| Arizona Via the Four Corners Flagstaff to Tonalea, Arizona This endless adventure takes you through rock formations, restored Aztec ruins, and Native American pueblos. Begin in Arizona at the Lowell Observatory where the planet Pluto was discovered in 1930. Walnut Canyon National Monument has many small cliff-dwellings dating from AD 1150 to 1225. A view of the southeastern edge of the Grand Canyon National Park is a must: the natural wonder is 278 miles long, four to 18 miles wide, and more than a billion years old. The Four Corners Monument Navajo Tribal Park is the only spot in the United States where four states Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado meet. Use our route planner to find hotels for your next trip. | BEST OF THE ROAD:
|  | ||||||||
 | | |||||||||
| Museum of Northern Arizona 3101 N Fort Valley Rd Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Call (928) 774-5213  |  | This museum's displays of regional natural history, archaeology, and Native American art illustrate the cultures of northern Arizona tribes and their basketry, pottery, weaving, kachina dolls, and ceremonies. Highlights include a full-size kiva model with a wall painting from the ruins at Awatovi, an art gallery featuring Indian and Western art, and a museum shop that sells Indian crafts. A bookshop offers a large selection of books and posters related to the region. Museum-sponsored festivals celebrate Zuni, Hopi, Navajo and Hispanic cultures. The museum is three miles north of Flagstaff on US 180. | | |||||||
| Arizona Historical Pioneer Museum 2340 N Fort Valley Rd Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Call (928) 774-6272 |  | Located in a historic hospital building, this museum contains artifacts and exhibits from the history of Flagstaff and northern Arizona. Exhibits include a 1929 logging locomotive, Santa Fe caboose, 1908 Doney cabin, livestock equipment, household objects, and costumes. An extensive collection of photographs and documents is available at the Northern Arizona University Cline Library. School tours and special demonstrations are available on request. The museum is closed on Sundays. | | |||||||
| Coconino Center for the Arts 2300 N Fort Valley Rd Flagstaff, AZ 86002 Call (520) 779-6921 | | The Coconino Center for the Arts is a multicultural organization dedicated to excellence in the visual, performing, literary, and educational arts programs. The Center features rotating exhibitions of local and regional artists and craftspeople, as well as the works of students from Flagstaff. A theatre offers concerts and other performances. It is located on Fort Valley Road (Hwy 180 N). | | |||||||
| Lowell Observatory 1400 W Mars Hill Rd Flagstaff, AZ 86001 Call (928) 774-3358 | | Founded in 1894, Lowell Observatory is the site of the discovery of the planet Pluto in 1930. The center houses a hands-on exhibit hall, which is the only facility of its kind in the area. Public viewings through the telescope are available on selected evenings. Daily daytime tours are also available. Take I-17 into Flagstaff, it becomes Slane Rd, becomes Milton Rd, make a sharp left turn under the railroad bridge on Santa Fe. It becomes Mars Hill Rd. Summer hours are 9am to 5pm and winter hours are 12pm to 5pm. | ||||||||
| Walnut Canyon National Monument 6400 N. Highway 89 Flagstaff, AZ 86004 Call (928) 526-3367 | | More than 700 years ago, Sinagua Indians settled in the shallow caves of Walnut Canyon and built 300 rooms in the shelter of the canyon walls. The community thrived in the canyon for approximately 150 years. Descendents now live among the Hopi Indians in northeastern Arizona, whose earliest villages date from A.D. 1100. Today, the cliff dwellings tucked into the walls of beautiful Walnut Canyon offer us a hands-on history lesson. You can get a close look at the cliff dwellings by following the Island Trail down into the canyon. This self-guided, one-mile round-triptrail descends 185 feet. Bear in mind that you must climb that distance on your way out, so allow 45 minutes to an hour to complete the hike, especially if you're not acclimated to the 7,000-foot elevation. If you have any heart or respiratory problems, Island Trail is not for you. The easier three-quarter-mile Rim Trail loop leads you to two stabilized surface dwellings and includes two spectacular overlooks. Signs along the way point out the unique mix of vegetation that thrives in Walnut Canyon and explains how crops such as corn, beans and squash, were grown here. In summer, rangers lead off-trail hikes and give interpretive talks.The monument is located 7.5 miles east of Flagstaff on I-40 then off exit 204 (Walnut Canyon National Monument Exit). The monument is open from 8am-5pm in May through October and 9am-5pm November through April. | ||||||||
| Grand Canyon National Park Grand Canyon, AZ 86023 Call (928) 638-7888 | | Time and erosion have carved out a natural wonder that is every bit as grand as its name. A mile deep and up to 18 miles across, the awe-inspiring Grand Canyon cuts across 277 miles of northern Arizona. Over the course of the day, sunlight on the exposed layers of rock creates an ever-changing set of postcard views dominated by golds, oranges, and hazy blues. Far below the rim, the mighty Colorado River twists and turns, alternating stretches of tranquil water with some of the world's most exciting white-water rapids. No one is sure exactly how the Colorado River formed this immense chasm over the last five million years, but exposed rocks deep within Grand Canyon National Parkare almost two billion years old. | ||||||||
| Navajo National Monument Tonalea, AZ 86044 Call (928) 672-2700 | | Navajo National Monument in Arizona protects three remarkably preserved Anasazi ruins, two of which are open to the public. Betatakin, or "Ledge House," and Keet Seel, Navajo for "remains of square houses," were built in the mid-13th century and inhabited for only 50 years before they were abandoned. Betatakin housed 125 people, while Keet Seel is the largest Anasazi ruin in Arizona. A third ruin, Inscription House, has been closed since 1968 for its own preservation. Although the Navajo Reservation now surrounds the monument, the Navajo, who are thought to have migrated to the area in the 15th century from what is now Canada, are generally not believed to be descendants of the people who built these communal dwellings. Rather the Anasazi are thought to be the ancestors of modern Hopi and Pueblo tribes. | ||||||||
| ||||||||||
| | | | | | | | | | |
|
Franchise Opportunities |
Company Information |
Careers |
News Room |
Hotel List |
Destinations
Online Privacy | Terms of Use | Site Map LQ Management LLC © 2009 LA QUINTA and RETURNS are registered in the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office |
|
 |
 |
Arizona Via the Four Corners