Flagstaff Arizona

Here is a look at our trip to Flagstaff Arizona, in April 2025!  There is some snow!

The Painted Desert, Grand Canyon National Park, AZ

Sent in 1939, the back's description says-

The finest effects at the Grand Canyon are altogether uncommunicable by brush or pen.  They give themselves uponly to the personal presence, and no painter or writer can do more than suggest what they are.

Painted Desert Inn and Petrified Forest National Park Arizona

Check out the Painted Desert and the Painted Desert Inn in Arizona!

"Images of America: SEDONA"

After coming home from Arizona, I was still thinking about out brief visit to Sedona.  It is such a great, and historic little town.  It was a short visit, and it didn't satisfy my need.  Because of the weather and a couple of other factors, our visit was about half a day.  I need more Sedona in general.

So, I hunted down the "Images of America" volume on Sedona.  Janeen Trevillyan and Lisa Schnebly Heidinger (great-granddaughter of Sedona Schnebly), along with the staff of the Sedona Historical Society put this volume together.

It is a fairly standard "Images of America" entry- it's a quick read full of lots of pictures with descriptions of each one.  I especially enjoyed the chapters on the early days of the town, tourism, and movies made in Sedona.

Sedona is such a unique town, and I love everything about it- the art, the weirdness, the shops.  I have to admit though, I felt a little sad, as I read the book, and followed its transformation from a small town with farmers and ranchers, to the populated town, full of tourists that it is now.  I LOVE what it is now though.

I know it might be a while before I can get back to the area.  Reading this book satisfied a certain need for more info on the great location.

Sedona Arizona April 2025

We had a nice visit to Sedona Arizona in April 2025!

Leap For Life, Grand Canyon, Ariz

"This spectacular leap was performed by a Park Ranger at a point known as Douglas Fairbanks Rock about five minutes walk east of El Tovar.  The jump is 12 ft. from rock to rock as indicated, with a 2,000 ft. drop below, tho the Colorado River flows a mile below the Canyon Rim."

Sedona Pink Jeep Tour April 2025

Here is our mostly complete Pink Jeep Tour in Sedona Arizona!

Kolb Brother Studio Business/Trading Card

After our wonderful trip to Arizona....  well, I have still been on a big Arizona and Grand Canyon kick.  I am still in an Arizona state of mind.

I wanted to read up a bit on the Kolb Brothers.  I found out that Emery Kolb lived a very long life, going from 1881 through 1976.  His brother, Ellsworth (1876-1960), wrote a book about the brothers' boat trip through the Grand Canyon in 1911.

Well, the brothers had their studio for decades.  It is still there, by the way.  

Anyway, it seems Emery must have been accessible and met a lot of people.  Emery apparently signed a lot of copies of his brothers book "Through the Grand Canyon from Wyoming to Mexico." Signed copies are relatively easy to find.

So I bought one!  It is a fun read, and I am glad to have a signed copy.  So, while i was reading it, this promotional trading card for the Kob's business fell out!  It was a very cool bonus!
 

Royal Bengals Cigar Card of the Grand Canyon

 Here is another cool old promotional card relating to the Grand Canyon.  I love these!

Grand Canyon Arizona April 2025

Here is my video of our recent visit to the Grand Canyon!

"Over the Edge: Death In Grand Canyon" by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers

I am sure I have mentioned "Over the Edge:  Death in Grand Canyon" by Michael P. Ghiglieri and Thomas M. Myers before.  This is a fascinating book- it literally covers all of the known deaths in the legendary site.

I read the 2nd edition of this volume over a decade and a half ago, in between our previous visits to Arizona.  Well, I found the NEW, 2024 third edition while we were in Flagstaff, and I grabbed it!  I read Over the Edge again....  but this 3rd edition is a couple hundred pages bigger now.

Chapters cover murder, suicide, natural disasters, airplane accidents, etc, etc.  Each section has the authors telling various stories that are appropriate for the section.  They include, in this part, stories where people die but there are also survival stories.  A chart at the end of each chapter gives a chronological account of each event.

If you appreciate true crime, and just strange stories, this is a great volume for your bookshelf.  Some stories that stand out are the authors telling about how people attempting to launch into the Canyon in a car went up after the release of the movie "Thelma and Louise".  They also make some observations about accidents at Grand Canyon- testosterone is a definite factor when it comes to falls.

The book gives a good account of a crazy manhunt at the National Park.  The bad guy evaded police for some time while he was right under the nose of authorities.  He spent a night in the El Tovar Hotel AND he was even questioned by authorities who let him go, since he looked different from the picture they had.

