northern arizona - Purple Roofs

Starlight Pines B&B – Gay Owned Bed & Breakfast in Flagstaff, Arizona

April 2, 2020March 18, 2020 by J. Scott Coatsworth

STARLIGHT PINES B&B: FLAGSTAFF BED & BREAKFAST

Imagine stepping back in time to a place in the Arizona west where crackling fires welcome you, spacious guest room accommodations, and luxurious, claw foot bathtubs await you! Imagine staying at Starlight Pines Bed and Breakfast, a Victorian style house nested among the pines at the foot of Mt. Elden, in Flagstaff, Arizona.

Make us your home base while visiting the Grand Canyon (a bit more than 1 hour from our Inn) and Sedona (40 minutes south of our Inn) and many other area attractions within a 2 hour ride of our Bed and Breakfast!

You’ll love the old-fashioned romance of the antique-filled rooms, Tiffany lamps, complimentary beverages, free Wi-Fi, free parking, the full gourmet breakfast and the friendliness of your hosts, Richard & Michael, and their special Shih Tzu friends, Moo Shu and Taz – and our newest addition, Baxter our Puggle!

See the Starlight Pines Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Flagstaff Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals

Hiking the Vermilion Cliffs – Free Wheel Drive

November 28, 2018 by J. Scott Coatsworth

This area of Arizona and Utah is a hot spot for Slot Canyons. What is a Slot Canyon? Slot Canyons are narrow passages formed by rivers that are now mostly dried up. Slot canyons are significantly deeper than they are wide. Hikers can follow the dried river beds that pass through the canyons. Sometimes the canyons can be very narrow, filled with debris, or can fill with water in a flash flood. Meaning they can be dangerous and hikers must be prepared and not go solo.

The tragic movie 127 Hours was about a solo hiker exploring slot canyons in this area of the country. The most famous slot canyon right now is Antelope Canyon near Page, AZ. Antelope Canyon is on the Navajo Reservation and access to this slot canyon is run by people who live on the reservation.

Unfortunately, because this canyon has become so popular on Instagram the demand to see it has skyrocketed and the reservation charges a lot of money to see it. We’re not saying we’re mad at the people who run the sight, it’s not public land and they have every right to make money off of tourists. It’s just for the moment seeing Antelope Canyon was out of our price range. So, what are we to do?

Good thing this area of the country is packed full of similar if not equally as beautiful other slot canyons. This is how we became introduced to Vermilion Cliffs National Monument. This National Monument is huge! It’s also very different from any other National Monument we have been to yet.

By Laura and Camrin – Full Story at Free Wheel Drive

Northern Arizona Gay Travel Resources

Instagram Almost Ruined Horseshoe Bend – Free Wheel Drove

November 1, 2018 by J. Scott Coatsworth

Located outside Page, Arizona on the borders of Coconino and Navajo counties is the awesome landscape feature, Horseshoe Bend. Here the mighty Colorado River continues to cut through the land and has created a near perfect horseshoe shaped bend in the river.

From the parking lot it is only a .75 mile walk to the lookout area. Its a steady climb up and the bend isn’t visible until you reach the overlook’s edge. It’s free to visit and easy to access.

After spending most of the day in the Grand Canyon we didn’t arrive to Horseshoe Bend until nightfall. Laura was pumped for a chance at taking a photo with a good sunset. However, upon approaching the overlook we were met with hundreds of people. The whole area above the bend was crawling with people, wedding couples getting engagement photos, and drones. It was a nightmare. An hour before sunset the best spot for viewing the bend was already packed with people and their tripods. We had to tuck into a small spot off to the side to get a decent photo of the bend at sunset.

For those who don’t have Instagram, you may have never seen a photo or even heard of Horseshoe Bend. Well, thanks to a few popular people and social media this landscape has become a tourist hot spot galore. Several tourist buses stop through out the day and the parking lot is packed from sun up to sundown. There are scantily clad “models” posing like ballerinas on the cliff edges. We saw a wedding party complete with a bride in gown getting their photos taken here. One drone noisily buzzed above the crowd. We kind of knew it was going to be busy, we didn’t think it would be this busy. At least, we planned to stay the night and would be better prepared for sunrise.

The Lake Powell Recreation Area manages the “bend” and they are starting to put in better infrastructure to handle the crowds, including a deck with a railing near the overlook. As long as social media stays popular this place seems like it will remain popular.

By Laura – Full Story at free Wheel Drive

Northern Arizona Gay Travel Resources

Sedona’s Tlaquepaque

July 13, 2017 by J. Scott Coatsworth

We just spent a few days in Sedona – my first time there since I was about fourteen – and I gotta say, I love this little town. There’s so much art here, both in galleries and shops and out in the public sphere.

Sedona has two main shopping districts – there’s downtown, which has a few gems but is kinda filled with tourist traps selling t-shirts and cheap pottery.

