Autumn in the Arboretum of Flagstaff

Flagstaff is less than 200 miles away from Phoenix. So it is an ideal choice for a day trip or even a weekend getaway. If you browse through images on the internet, you will see a different landscape in Flagstaff when you compare it with the one found in Phoenix. There is a lot more green in Flagstaff. Because of the green, there are more chances of seeing green turning into yellow during autumn months. As the city promptly advertises an arboretum, it was just enough to tip the scale even down on an already made up mind.

What is an arboretum? Let us tackle this question first. To know an exact meaning, I would guide you to a dictionary. For me, it is an offshoot of a botanical garden but devoted to trees. Planting and nurturing plants is a difficult task. Now imagine doing that for trees. To do this successfully, you will need a vast area for many years. Being the United States of America, the land required for an arboretum is not a limiting factor. In the land blessed with abundance, how much does an arboretum occupy?

The Arboretum at Flagstaff is spread over in an estate of 200 acres. It is situated Coconino country and is very close to the city of Flagstaff. I took a turn into a small paved road named Purple Stage Trail from the interstate I-17. Within a few minutes, the road ceased to be paved, but it was still navigable for a vehicle. The cars on this trail whipped up a cloud of dust in their wake from the path, reducing visibility. While traveling in the United Kingdom, I have come across highly publicized areas…