Arizona (Flagstaff)

Escaping the Heat: Flagstaff Adventures at Sunset Crater, Snow Bowl, and Beyond

Arizona summers can be brutal, especially in Tempe, where we’ve been riding out over 100 days of triple-digit heat. So, what do you do when the desert sun becomes unbearable? You escape to Flagstaff, of course! Even though we’ve been to Flagstaff more times than we can count, there were still a few spots we’d never visited—so we decided it was time to check Sunset Crater, Lowell Observatory, and Snow Bowl (in the summer) off our list.

Sunset Crater: Lava, Trees, and Life Among the Ashes

We kicked off the trip at Sunset Crater, and wow—what a sight! The landscape was surreal. Lava rock stretched out in every direction, creating this eerie but beautiful mix of dark, jagged earth and lush green trees popping up here and there. The contrast between the blackened ground and the vibrant patches of life was stunning, but what really caught my eye was a single leaf covered in water droplets (pictured below). It was this perfect juxtaposition of life and death—so captivating in a place shaped by volcanic fire.

And speaking of volcanoes, who knew Arizona had so many? Walking through Sunset Crater, it was easy to forget you were in the same state as the scorching desert we’d just left behind.

Snow Bowl: Gondolas, Hikes, and Jaw-Dropping Views

Next on our agenda was Snow Bowl, which, if you’ve only ever visited in the winter for skiing, is totally worth a summer trip too. We hopped on the gondola and rode all the way to the top, nearly 12,000 feet up. Once we reached the peak, we set out on a short hike, and the views were unbelievable—clear skies, rolling hills, and that crisp mountain air that makes you forget about the sweltering heat down south.

It’s hard to describe just how refreshing it was to be surrounded by such vast, open spaces, and the hike itself gave us some amazing photo ops of the sprawling landscape below.

Bonus: Backyard Bug Photos

Since I’m always snapping pictures wherever we go, I couldn’t help but throw in a few random shots from our garden back home. It might seem a little off-topic, but we love all the little bugs in our garden. Some of these critters, with their vibrant colors and intricate patterns, are just too cool not to share.

This Flagstaff trip was the perfect escape from the heat and gave us a new appreciation for parts of Arizona we’d never explored before.