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.

We stopped by this pizza place after visiting the historic U.S. Route 66 for a quick bite, and it…read moreended up being one of the highlights of our trip. Days later, we were still craving the pizza! We ordered pepperoni, meat lovers, and sausage pizzas, and all were equally delicious. The atmosphere was fun and lively, the service was friendly and attentive, and parking was easy with plenty of spaces both in front of the restaurant and in the adjacent lot. We would absolutely come back the next time we are in Flagstaff.

We went to Fat Olives to celebrate our niece's graduation from Northern Arizona University, and…read morewith it being graduation weekend, having reservations turned out to be a great decision. There was a line out the door when we arrived, but since we had reservations, we were seated immediately. This place has been featured on the Food Network's "Top Places to Eat," so it's easy to understand why they're so popular. The tables are also somewhat small, so things can feel a bit cramped once the restaurant gets busy. The food was incredible and the drinks were equally impressive. They have a great selection of cocktails, beer, wine, and mocktails. The Basil Lemon Drop made with house-made limoncello was especially refreshing on a warm day. For our table of eight, we started with the bacon marmalade bruschetta, goat cheese bruschetta, and the wood-fired stracciatella with prosciutto. Everything was fantastic. The bruschetta boards each came with four pieces, and the stracciatella included four crostinis plus plenty of prosciutto to share. For entrees, we ordered several pizzas including the Ms. Piggy, Carnivore, and Belgio Dolce -- the same pizza Guy Fieri featured -- along with lasagna, pesto spaghetti, and rigatoni. Every dish was excellent, and the pizzas were large enough to easily feed two people. Even after all that food, we still made room for dessert and ordered the crème brûlée cheesecake, tiramisu, cannoli, and a couple espresso martinis. I only tried the cannoli because I was completely stuffed by then, but it absolutely delivered. The service was outstanding. Jennifer did an amazing job taking care of our large group and making sure we had everything we needed throughout the meal. I also loved the option on the menu where you can buy a 6-pack for the kitchen crew to show appreciation for their hard work. We figured one wasn't enough for the whole staff, so we bought five 6-packs instead. This would have easily been a 5-star experience if not for a couple issues. Originally, we made a reservation for 16 several weeks in advance. We received a confirmation the night before, but then got a cancellation notice just a few hours before the reservation. Our first phone call to the restaurant ended with us being disconnected, though thankfully the second call resolved everything. We later found out their reservation system automatically cancels large reservations unless they're booked as private dining. We also reduced our party size to 8, which helped. The other issue came at the end of the meal when the manager asked our table to leave. I understand we had been there for about two and a half hours and they likely wanted to turn the table, especially during a busy graduation weekend. Still, there were no time limits mentioned when we booked the reservation, so it left a sour note at the end of what had otherwise been an amazing dining experience. Overall, I'd absolutely recommend this place if you're in Flagstaff and craving Italian food -- just don't expect to keep your table for the entire night.

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.

Amazing service and the ambiance was perfect for a cozy/cute night out. The food did not disappoint…read morein the slightest.

Sat at the bar, Fresh pasta, fantastic service (Keith behind the bar is great!), highly recommend!read more

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!