The book goes on and on with unbelievable stories.  Some entitled campers make an emergency call (actually several) for obviously non-emergency issues (their water tasted funny).  Also very darkly, a couple of sad stories involve earlier editions of the book being found in the belongings of those who died.

This is one of the most fascinating books around- it gets my highest possible recommendation!

 

Kings Island Train Ride in Ohio

Check out the train ride at King's Island in Ohio!

Coca Cola Grand Canyon Trading Card

Here is a cool old trading card I found recently.
 

Diablo Burger Flagstaff Arizona

Check out the legendary "Diablo Burger" in Flagstaff Arizona!

"Flagstaff's Walkup Family Murders- A Shocking Tragedy" by Susan Johnson

Before our trip to Arizona, I picked up Susan Johnson's book on haunted Flagstaff.  She has a section about the Walkup murders in that book.  I was curious and found her full volume book on the strange event.

I know this is weird, but before taking a trip somewhere new, I try to read at least a couple of books on the area- usually some sort of haunted history book, and a true crime book.  Susan Johnson had me covered for Flagstaff.

This very sad story from the mid 1930s is a real enigma.  A mother murders her four children before driving to a local golf course to take her own life.  The family father/husband does go on to live a full life, but, for the most part, the crime is forgotten.
 

Devouring newspapers from that time, the information Johnson finds is...  well, nil.  The social sections barely mention the mother and the children are reduced to no mention.

The author speculates about the reasons and she has some interesting theories, but that is strictly speculation.

This is a fascinating read about a strange event that happened in the still very young town of Flagstaff.

Zane Grey- "The Call of the Canyon"

With our recent Arizona tip, I wanted to take a book with me to read relating to the area.  I always try to do this.  I feel like it makes the adventure even more special.

I googled around and found that Zane Grey's "The Call of the Canyon" was exactly what I was looking for.  Plus, if you look around, you can find old Zane Grey books for just a couple of bucks each at any used bookstore.

This one was written just over a hundred years ago, and set in the same time period.  It is a story about an upper-class young lady in New York, going to find her boyfriend who has moved out to the Arizona territory after the War.  Dealing with injuries and what would now be called PTSD, he sets up shop living a very rustic lifestyle.  His girlfriend tries to appreciate this, but she cannot.  She breaks things off and goes back to the big city.

She does go to visit an injured friend of her Arizona boy, who is recovering in a local hospital.  He admires her for sticking with her guy after his change from military service.  She feels ashamed to tell him that she broke up with him.  

The story goes on, and things do sort themselves out.  During the story, a lot of Northern Arizona landscape is described.  Also, Grey wrote the book while hanging out at a historic hotel in Flagstaff, where we were.








 

Matador Coffee Flagstaff Arizona

We enjoyed some Matador Coffee while we were in Flagstaff!

"Haunted Flagstaff" by Susan Johnson

As we planned our trip to Arizona (specifically Flagstaff) I wanted to read a good ghost book on the area.  I found that in Susan Johnson's "Haunted Flagstaff".

I found some fun general facts about Arizona early in the book.  There was a cool bit of info about the state's connection to Valentine's Day.  Also, though a far distance away geographically from the Confederate State of America during the Civil War, there was a definite link.

Johnson quickly gets to some interesting stories about Flagstaff.  A strange murder/suicide involving a school janitor gets the action going quickly.  In fact, its not the only murder/suicide covered in the volume.

Legendary author of cowboy books, Zane Grey is forever linked to TWO hotels here, even writing one of his famous books while staying at one site.

The author does admit that some stories are not verifiable (I appreciated her honesty) but the legends make the stories pop for sure.
 

Kings Island Ohio August 2025

We had a nice visit to King's Island in 2025!

Hoover (Boulder) Dam, Lake Meade and Lower Colorado River

Hoover (Boulder) Dam, one of the great engineering feats of man has transformed the once mighty Colorado into a placid blue lake.  This is Lake Mead, now a playground of the Southwest, famous for fun and beauty.

Sent in 1951 from Boulder City.

Antique Cars at Kings Island Ohio

We enjoyed an antique car ride at King's Island!

Twin Arrows Arizona April 2025

Check out the abandoned Twin Arrows in Arizona!

Pass Thru Guadalupe Mts, El Paso- Carlsbad Caverns Highway

Carlsbad Caverns Highway in El Paso.  The postcard is note postmarked.

Eiffel Tower Kings Island Ohio August 2025

Check out the Eiffel Tower at Kings Island in southern Ohio!

View From El Tovar Hotel, Grand Canyon

This great card was sent in 1951. The sender saw the Painted Desert and the Petrified Forest, but planned to see the Canyon the following day.

Woodland Art Fair Lexington Kentucky August 2025

Check out the annual Woodland Art Fair in Lexington Kentucky!