Page to Flagstaff, Arizona – 4 November 2025

From Page, we continued south to Flagstaff, Arizona. As we approached the city, we drove straight into a thick blanket of smoke.

Flagstaff sits at about 7,000 feet and is home to Arizona’s tallest peak — Humphreys Peak — making it one of the highest cities in the U.S. Because it’s surrounded by vast ponderosa pine forests, smoke in the area is often from prescribed burns or nearby wildfires, which play an important role in forest management.

We stayed at the KOA, which had several walking trails leading directly into the forest. It was such a contrast from the red-rock desert just a couple hours north. The air smelled of pine, and the forest was alive with birds — woodpeckers, blue jays, and others I couldn’t name. One afternoon we even came across a herd of deer who paused to stare at us with wide, curious eyes.

Unfortunately, out of the three days we spent here, two were very smoky, and I didn’t enjoy the poor air quality. It must be challenging for locals during burn season.

When the air finally cleared a bit, we explored Flagstaff’s downtown. It’s a great mix of history, art, and mountain-town charm. Old brick buildings, colourful murals, quirky shops and pubs, and beautiful historic churches give the whole area so much character.

Flagstaff also sits on the BNSF transcontinental rail line between Los Angeles and Chicago — one of the busiest freight corridors in the country. Trains roll through constantly, sometimes 50–80 a day, and you can hear them echoing through downtown.

We stopped for a latte at a Tripadvisor-recommended coffee shop called Late for the Train. It’s such a fun spot — you can dispense, mix, and grind your own beans, which I absolutely loved.

As always, I’m on the lookout for places where we can see wild animals up close in a respectful and natural setting. So the next day, we visited Bearizona, a drive-through wildlife park that allows you to watch North American animals roaming in large, natural habitats right from your vehicle.

The park has a walk-through area for smaller animals like porcupines, otters, raccoons, and young jaguars, and then a drive-through loop that winds through sections filled with larger species — deer, massive bison, tundra wolves, mountain goats, and more.

And then… the bears. So many bears. Young cubs sprawled out in the sunshine, and older bears lined up along the road, enjoying their perfectly timed lunchtime snacks. Seeing them so close (while safely inside the truck, of course!) was unforgettable. Bearizona was such a fun and unique stop — definitely a highlight of our time in the area.