Verde Canyon Railroad is one of Arizona Travel’s favorite things to do in Arizona. Check out this article about the Railroad and if you’re a Dish Network subscriber or local Flagstaff resident, be sure to check out the student news special and take a virtual ride on this Clarkdale, Arizona family-favorite experience.

(Clarkdale, Arizona) The Verde Canyon Railroad had the pleasure of hosting three young film students from The Netherlands NHTV Breda University of Professional Education on Friday, May 30, 2008.
The trio is participating in a Northern Arizona University video production workshop presented by the school’s Electronic Media and Film Program.

“Eighty students will take part in two three-week workshops,” according to NAU professor Charlie Hicks.
In addition to the team assigned to the Verde Canyon Railroad, students fanned out across Northern Arizona attractions to gather material for a one-hour, magazine-style television program which will be broadcast on channels 4 and 59 in Northern Arizona, cablecast on UTV channel 62 (NAU’s student-run television station) and satellite delivered via the Dish Network on the Universityhouse channel. The program will consist of three shows, each made up of four 4-minute stories.

Aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad, the students looked for bald eagles, cliff dwellings and the amazing assortment of wildlife that live in this lush riparian habitat.

The Railroad’s Lisa O’Neill reports, “The students were excited to highlight the Verde Canyon Railroad experience for their audience. They asked great questions and were charming. We were delighted to welcome them aboard.”

Less than two hours from Phoenix and minutes away from Sedona, a ride aboard the luxurious Verde Canyon Railroad is a world away from pavement, parking and the searing Arizona heat. Slow the pace and appreciate the journey aboard the Verde Canyon Railroad!

This has been one of the best snow seasons for Arizona in many years. It would be a sin for me not to test out the fresh layers of powder snow blessing the sacred mountains of Flagstaff, Arizona. Sometimes living in Arizona, especially The Valley (Metro Phoenix), can feel a bit monotonous and even look monochromatic without the apparent changes of seasons. But really, Arizona’s best characteristic is its outdoor adventure potential.

A few weeks ago, I was posting the Flagstaff snow report on this blog and noticed that we were expecting another 4-7 inches of fresh snow. All right, for you Utah and Colorado ski elitists, that is nothing. But for us Zonie snowboarders, it means packing up the snowboard and heading up to the mountains immediately. I would have gone that night, except every place I called was completely booked already! When you only live less than a couple of hours away (again, the beauty of Arizona is being only a short road trip away from everything like beaches in Mexico, Las Vegas, one of the 7 Natural Wonders of the World – Grand Canyon) everyone gets a move on real quick.

A couple of my roommates and I stayed in that Friday night and rested up for the early drive to Flagstaff Saturday morning. The drive was a sight to see; the rain had brought the desert to life with blooming cacti, wild flowers and grass lining the highway. It was strange to see so much color across the horizon leading into the now green hills of the desert. I do love the aromas that come with desert rain. If you are visiting Arizona and happen to be here when it’s raining, don’t curse because your golf game was ruined. Consider yourself lucky to be experiencing something uncommon for the area and enjoy the rare scent the desert exudes just after the rain stops. It truly is unlike any other.

After climbing into the hills on I-17, we reached the scenic stretch that descends into the Cottonwood area, only to find the whole town hidden by a low, ocean of clouds.

Snowboarding at Snowbowl

To be honest, I had a great time snowboarding at Snowbowl. This place gets a lot of mixed reviews, but here are a few things to keep in mind so you know what to expect.

1) Snowbowl is great for families.Big Bear borders will not find the same “hell yeah” music being blasted from the lodge, nor Red Bulls being passed out like nudie fliers in Vegas. There is a college-age population though, being that Northern Arizona University is right there. But for the most part, this place is good family fun.

2)Black slopes are more like blue slopes & blue slopes are short. There are a few really great runs. This is a very good place to take yourself to the next level if you are still learning to snowboard. If you are experienced, you will find yourself at the top portion of the mountain the whole day with not a ton of options. But as snowboarders, I bet you can find a way to entertain yourself.

3) Ski lifts could be better. The green ski lift is a 2-person ride, so the line is slower if you go on a busy weekend. If you can handle it, go to the blue ski lifts. Those are 3-person and they haul ass. If you are going to the black slopes, you have to get off the blue lift and catch a black lift, which means you have to wait in another line. There is no express lift to the top. My suggestion, bring a flask, turn up your i-pod and relax. The sooner you accept the lift issues, the better your experience will be.

4) Training Park is good for beginners. In other words, it’s a pretty sad set up for boarders who have the slightest idea of what they are doing. There are a couple of boxes, no rails if I remember correctly, and maybe a couple of other obstacles. My suggestion, bring a flask and turn up your i-pod.

5) Book your hotel and rent your snowboards right away if there is new snow. Great snowboarding seasons can be rare. So if you hear that there is going to be new snow in Flagstaff, the chances are that everyone else in Arizona has heard the same. Book your Flagstaff hotel right away.

FLAGSTAFF, Ariz. (Sept. 28, 2006)—Northern Arizona University welcomed the largest class of new freshmen ever recorded as a result of setting an enrollment record this fall with 20,562 students.

The 2006 class of new freshmen stands at 2,846, compared to 2,279 last year—a 25 percent increase.

It is a class of increased diversity. Latinos comprise the largest ethnic student group on campus, and NAU saw a 40 percent increase in first-time freshman Latino students. The new freshman class also shows a 57 percent increase in Asian students, a 41 percent increase in African American students and a 12 percent increase in Native American students.

Overall, NAU posted a 34 percent increase among first-time freshman minority students over fall 2005.

“The new freshman class mirrors the overall enrollment of the university with increases in all ethnic student groups and reflects Northern Arizona University’s commitment to build an evermore diverse campus,” said President John Haeger.

The top four home states of first-time freshmen are Arizona, California, Colorado and New Mexico. The number of first-time freshmen from Arizona high schools increased from 64 percent in fall 2005 to 68 percent in fall 2006.

About 73 percent of all first-time freshmen are from Arizona, with 27 percent from out of state.

On the Flagstaff campus, the number of in-state freshmen increased over last year by 404 students to 2,024. The number of out-of-state freshman on the Flagstaff campus increased 121 students to 744.

While NAU continues to expand its out-of-state recruitment efforts, David Bousquet, vice president for Enrollment Management and Student Affairs, noted, “The university continues to accept all qualified Arizona residents for admission and that will not change.”

In addition to the increase in the new freshman class, NAU also saw its largest increase in transfer students, climbing from 1,603 in to 2005 to 1,721 in 2006.