Flagstaff, Part 7 - October 4 thru 26, 2023

 From Flagstaff to Sedona is about seventy miles if you choose to go via Interstate 17, but only thirty miles if you travel State Road 89A, which descends through Oak Creek Canyon, a designated scenic highway with length restrictions.  The scenic part of the road begins at an overlook that shows some of the 2000 foot walls of the canyon.  Initially, the road has a series of hairpin turn switchbacks that provide a rapid descent.  By the time it reaches Sedona, the highway has lost about 2500 feet of elevation as it follows Oak Creek.

Due to its lower elevation, the canyon doesn't have aspen trees, but many other species provide color in the fall.  Although its fall "color season" is later than Flagstaff, I was hoping to see good color, and I think I was successful in that regard.  Traffic makes it difficult to photograph while driving through since there are few pullouts.  When possible, I simply stopped in the road to get pictures.  At the edge of Sedona, I turned around and drove up canyon, skipping that charming town for this trip.