Flagstaff, Arizona: It's All In The Altitude

Friday, September 19, 2014    We left Las Vegas.  Fifteen minutes later on the highway, 3 police cars, 1 black Ford Expedition police truck, 2 SWAT trucks and 2 unmarked police cars passed us, all within a ten minute period. 

A 45 minute drive from Las Vegas is Hoover's Dam. It is en route to Flagstaff, our next KOA, so we decided to visit the dam on the way. It required some advanced planning to ensure we would have adequate space to park Tacoma & Skylark.  

There is a security check before entering the parking area.

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/History/storymain.html

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/service/DamTour.html

The next two photos are views from our parking space.

                                               

                                                             water intake towers

                                                                    Lake Mead

               Arizona slipway only used two times to release excess water, 1934 and 1983

The following photos are taken from our walk to the visitor's centre. 
        Nevada Time                                                                                    Arizona Time

Nevada Elevator Tower   

http://www.usbr.gov/lc/hooverdam/History/essays/artwork.html 

                                                       View from the top of the dam

Winged Figures of the Republic 
http://www.roadsideamerica.com/story/23416
       

The next three photos are taken from inside the power plant. First a security clearance, then we watched a movie about the construction of the dam, then we took an elevator to the power plant, 54 stories below.

                                                                   the power plant

                                                  generator removed for maintenance

The floor from the upper rim of the power plant (the wire is from the guide's microphone)

After the visit to the power plant, we visited a museum.     

Here these murals describe the purposes of the dam: irrigation, electricity, recreation & employment.

                             

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/americanexperience/features/biography/hoover-kaufman/

Notice the quail? 

These two photos were taken from the observation deck.

                                                   

Then we visited "The Old Exhibit Building".  It is a museum within a museum, circa 1950's.  It was the original visitor's centre. There is a small area to view some historical information, then behind closed doors is a ten minute audio presentation of the Colorado River Basin "highlighted through a topographical model showing the location of dams and reservoirs along the river and its tributaries".  As you follow the narration, the model is illuminated by different spotlights.

The next four photos show the architecture of the women's washroom. This is on our return to Tacoma & Skylark from the visitor's centre.

The floor design is on the foyer floor.  The stairs  lead to the washroom, four stalls and two sinks.

Lake Mead

   

During our visit to the dam, the temperature reached 37 degrees. 

There was a noticeable change in temperature from 37 to 20 degrees when we arrived KOA: Flagstaff at 6pm.

Jonathan cooked steak for the week on the outside grill. He had lots of hot coals left over so he also cooked chicken.

We are now in higher elevation of 7,000 feet in a pine forest.

                                                                     Saturday, September 20, 2014 

                                                                                                                                               

                                                     

                                            There is a trail system behind our campsite.

After exploring our campsite, we visited Riordan Mansion. Timothy and Michael Riordan were Flagstaff businessmen who developed a successful logging industry as well as many other business ventures and community improvements. They married sisters, Caroline and Elizabeth Metz. After living side by side for many years, they built a 13, 000 square foot home in 1904. The mansion has forty rooms, and servant's quarters. The home had all the technology we have in our homes today: electric lights, central heat, hot and cold running water, and telephones.
 It is an example of Arts and Crafts style architecture, popular from the early 1900's to the 1920's. This architecture strives for simplicity, craftsmanship and the celebration of nature, shown in the use of local building materials. The primary building material for the home is Ponderosa Pine. The home features a rustic exterior of log-slab siding, volcanic stone arches, and hand-split wooden shingles. The architect, Charles Whittlesey, also designed the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon.

A guide led us through the mansion. We were not permitted to take photos in the home of Timothy and Caroline Riordan, or in the shared Billiard Room (the families' recreation room).
The following photos are ones we were permitted to take in the home of Michael and Elizabeth Riordan.

                                                                       In the dining room

Sideboard in dining room

Pantry

                                                               

                     
The blue glass, in the photo, is also on the outside of each window.

  

wallpaper that framed the bookshelves in the living room

                                                           * Living room*

                                                         *Living room* (left of piano)

   At the hearth (at the end of hallway between dining room and living room)

This is the front porch of Michael and Elizabeth's home. Covered porches, such as this one, blurred the line between the inside and the outside environment. The porches for each family were on opposite sides for privacy.

The fountain was constructed of native volcanic rock. Several animal and nature images are hand carved into the stone surface. "The grandchildren say this was one of Michael's favourite places to sit and read or write."

This stone circle was designed and used by the family for evening gatherings and fireside talks. It also recalls an Irish tradition that fairies could be deterred from creating mischief inside the house by providing them a place to dance through the night. 

Side profile of the Riordan Mansion

The gatekeeper's cottage

                                           View of the Riordan Mansion through the trees
                                         

                                                         Walking from the courtyard

 According to local Native American Hopi people, this katchina or spirit will protect the house. It is hidden under the inside right wall of the stone arch (seen above).

                                            Notice the hitching posts and mounting stones.

                          http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFHGY_Fire_Hose_Cart

http://www.waymarking.com/waymarks/WMFHH0_Playhouse

Information from: Self-Guided Walk brochure and http://azstateparks.com/Parks/RIMA/
For photos: http://riordanactionnet.org/riordan-mansion/