The stretch of Route 66 running through Flagstaff stays busy all summer. Come fall, the crowds thin, the air turns cool, and the aspens start to turn. Locals have their own version of this trip, and most of it sits a few exits off the usual map.
Ten minutes east at Exit 204, Walnut Canyon National Monument drops 240 stairs into a limestone gorge lined with Sinagua cliff dwellings, 25 of them close enough to step inside. Mornings are quiet and the light on the alcoves is best before noon. The climb back up is the part people remember.
Head north on Snowbowl Road and the forest opens into aspen groves that run gold from late September through October. Pull off at Aspen Corner for a quick look, or pick up the Kachina Trail from the Snowbowl lot and walk fifteen minutes past where the crowd thins out. Check the Discover Flagstaff Leaf-ometer before heading up; color moves fast at elevation.
Back in town, take a detour down Mike's Pike, the 1926 alignment of Route 66, where Mother Road Brewing pours out of an old laundry building and Riordan Mansion sits a block over, a 1904 Arts and Crafts duplex built for the brothers the street was named after. Tours are guided and book up fast this time of year, so reserve ahead.
Then come back to the Backyard at Americana Motor Hotel, where the fire pits stay lit and the heated pool makes a cold mountain night worth staying up for. Book your stay and take the long way in.