Cross Country Trip - What to do in FLG, Baggage Issue, Introduce Teens

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ChrisRice

Train Attendant
Joined
Sep 7, 2013
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25
Location
Tennessee
In a week or so my wife, daughter and her friend (both 20) and I will be taking a cross country trip NBN-CHI-FLG-LAX-NOL-NBN. We will be traveling in adjacent (across the hall) roomettes. We took a similar trip in the summer of 2014 that being NBN-CHI-(via EB)-SEA-LAX-FLG-SFW-(via CZ)-CHI-NBN. On our last trip we found Flagstaff to be our favorite city. We were there only for one night but it happened to be a Friday night and downtown Flagstaff was bustling with activity. When the AGR changes drove me to use some points under the old system we made sure Flagstaff was on the Cities to visit list. This time we will be in Flagstaff on a Monday and Tuesday. Anything we should be sure and not miss while there? Grand Canyon will take one day.

Parents if you want to spend some quality time with your "young adult" take a LD train trip with them. Works Great! Of course she is now a rail fan. She and a friend took the train to New York last summer to see a show. I knew she was hooked when she said "Dad how do those points work?" --translation-- Dad do you have enough points for us to go to New York to see a show and can I have them?

Baggage Question: My wife bought a bag online which was advertised as being 28 inches high. We just pulled it out of storage to begin packing and it is 28 inches high not including the wheels. With the wheels it measures 29 inches. I checked and the wheels are not easily removed. I thought I would just remove the wheels should the issue come up. It measures 13x19x29. NBN does not have checked baggage so from NBN to Chi and NOL to NBN we will "carry on" our baggage. Anyone think this will be an issue? I would hate to leave the wife and her bag at the station! :)

I recall one time at a NBN (flag stop) boarding a lady had a bag that was too large and the conductor gave her hard time about it and refused to load it. After some discussion he allowed it if she loaded it. I ended up loading it for her. The conductor was not happy but we moved on..She was a little disagreeable (the type that would argue with a sign post) and I do not blame the conductor for being a bit irritated.
 
I too really like Flagstaff and its people. But I only stopover on my visits to my sister in Phoenix. There is an excellent regular poster on this forum from the Flagstaff area, I'm sure he will have some valuable insight. I like the Lowell Observatory, especially in the evening into the dark, and if you have a car at your disposal, there are many National Monuments worth the drive for an insight into the past that we don't often experience.
 
As far as the baggage, 29" with wheels vs 28" - as long as the weight is under 50 pounds you can check it with no problems. As far as NBN, I don't know the situation but I would guess the bag was either very large (like 4 feet long) or much overweight (like weighing 100 pounds). Normally, the unofficial "rule" is "If you can carry it by yourself and load it by yourself, you can carry it on".
 
Meteor crator, petrified forest and painted desert all in one day trip from Flagstaff. Walnut Canyon, east of Flagstaff is also really cool, top of the list for sure!
 
I might be the excellent regular poster in FLG, just maybe. In addition to Walnut Canyon, the other two monuments that make up the group of 3 are Sunset Crater Volcano, where I volunteer normally on Fri. and Sat., and Wupatki. Depending on what else I might be doings private message me with your dates and I just may show you around. There is also the ski lift that goes up the San Francisco Peaks, actually Agassiz Peak, elev. 11,500.
 
I might be the excellent regular poster in FLG, just maybe. In addition to Walnut Canyon, the other two monuments that make up the group of 3 are Sunset Crater Volcano, where I volunteer normally on Fri. and Sat., and Wupatki. Depending on what else I might be doings private message me with your dates and I just may show you around. There is also the ski lift that goes up the San Francisco Peaks, actually Agassiz Peak, elev. 11,500.
I was just at Wupatki and Sunset Crater last week--Friday afternoon. Nice places and well worth a visit. I was a bit surprised at prices of motels in Flagstaff that night. Called 2 Super 8s and they were $149 and $159 a night. Later checked on computer and on Monday the same were less than half of that so I guess Friday night (and probably Sat too) are nights when Flagstaff is hopping. I found one after some looking for $60. It wasn't great but we were only going to spend the night so it was acceptable enough. Funny thing was that it was $60 and no cents. Guy seemed new like he didn't know exactly what he was doing as tax is usually 10% or more many places.
 
Lowell Observatory is right there in town on Mars Hill and only 1 mile from the Amtrak station as the crow flies.

The 25" Alvin Clark made refracting telescope Lowell and other astronomers used was recently refurbished.

Lowell saw things that didn't actually exist but other astronomers he hired made some significant contributions to astronomical knowledge while at Lowell Observatory.

V. M. Slipher discovered galaxy red-shifts (not Edwin Hubble) & Clyde Tombaugh discovered Pluto.
 
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