A quick dispatch from Catherine (Carpenter) McDermott tells us she will retire this year after a career in neonatology. She and her husband are moving to Flagstaff, “where hiking, kayaking, cross-country skiing and learning high altitude cooking are all on our ‘to do’ list.”
It's easy to understand Catherine's interest in Flagstaff. As the official Flagstaff website says, "At an elevation of 7,000 feet (2,135 m), in the midst of the world’s largest ponderosa pine forest, Flagstaff is a four season hub of activity where an eclectic mix of small town charm and endless outdoor adventure beckons." Read more.
As the years went by since Elise and I moved to Fort Collins, Colorado, this beautiful, panoramic countryside and non-stop economy attracted many thousands of others. The population here was about 80,000 when we arrived 25 years ago; today it's about 140,000.*
As the crowds closed in, we often asked, "What's the next place?" If we were to move again to a place that's still pristine and not dominated by malls and traffic, where would it be? Flagstaff has always been near the top of the list. Check it out.
* I must add a disclaimer here. We're actually very fortunate that, thanks to the great prosperity here in Fort Collins, the city has the resources to apply a lot of smart city planning and technology to minimize the usual downside of such growth. Although it's growing quickly, Fort Collins is a beautiful city...and we live out in the open country to the north...and it's the craft brewing capitol of the Rocky Mountain West...and it's fast becoming a music capitol, too... But still, it's not like Flagstaff anymore.