But there is a great place to find an amazing array of quality souvenirs, from affordable kitchenware up to high-end sculpture and on-canvas art. It’s called Tlaquepaque – say it with me: Tah-Laa-Kwe-Packeee” – and it’s a gorgeous outdoor shopping center on the southern end of town.

Tlaquepaque is built in a Spanish Mission style, and it’s a pleasure to just wander the grounds, taking in the art and spending time sitting at the many fountains on a hot day and trailing your hand in the cool water.

There are so many great places here.

If you get here at lunchtime, start out at the Oak Creek Brewery – the food is good, and the second-floor location offers some gorgeous red rock views through the picture windows.

A short list of our favorite stores here: Cucina Sedona (really cool kitchen stuff); Esteban’s Pottery (OMG – we so almost came home with some of their gorgeous work); and The Inner Eye Gallery (just really cool art).

Tlaquepaque - The Inner Eye Gallery — The Inner Eye Gallery

We spent about an hour at Tlaquepaque, but I could have wandered around all afternoon.

A must-see while you are in Sedona. Here are some more examples of the public art that litters the place, and some of the nice views – enjoy!

Beautiful Sedona – Our Favorite Red Rock Photos

July 5, 2017 by J. Scott Coatsworth

We just visited Sedona, and took some great photos of the local red rock formations. Sedona is a truly beautiful place that’s surrounded by natural red rock formations, the remnants of sea sediment that was raised up and then slowly eroded over time.

So here are our favorite pics from the trip.

Downtown Flagstaff

July 2, 2017 by J. Scott Coatsworth

We just got back from a trip to Flagstaff and Sedona. I had a family reunion in Flag, and the day after, we checked out downtown Flagstaff.

Flagstaff is home to Northern Arizona University (NAU). It’s a beautiful campus, and it sits right on the edge of downtown, so Flagstaff boasts a lot of youthful energy, especially at night. We saw this in action when we went to the pride after party drag show – there was music on the streets and in venues up and down the downtown streets, and even a big outdoor movie screening in the heart of town.

While we were only in town for a couple hours, we did find a few cool things.

For lunch or dinner, we recommend the Lumberyard Brewing Company. It’s just across the railroad tracks from downtown, and has a comfortable industrial ambiance.

The food was really good too, and the service friendly. We recommend the hummus – it comes in two flavors, a black bean version and an edamame one, and the presentation is Southwest Awesome:

For shopping, check out the Old Town Shops, a collection of ten locally owned shops and restaurants, including the Flagstaff Chocolate Company to satisfy your sweet tooth.

My favorite store there? The Black Hound Gallerie – a super queer friendly store with tons of cool stuff.

The staff is friendly (and queer) and they offer some of the following merchandise:

Also, be sure to check out the old-timey phone booth, where you can hear poems recorded by a local artist.

We had a great time during our brief visit to Flagstaff, and plan to return in the future for more exploration.

Flagstaff Gay Travel Resources

Starlight Pines B&B – Gay Owned Accommodations in Flagstaff, Arizona

April 11, 2016 by J. Scott Coatsworth

Starlight Pines B&B Periodically we’ll feature one of our properties here to let our readers know about some great gay friendly places to stay: Imagine stepping back in time to a place in the Arizona west where crackling fires welcome you, spacious guest room accommodations, and luxurious, claw foot bathtubs await you! Imagine staying at Starlight Pines Bed and Breakfast, a Victorian style house nested among the pines at the foot of Mt. Elden, in Flagstaff, Arizona. Make us your home base while visiting the Grand Canyon (a bit more than 1 hour from our Inn) and Sedona (40 minutes south of our Inn) and many other area attractions within a 2 hour ride of our Bed and Breakfast! You’ll love the old-fashioned romance of the antique-filled rooms, Tiffany lamps, complimentary beverages, free Wi-Fi, free parking, the full gourmet breakfast and the friendliness of your hosts, Richard & Michael, and their special Shih Tzu friends, Moo Shu and Taz – and our newest addition, Baxter our Puggle! Our Victorian style B&B boasts broad, oak-plank floors throughout. Rooms are outfitted with antiques gathered from across the Southwest,, 14-foot ceilings, picture railings, and two wood-burning fireplaces. Our fabulous 70 foot wrap-around porch with swing is also very inviting during the Spring, Summer and Fall. Stunning Mt Elden Views from the Lily Room and guest balconies! This charming Flagstaff Bed and Breakfast is acclaimed a top 10 bed and breakfast by Phoenix Magazine and Arizona Highways. Additionally, awarded 2010 and now 2011 Best Accommodations by Arizona Pride Guide! So come to the mountains, to the pine-scented air and the cool, starry nights. Slip out of your normal routine and into romance at Starlight Pines Bed and Breakfast of Flagstaff, Arizona! Come visit us in this Northern Arizona paradise – Make your reservation today!

See the Starlight Pines Expanded Listing on Purple Roofs Here

Gay Friendly Bed and Breakfasts, Hotels, and Vacation Rentals in Northern Arizona

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