Going home

I have spent the last three weeks revisiting my home of Flagstaff Arizona, and I will tell you one thing. That place draws me in like a magnet. No matter how many idiot tourists come in and trash the place, and no matter how many snobby assholes from Phoenix and California come in to try and take over my home, it is still my home. and I will always call it my home.

During the Fourth of July Parade some asshole decided to bitch and whine to me about him being crowded out by my mother, me, my daughter who is 3, and other spectators who had young children. He decided to bitch at me about it. I basically told him he can either move, or take up a complaint with the local police department, who were in fact behind us. Since it was a public street with lots of other people crowded in the street he had no right to tell us to move. Once there was someone else that was carting her kids in the back of a wagon that "crowded him out" he and his family left. Good riddance!

Fifteen years ago I promised everyone I knew I would move away from Flagstaff and Arizona somewhere else and never come back. Others had said the same thing, although they returned. I see pictures of the mountains, of the old buildings, of the landscape and something just draws me back. Maybe it's familiarity, maybe it's the homeyness, but it still draws me in.

There are some great businesses in Flag that are the cream of the crop, so far this is all I can list:

Late for the Train - Our local version of Starbucks for better priced coffees that taste better, and is locally roasted

NiMarco's Pizza- I have been going to this establishment since I was 4 years old, and it was a small shack on the corner of Beaver street and Cottage Ave. Now it's expanded and modernized. They make the best pizza ever!

Monte Vista Hotel- One of the great historic hotels that was opened in 1927. They can call it "Hotel Monte Vista" all they want, but to me, it's always gonna be the Monte V. I had booked a room while staying here for a night with my husband, and it is a night I will never forget.

Weatherford Hotel/Charley's Grill and Pub- Another great hotel with an added bar and grill. Their food at Charley's is superior and priced reasonable. The staff is friendly, and the building itself can tell you stories of old. Next Flagstaff visit I plan on booking a room at the Weatherford.

Granny's Closet- If you're into sports, beer and chicken wings this is the place for you. Granny's makes the best wings around. They also do Italian, and American dishes as well

Bun Huggers- The name gets a lot of snickers but they make the best burgers ever, period, end of sentence. FiddRuckers came to Flagstaff only to lose business in a year. I suspect the locals favored Bun Huggers better.

Animas Trading Company- This store may not be for everyone, unless you're into shopping at unique import stores. They sell items that are handmade in India, Nepal, Guatemala, South America, and other countries, mostly selling hippie style clothing. They also have other shops scattered downtown that sell beads and import furniture from the Far East. Never would you find anything from the U.S. sold here.

MatrAnne's Cafe- Originally called Martans, They specialize in Mexican cuisine. Usually for breakfast they are crowded with a line on the sidewalk. They sure do make a great meal though.

Campus Coffee Bean- This is also another local roastery that I like to drink at. Mostly this place aims for the university crowd, hence the name of the place

Bookmans Entertainment Exchange- Forget Barnes & Noble, this place has everything you can think of. Books, music, software, knick knacks, posters, DVD's, VHS cassettes, magazines, video games and systems, and clothing. They do activities for kids all year around, and are community involved. I love them because even if they are a resale secondhand shop, they always have the best selection of books and everything else for a great price. What makes them even better is you can sell your own crap to them and they can either give you store credit or they can pay you in cash for your items, depending on what they are. The Flagstaff store's roof recently collapsed due to heavy snow and rain, but they are still buying and selling at local events, and at the Flagstaff visitors center. They also have locations in Tucson, Phoenix, and Mesa.

Flagstaff's store is due to reopen in late fall of this year. Too bad I didn't get a chance to go to the store, mostly to surf the web and read the books before I buy them.

Other places I wished I could go were:

The Lumberyard Brewery and Grill

McGaugh's Beer and Smoke Shop

Tinderbox Kitchen

Alpine Pizza

Maybe next time....