Flagstaff
Where do Arizonans go to escape the summer heat? To this delightfully cool mountain town, tucked into a stunning landscape of lofty peaks and ponderosa pines. Some weird and wonderful things to see here include a meteor crater, created 50,000 years ago, a mysterious blow hole (at Wupakti National Monument), and lava rock at Sunset Crater Volcano. Learn about native people and natural science of the region at the small-but-intriguing Museum of Northern Arizona.
Williams
It’s on Route 66, all right, and the major “kick” in Williams is watching the Grand Canyon Railway train pull in and out of town. (Everybody waves.) Riding the train is a fun, hassle-free way to get to the canyon, with singing cowboys and a (mock) train robbery along the way.