Day 7: The Mother Road

66 - the long concrete path across the country, waving gently, up and down on the map, from the Mississippi to Bakersfield - over the red lands and the gray lands, twisting up into the mountains, crossing the Divide and down into the bright and terrible desert, and across the desert to the mountains again, and into the rich California valleys." ~ John Steinbeck

The famous Route 66 winds its way through Flagstaff, and is a main thoroughfare through the town. Here Route 66 intersects Humphreys, the main road up to Highway 180, which leads to the Snowbowl, the Grand Canyon and The Museum of Northern Arizona.

East to Albuquerque, or West to Los Angeles?

Day 6: The Superiority of Chocolate

"The superiority of chocolate, both for health and nourishment, will soon give it the same preference over tea and coffee in America which it has in Spain." ~ Thomas Jefferson

So wrote Thomas Jefferson concerning hot chocolate. And really, what is better than a mug of creamy hot cocoa on a cold winter day. I speak from experience when I say that a walk through the snowy woods is most perfectly concluded with a mug of cocoa.

Thanks to World Market I've procured a canister of Cadbury drinking chocolate. So, tonight I feel warm and cozy as I sip my chocolate, making winter memories in Flagstaff while reminiscing about a winter spent in Oxford.

Day 5: Sunset's Architecture

"All architecture is great architecture after sunset; perhaps architecture is really a nocturnal art, like the art of fireworks." ~ G.K. Chesterton

This evening the sun set a fiery orange. I've always been partial to sunrises and sunsets and tonight's was no different. I'm often driving when the sun crosses the horizon, which makes it difficult to get a good photo.

I snapped this photo as I was stopped at a light (yes, that light is actually red) tonight. The brilliant sunset makes for a great backlit silhouette, but a difficult to read road sign (Route 66). I think the sunset itself makes all architecture great - even an unattractive street lamp.

Day 4: A Bed to Read In

"We read in bed because reading is halfway between life and dreaming, our own consciousness in someone else's mind." ~ Anna Quindlen

I bought a bed today for my little room. It will be nice to sleep on a real mattress rather than an air mattress. Those things are cold! This is also noteworthy as this is my first big-girl bed. That's right, I've been using a twin bed my entire life. As of today, I have graduated to a full bed.

I still have mismatched bedding, of course. And my comforter is for a twin bed. But I'm taking this one step at a time.

Day 3: Baked Brie Baklava

Say what you wish; it's yours, true dish. How 'bout a little more baklava?" ~ Genie, Aladdin

My roommate's mom came to town today and treated us to lunch at Josephine's Modern American Bistro. Josephine's is an adorable cafe downtown. It is located in a craftsman bungalow that is on the National Register of Historic Places and at least a few people in Flag deem Josephine's the best restaurant in town .

I had a Brie-filled lunch that began with a turkey and Brie sandwich with apple cranberry chutney on date walnut focaccia. Delicious! But the desserts (of which the three of us ordered four to share) took the cake (pun intended). I chose this baklava baked Brie, and it was quite delightful!

Day 2: A Forest Clothed in Snow

"There is nothing in the world more beautiful than the forest clothed to its very hollows in snow. It is the still ecstasy of nature, wherein every spray, every blade of grass, every spire of reed, every intricacy of twig, is clad with radiance." ~ William Sharp

The sun came out today after a winter storm dropped 17 inches of snow on Flagstaff. I can't get enough of the snow, and the snowy woods. Walking a few miles in the beauty of God's creation is such a lovely way to end a day.

Day 1: Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening

"The woods are lovely, dark and deep..." ~ Robert Frost

There's something about dark tree trunks poking up through the crisp, white snow that I find beautiful. I took a little walk today, just a few blocks from my apartment. It was cold out - barely 20 degrees, with a single-digit wind chill - but views like this made braving the cold very worth it.