A Day Trip to the Flagstaff area
Our second day trip was to Flagstaff, where we focused on the area's geological and astronomical attractions. We explored Walnut Canyon's scenery and its Native American cliff dwellings. We toured Sunset Crater's volcanic landscape, one of the youngest cinder cones in the continental U.S. We also visited Lowell Observatory's new Marley Foundation Discovery Center and its historic grounds. Two areas we did not have time for but wanted to see were Flagstaff's historic downtown and its nostalgic (maybe kitschy) Route 66 landmarks.
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Oak Creek Canyon
Oak Creek Canyon, carved by Oak Creek over millions of years, rises in elevation more than 2,000 feet from Sedona to Oak Creek Vista.
More Lava Flow
The eruption began with an 11-kilometer-long fissure and an eruption column that reached 65,000 feet.
Walnut Canyon (Other Direction
Walnut Creek carved the canyon over approximately 60 million years through horizontal layers of Permian limestone and sandstone.
Lowell Observatory Discovery Center
The Discovery Center opened on November 16, 2024. The building includes a rooftop planetarium, interactive exhibits, and a theater with a 160-degree wrap-around screen.
8-inch Moonraker Victorian Refractor
This custom-built instrument features a red-and-chrome finish designed to echo the style of the historic 1896 Clark Refractor.
The Pluto Telescope
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Route 89A Up the Hillside
Driving north from Sedona, we passed Midgley Bridge and Slide Rock State Park, then drove the steep switchbacks (shown here) to Oak Creek Vista.
Walnut Canyon
The canyon reaches a maximum depth of 400 feet, exposing three distinct rock formations (Coconino Sandstone, Toroweap, and Kaibab Formations).
Some More Cliff Dwellings
The Sinagua built walls using local limestone rocks held together with a mud-based mortar. The natural rock overhang served as the roof.
Lampland (Jiffy Pop) Telescope
The 42-inch (1.1-meter) reflecting telescope was primarily used by Carl Lampland for long-exposure photography and radiometry to measure the temperatures of Mars and Venus.
Pluto Telescope Building
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The Clark Reflector Telescope
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Sunset Crater Lava Flow/Crater
Sunset Crater erupted around 1085 AD, making it one of the youngest scoria cones in the contiguous United States.
Sinagua Cliff Dwellings
The Sinagua built over 80 cliff dwellings into the natural alcoves of the limestone walls between approximately 1125 and 1250 AD.
Sinagua Pithouse
Pit Houses were primarily homes; the Sinagua also used the cool, subterranean environment for storage.
14-inch / 17-inch PlaneWave CDK
These Corrected Dall-Kirkham (CDK) telescopes utilize a specialized optical design to provide a broad, flat field of view. Located at the Giovale Open Deck Observatory.
Clark Dome
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Visitor's Center Origins Gallery Lights
The sculpture starts at the ceiling with swirling, spiral trails symbolizing subatomic particles. As it descends, the shapes evolve into more complex elements, ultimately culminating in stars, planets, and life on Earth.