USA: Arizona - Page 2

flion · #11 04-30-2009, 08:27 AM

In view of Brad's posting to the Calendar for our open house (5/16/2009), let me add that Flagstaff is a much improved destination for RV pilots. Our new(ish) airport manager for the past couple of years has shown a very GA friendly face. The local EAA chapter has also gotten more active (Brad is current president and I am secretary, so you've got someone to contact if you're coming this way). There are currently two flying RVs (both 6As) on the field and a -10 and a -7A being built on the field (hopefully, Brad's 6A will soon leave the garage and join us).

So, why pick KFLG instead of, say, Sedona? Well, we're a good central location if you want to stop and see the area. From Flagstaff you can easily get transportation to all the regional tourist locations: Grand Canyon, Red Rocks, Meteor Crater, etc. plus our own ski resort, Snowbowl, in season. Off season we've got great mountain hiking. As mentioned elsewhere, Flagstaff has Josephines, which is not our only great restaurant. I'd also list Cottage Place, Black Barts, and Jackson Grille among the ones worth the trip. We have historic restored hotels downtown as well as the usual assortment of modern hotels. And, if you get bored on the ground, most of the local sights are just minutes away by RV for airial sightseeing.

Lest I sound too much like a Flagstaff Chamber of Commerce flunky, let me also mention a nearby airport, Valle. Alternate home of Planes of Fame, there is a good aviation museum on the field and a hangar filled with a tri-motor and other antique, flying! aircraft. They host two airshows each year, usually with P-51 rides and tri-motor rides. And they also have the cars to go with their aircraft - recently they found the actual woody originally used at Valle as a shuttle for the Grand Canyon Airways operation and had it restored. Valle is another GA friendly field; the owner, John Seibold, has a genuine love for aviation.

prporter · #12 09-02-2011, 11:38 PM

The pics look great....can someone give a food report...?

flion · #13 09-03-2011, 08:18 AM

Food? It's just an excuse to sit and enjoy the views...

The old restaurant was good, I expect this will be as well.

prporter · #14 09-03-2011, 10:37 AM

here is the link- http://www.mesagrillsedona.com/ If anyone has been there yet, please give a report!

gbrasch · #15 09-03-2011, 04:42 PM

"I would highly recommend the Starr Pass Resort in Tuscon AZ. My wife and I recently visited here over Thanksgiving weekend. We flew into Tuscon International"

Scott, gotta learn how to spell it, but thanks for the write up, that is a beautiful place. Glenn in TUCSON.

Azemon · #16 03-07-2012, 05:51 PM

This is a great little airport with a friendly staff and a riverside casino close by. I think the casino (Bluewater) has a shuttle and has great rooms/rates and the Willow restaurant has a great (and affordable) wine list.

AZ Tripacer · #17 06-06-2012, 07:01 PM

The La Posada hotel in Winslow (KINW) is worth a trip. It is the last great Harvey House railroad hotel. The new owners have done an excellent job of restoring it. It's one of the classiest old hotels around. The rooms are named after the famous people who have stayed there. The restaurant is a gourmet's delight. I fly up from Phoenix a few times a year just for the food. It's an easy two mile walk from the airport if the crew car is out of service, or you can get a cab. Their website is laposada.org

az_gila · #18 06-06-2012, 11:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by AZ Tripacer

The La Posada hotel in Winslow (KINW) is worth a trip. It is the last great Harvey House railroad hotel. The new owners have done an excellent job of restoring it. It's one of the classiest old hotels around. The rooms are named after the famous people who have stayed there. The restaurant is a gourmet's delight. I fly up from Phoenix a few times a year just for the food. It's an easy two mile walk from the airport if the crew car is out of service, or you can get a cab. Their website is laposada.org

The hotel is a great visit and good food as stated above. It's about a mile walk from the airport, or a long wait for the local cab service...

The only other thing to see in Winslow was caused by the Eagles in 1972 - "Take it Easy" by standing on the corner on Route 66 -

Everything on the wall is painted, including the "girl in the flat bed Ford" and the eagle on the window sill.......

The airport itself is also historic - from wiki...

The airport was founded and paid for in 1929 by Howard HughesTranscontinental Air Transport as a transcontinental air route for Hughes' aircraft company (later TWA). The airport was paid for by Howard Hughes and designed by Charles Lindbergh while on his honeymoon. Lindbergh stayed at the La Posada in Winslow while working on it. For many years it was the ONLY all weather airport between Albuquerque, New Mexico,and Los Angeles, CA.

flion · #19 06-07-2012, 08:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by prporter

here is the link- http://www.mesagrillsedona.com/ If anyone has been there yet, please give a report!

I've been there a couple of times now. The menu has gone trendy (I guess that is to be expected given the touristy - is that a word? - nature of many of the visitors to the airport) but the food is excellent and the views are better than ever. The new restaurant is slightly smaller than the old but arranged so all the tables have a runway view. They also have a nice patio section. Plus, since they opened they have done some landscaping and there is now a grassy area with some pool-style seats so you can sit out and enjoy the views.

By the way, Sedona is fun for more than the local scenery. Since there's a lot of tourist traffic, there's usually some interesting aircraft to see coming and going. Last year a few of us were leaving the restaurant when the Boomarang landed. Needless to say, departure was delayed while we pored over the aircraft and visited with it's new owner, one of Rutan's engineers. Always an interesting time at Sedona.

flion · #20 06-07-2012, 08:17 AM

Looking back through the thread, I can see that a couple of other places should get a mention. Lake Havasu is a nice destination. The Flagstaff Slugs fly there occasionally, get some ground transportation, and have breakfast at a cafe under the London Bridge.

Another regular destination is Payson, with a very good restaurant right on the field. It's a pretty spot to fly to and there's enough activity to keep things interesting when the conversation at the table lulls.