I have a love affair with Route 66.  I love almost everything about it.  I wish I had control over it’s ultimate fate, especially my own little stretch of it here in Flagstaff.  I see older motels, restaurants and some gas stations leaving us like old friends who people no longer find attractive or useful – so they get mowed down.

I’ve had a vision for many years of a resurgence of interest in Route 66 – where money magically appears to help out some of these old guys – let them be renovated in their original image, but with updated amenities.  For instance, we have Route 66 Motels here that cover almost every decade since the Mother Road first came through.

Wouldn’t it be nice to stay in one that was representative of it’s era – but with a nice TV, wireless, new but retro looking decor, and more comfortable plumbing?  I think this idea has legs, but I’m not sure where the money comes from.

You don’t know what you’ve got till it’s gone, Joni would lament.  And I agree.  One by one, I’ve seen some of our original Route 66 product razed so something like a Walgreen’s could go in.  It’s so sad to me.

We’ve made it through a not so awful winter here in Flagstaff.  We’ve had a couple of snowstorms, but nothing hugely memorable.  However, there seems to be a new system moving in tomorrow – 8″ to 14″ above 6500 feet.  This happens every spring, so it’s not surprising.  But it’s a little sad, as we’ve had some nice springtime tease for the last few days, so of course, I’m looking outside to see what I might plant.  Ah well, it’s water, and we always need that out here in the high desert.  And, I’m betting it will be gone quickly.  So, cheers to that!

Though I love the briskness of fall, with the ever changing palette of color – I live in Flagstaff because we have the best summers I have ever experienced.  We have balmy days, with nights cool enough to leave all the windows open, and still have a cozy blanket to climb under.  The hiking opportunities are endless.  Generally, we just pick up and go camping when the spirit possesses us.  This summer though, flew by.  Too many responsibilities, too many obligations.

So, here we are now in the midst of Fall.  I think it’s time to get out there, and just enjoy it – before the snow flurries hit.  That is my commitment to myself.  Check back with me in a month, and see if I was able to achieve it.

This has been a beautiful Spring so far, April was heavenly.  Our usual windy conditions didn’t really show up, and we were able to get ahead on cleaning up the yard, with a few camping trips in between.  Here it is, May 1st, and I can’t believe almost half the year is over already.

I’ll be starting my sales season for the 2013 Discovery Map soon, so be on the lookout Flagstaff!

And I guess that means, so here I am!  I’ve been wanting to do this for a long time, and am happy to finally have something to check off of my long, long, list.

Although I hope to make this page serve a few different functions, I’m going to start with my reason for finally putting it at the top of my priority list.  I have to have somewhere to show off the pages of the Flagstaff Guest Directory – so two of my “tabs” will give information on my two businesses – the Guest Directory, and the Discovery Map.

Now that I’ve done some preliminary stuff to get this going, I’ll sign off now…to be continued.