Once upon a time in the mid-1800s Flagstaff was home to a few sheep herders and ranchers who settled the land under the Homestead Act. That all changed when the railroad came through around 1892 and the tiny settlement at the base of the San Francisco Peaks sprouted saloons and gambling halls (and a few merchandising stores) almost overnight. The town avoided the fate of many a railroad boom town because of the foresight of businessmen like E.E. Ayer, who opened the town's saw mill just weeks after the first train ran through. The saw mill provided steady employment for men and their families and where there are families, churches, schools and mercantile ventures sprang up. Not that the saloons and bars disappeared! The vices of the West remained and many a colorful character was known to wander the town, looking for a gun fight or a game of poker to pass his time.

For a breathtaking view of one of the world's most popular natural wonders, Grand Canyon Whitewater in Flagstaff, Arizona, offers multi-day whitewater rafting tours through the Grand Canyon.