Arizona Day 5: Landmarks and a Volcano Oh Hail, yeah!

My daughter, Christina and I knew that day 5 was going to be our best opportunity to travel the hour north to Flagstaff, but it likely was not going to be pretty.  Waiting for a good weather window, we headed from Oakcreek Village to Flagstaff around 11 a.m. where we stopped for a tour of the Riordan Mansion that is located adjacent to the Northern Arizona University.  We were lucky that they allowed us 2 travelers trying to escape the cold to join the 1 hour tour of the home without a reservation.  Though we have many photos of this historic location, we agreed that we would not share any on social media as requested by the guides.  The tour of the 13,000 square foot was fascinating and well worth the $12. It was filled with the history of the Riordan Family, who helped in the development of the town of Flagstaff including employing many people through their lumber business.  The unique house was filled with the families artifacts down to their bed sheets and quilts.  After the inside tour and wandering around the museum in the 2nd side of the home, we braved the cold to wander around the outer grounds following the numbered markers sharing the story of the property.  Though the weather wasn't ideal, I could still allow my mind to travel back in time and see what the land once was.

I was excited as we traveled to our second stop of the day. This was one of my favorite  stops during my previous trip in 2021, Sunset Crater Volcano National Monument. I found such peace among the lava rock, trees and nature-filled landscape.  I was shocked and saddened when it looked so different from my memories.  I had forgotten about the Tunnel Fire the engulfed the park 7 months after our visit in April of 2022.  I still found peace among my sadness.  I had to remind myself that the this is how the earth renews herself as I hiked along the Lava Trail among the lava rocks and lava tubes at the base of the volcano.

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Our next stop was at Wupatki National Monument. The Native American 104 room dwelling did not hold the fascination and interest it had on my first visit.  Maybe it was the cold strong wind whipping our faces or maybe we had hit a wall of tourism.  We walked around the site and read about the various rooms and history, but we eager to get back into the car and head to Rt 66 for some tacos.  The tacos at MartAnnes  hit the spot and I was glad because it was a bit off the beaten path for our journey home.

Leaving the restaurant with full tummies and returning to our car is when our journey took a turn to adventure as we drove back to Route 89A.  The air was crisp and the sky was bright and blue.  My daughter commented on the beautiful sky as we drove along the highway up into the clouds.  She took this photo.

As we climbed in elevation, the weather quickly turned from bright blue skies to menacing dark clouds within 4 minutes of her first photo.

Within minutes the roads went from dry to wet then slushy to completely snow covered.  The speed limit of 75mph drastically reduced to 35 mph.  We were still climbing in elevation to 7,000 ft.  As we peaked the top and began our descent into the canyon, the car began to be struck with quarter size hail.  There was no option but to continue driving slow and steady.  I knew that we would drive out of this weather, but how long would it take?  The hail only lasted about 4 minutes when the weather and road conditions began to reverse itself.  As quickly as we drove into the storm, we drove out of it.  It was a long drive for that 20 minutes or so, but we were safe and returned to the condo to a nice big glass of Sauvignon Blanc. The next day we discover 3 chips in the windshield due to the hail.  It was a blessing that we were safe.

Expect the unexpected when traveling.  The best laid plans can change on a dime.  Stay calm and have a plan.