Hello everyone! Its that time of year again! The snow is dwindling, the skies are blue more often, and you are finally starting to get a bit of a tan. What better way to welcome spring time, than explore your own backyard? So here is my personal list of things to do when I need to shake the cold winter blues!
1 - Go fishing.
My personal favorite spot is on the shore of Upper Lake Mary. There you can take a breath of fresh air and maybe catch dinner. Its a short 15 minute drive east of town and is filled to the brim with pike (which are very delicious deep fried in a Bisquick batter).
A few quick tips:
Get your fishing license! Wal-Mart, Big Five, and AZ Game and Fish can provide this for you. I get mine at Wal-Mart for a whopping $15 and its good for a year! The fine is NOT worth it!! Bring a lawn chair and a grocery bag for your trash. Visit the Lake Mary Country store for snacks and bait. The folks running the store are very nice people!
2 - Be a tourist in your own town.
I like to go out and browse all the downtown shops. but too often I go to Target or Chili's and totally overlook all the great dining and retail we have here. So grab a cup of coffee and get out on the town!
As of right now I would have to say that my favorite downtown eatery is Aloha Hawaiian BBQ. I high recommend the Chicken Katsu Combo plate. DELISH! Which reminds me, I think I have dinner decided for tonight...
When it comes to shopping downtown, I can do damage. But my go to store is the Seasoned Chef. I like to go browse all the cool gadgets and tools for the kitchen since cooking is my favorite thing to do. Its hard to not buy EVERYTHING!
3 - Take a hike.
I mean, come on!
Who wouldn't want to see this view in person??
Whether you're a novice or a very experienced hiker, there are trails EVERYWHERE! I personally love to hike in Sedona. There is a trail, called the Airport loop Trail, that goes around the airport and allows you to see all of Sedona from way up high. Its a fairly easy hike, about 3.25 miles and ends where it begins; which makes life easy on us "directionally challenged folks." So if you're anything like me, don't hike alone, bring a TON of water, some snacks, and a camera.
When you're done hiking stop in to the New York Bagels & Deli and get yourself some pizza! I promise you will not be disappointed.
4 - Clean out your closet.
Now, I know this one sounds insane, but hear me out. Now that winter is coming to a close, its the perfect time to go through your closet and make room for summer clothes. You've gone all winter without wearing that jacket waaaaaay in the back of your closet, and you'll probably never wear it again. So why not donate it? There are many places to donate in Flagstaff and they are always in need. My grandmother introduced me to the Cedar Closet years ago, its a great place to donate and it directly benefits the town you live in. There is always easily accessible and familiar Goodwill, and its on either side of town, so there's no excuse! We can't forget the others here in town like the Salvation Army, Savers, St. Vincent dePaul, and Hodgepodge. So get out there and donate. It'll give you warm fuzzies and help out so many others in our town.I'll make this easy for you...
Cedar Closet
2919 N. West St.
Flagstaff, AZ 86004
(928) 779-3029
Goodwill
963 W Route 66 #100
Flagstaff, Az 86001
(928) 774-4737
OR
2225 N Steves Blvd.
Flagstaff, Az 86004
(928) 526-8157
Salvation Army
507 N Humphreys
Flagstaff, Az 86001
(928) 774-1403
OR
2229 E Cedar Ave
Flagstaff, Az 86004
(928) 774- 5061
Savers
5060 N US Highway 89
Flagstaff, Az 86004
St. Vincent dePaul
2113 N East St
Flagstaff, Az 86004
(928)779-4353
Hodgepodge
2340 E Route 66
Flagstaff, Az 86004
(928) 213-5775
5 - Go see an outdoor festival.
Springtime in Flagstaff, bring beautiful temperatures, wind and sunshine. So why not get out there and enjoy it! A great way to get out is go to all the festivals in Flag.
In May you can find a kite festival at Foxglenn Park, and there's a Strutt Your Mutt Event in Buffalo Park. June brings us concerts, chili cook offs, and music. A quick way to find out about all of the city's events go to the City of Flagstaff Official Website. They update their calendar regularly. Another great resource is the Daily Sun.
6 - METEOR CRATER
Seriously. Its a once in a lifetime thing to go see this. It may not be the most amusing thing to do in Flagstaff, but it is very memorable. I remember going there as a kid and thinking "wooooow its a big hole in the ground wooooo..." But its it mind blowing. its a lot bigger than a hole in the ground, don't trust my younger version of me. You need high power binoculars to see the truck in the bottom of this. You can't see it with the naked eye. Its HUGE. It was caused by a piece of an asteriod colliding with the Earth at near 26,000 mile per hour. Its 2 miles around and 550 feet deep. The prices are decent, and its not too far east of town. Here's a link to the website for more info.
7 - Just breathe.
Sometimes its hard to say no to the hustle and bustle. But sometimes its easy to say YES to relaxation and quiet. The holidays are over and you've finally begun to recover. So go grab your favorite book, you latest crocheting project, or just a really good movie. Then sit down and breathe.
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