Cosmos & Constellations in Winslow
Sip a Desert Rose Cosmo, made with prickly pear vodka, at the historic La Posada Hotel’s jewel-box Martini Lounge before grabbing early dinner in the adjacent Turquoise Room. The menu, which emphasizes Indigenous ingredients, is famous for dishes like stuffed squash blossoms, creamy sweet corn and black bean soup and a free-range churro lamb sampler.
Don’t fall into too much of a post-prandial lull because you’ll be driving to nearby Homolovi State Park, a Hopi archaeological site, for one of their monthly star parties at the park’s observatory. The evening includes a guest speaker, followed by telescope viewing.
After contemplating deep space nebula, spend the night back at La Posada, a Fred Harvey Santa Fe Railway hotel designed by Mary Colter in the 1920s. Where back-in-the-day notables like Albert Einstein, Betty Grable, John Wayne and Franklin D. Roosevelt rested their bones by the (still active) rail depot, you’ll find restored rooms detailed with Talavera tile and handwoven Zapotec rugs.
Foodie Fun in Flagstaff
Never mind the beautiful setting of this mountain town — Flagstaff is a culinary hotspot, boasting several chefs and restaurants anointed as James Beard Award nominees. Those with the Beard boast include elegant Atria, where chef Rochelle Daniel serves roasted bone marrow and Iberia pork sausage; intimate Shift Kitchen & Bar, known for craft cocktails and tastes such as pickled French fries; gourmet butcher Proper Meats & Provisions, which offers stacked sandwiches; and chef Sam Greenhalg’s Forêt, a breakfast spot featuring treats like sweet croissant waffles.
Need to increase your fluid intake? Flagstaff Brewery Trail winds through eight craft breweries, including the aptly named Mother Road Brewing Company, while a stop at The Annex Cocktail Lounge yields sophisticated drinks — try the salted pecan Manhattan.
Before retiring to High Country Motor Lodge with its on-trend spin on a midcentury hotel, head to Lowell Observatory, a premier astronomy center that welcomes the public to gaze through historic telescopes, such as the one that discovered Pluto, and attend star parties on the rooftop planetarium.
Late Night in Williams
In November or December, take the fam on the Polar Express, an evening train ride on the Grand Canyon Railway, the historic line linking Williams to the Grand Canyon’s South Rim. The 90-minute, Christmas-themed ride aboard vintage passenger cars stops at the “North Pole” and includes hot chocolate and Santa.
For the yin to the yang of the Polar Express, adults might enjoy something stronger than cocoa at one of Williams’ notable dive bars. The Canyon Club, a fixture since 1949, is known for karaoke nights and a ceiling festooned with dollar bills, while Sultana Bar, opened in 1912, is arguably one of Arizona’s oldest saloons, notorious for being a speakeasy and gambling den during Prohibition.
Before you spend the night at the Grand Canyon Railway’s lodge-style hotel, grab a slice of pie to go from the Pine Country restaurant, which offers flavors like pumpkin cream cheese and grasshopper mint. Grab a seat by the hotel’s lobby fireplace, put your feet up and enjoy.
Header image credit: Ji Rui.
Arizona Office of Tourism
These articles are brought to you by the staff of the Arizona Office of Tourism, and occasionally local tourism organizations around the state.
