see at this museum. 

Check out this big chunk of a meteorite. Very cool, especially since you're encouraged to touch it. 

Don't miss the courtyard space. There's more to see there. 

  

After exploring the museum exhibits, definitely take the time to enjoy the trails. What a treasure the Museum of Northern Arizona is!

  

We left around 2:00. We hadn't had lunch, so our next destination really hit the spot. The Route 66 Dog Haus says they're "a drive-up, not a drive-through" despite the fact that you can literally drive through the middle of the building! 

We chose to park and walk up to the window to order. A pair of corndogs, please!

I chose Route 66 Dog Haus for lunch primarily because it had an important role in pop culture. I assume you are familiar with the 1972 hit Take it Easy by (the) Eagles? Specifically, these lyrics? 

Well I'm a-standin' on the corner in winslow, arizona

With such a fine sight to see

It's a girl, my lord, in a flatbed ford

Slowin' down to take a look at me

It turns out that songwriter Jackson Browne was not in Winslow at all when that girl slowed down to take a look at him. Nor was she in a Ford. Jackson Browne was hitchhiking on Route 66 in Flagstaff when a girl in a Toyota, pulling out of what was then a Wienerschnitzel, slowed down. He and co-writer Glenn Frey chose catchier lyrics, the song became a hit, the Wienerschnitzel became the Route 66 Dog Haus, and we thoroughly enjoyed our corn dogs. 

All fueled up, it was finally time to head to the place Steve was most excited to visit on the entire trip. I'll tell you all about it on Monday.