Northern Arizona State Teachers College - La Cuesta Yearbook (Flagstaff, AZ)

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N rrfm l Sch ! Regions Near Flagstaff Offer Various Attractions The Mountains, the Lakes, the Forest and the Canyons Offer Many Places of Interest and Recreation to the Students of Normal Nestling at the foot of the San Francisco Peaks, in sight of snow nine months of the year, is Flagstaff, the home of the Normal School. The government geological survey has placed the altitude of Flagstaff at 6987 feet above sea level, thus making it the highest city in Arizona. In summer Flagstaff is the coolest city in the United States. The highest officially recorded summer temperature is 84 de- grees, the average 70 degrees. The nights are usually below 60 and frequently as low as 45 degrees. One always needs a pair of woolen blankets at night. Pleasant warm days are here for your study and outings, and cooling mountain breezes to lull you to sleep and bring that wholesome rest that restores the tired body. Occasional showers lay the dust. Flagstaff is an ideal place to live in as far as .climatic conditions are concerned. What more could be asked of climate? There is no purer or better drinking water on earth than is piped from the great springs up behind the San Francisco Peaks. Cool, sparkling and so pure that it can be used in stor- age batteries without distilling is Flagstaff water. Within a few minutes walk from the business section is a large and beautiful free camping park for tourists. In this park is the municipal swimming pool, and amusement hall, at the foot of Mars hill, on which is located Lowell observatory, among the giant pines, with a magnificent view of the peaks. Where could one be happier in camp? Many people from all over the United States and Europe come to Flagstaff each year to motor out from here to the Hopi and Navajo Indian reservations, for Flagstaff is the nat- ural gateway to the Indian country. Here the traveler may observe the primitive habits of these people, see their cele- brated Navajo rugs and blankets, baskets and pottery and see the wierd dances and ceremonies. To see these different tribes and their modes of living is a great educational feature, helping one to appreciate more fully the state of the country and its civilization hundreds of years ago. The city of Flagstaff is fortunate in being the home of the Northern Arizona Normal school. This institution in a few years has been built up from a small beginning into one of One Hundred Sixty-Three

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shin bones for Chet was forced to surrender his half of the pill and demand time out. This must end my account of the Junior College trip for I was the third cripple, the injured member in my case being a misbehaving tummy. I had no inclination to jolt around in an automobile so I came home alone on the train and so do not know whether or not the others who came in a car arrived clad, mentally sound and happy. The presumption is that they did. One Hundred Sixty-Two

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the best Normal schools in the west, enrolling as high as 1,000 students. The handsome buildings make the school an asset of considerable importance to the city. Flagstaff is also head- quarters for the Arizona State University summer school. Lowell Observatory, another institution of research and learning, is also located at Flagstaff. The fame of Lowell Observatory is world wide. It was founded by the late Per- cival Lowell of Boston, who before his death, a little over seven years ago, made provision for its maintenance under the direction of his widow, Mrs. Constance Lowell, and Dr. V. M. Slipher, himself an astronomer of note, and a staff of able assistant astronomers. A Bottomless Pits The pits are crevices in the lava underlying the surface. In the rainy season, water daily pours into these pits. It has never been discovered where the water comes to the surface again, but it is probably miles away. ' The Petrified Forest A day's auto ride from Flagstaff, is this vast prostrate for- est of colored stone. Perhaps there was a great' flood, which uprooted these mighty giants. Perhaps this flood and subse- quent ones washed down upon the recumbent giants of the forest, the various minerals which slowly transformed them from wood to stone. These are the petrified remains of the Norfolk Island pine, now extinct, which grew to a height of 150 feet and 12 feet or more in diameter. ' Prehistoric Cliff Dwellings These are located in Walnut Canyon about eight miles from Flagstaff. The dwellings consist of built up front walls clos- ing in natural recesses in the cliffs with an overhanging cliff for a roof. The sightseer who is fortunate enough to possess the gift of imagination, will revel in the opportunity for study these dwellings of our ancient people offer. Sunset Mountain and Lava Beds This extinct volcano well deserves its name. No matter at what hour of the day it is seen, or in what weather, it appears to be flooded in sunshine. It stands like a flaming torch or beacon above the dark country surrounding it. To the ob- server it is always sunset on this peak. At the foot of the mountain are huge caves, their walls solid ice the year round. The vast bed of lava extending in every direction from the foot of Sunset mountain is deemed by many to be the most remarkable sight of all-vast, incredibly rough, bare, impos- sible. g s Oak Creek Canyon Oak Creek Canyon is one of the beauty spots of Arizona. It is beautifully clothed in green trees, grasses and flowers. The trail extends four miles to Lolomai lodge, on the bank of a beautiful mountain stream. Trout fishing in Oak Creek Can- yon is very good. This canyon is the scene of Zane Grey's story, The Call of the Canyon. The story was filmed here last summer by the Famous Players-Lasky corporation. One Hundred Sixty-Four