On New Years Eve in Flagstaff AZ the long-standing tradition is the big Pine Cone Drop. The pine cone is a Volkswagen Beetle-sized electronic light display in the general shape of a pine cone which (spoiler alert!) flickers and opens up when lowered. It doesn't drop to the ground and explode into pieces as I'd hoped, but of course, we went to the 10pm/Times Square drop so if they'd demolished it then there wouldn't have been one left for the real show. Anyway, I'd romantically expected the tradition to have begun as an old bygone from the shoot 'em up wild west days, but I was disappointed to learn it began less than 10-years ago as a downtown hotels gimmicky tourist idea, and the original pinecone was a trashcan dropped from the upper balcony. It definitely packed em in and it was a fun time milling about the streets of Flag on a chilly New Years Eve. Kian barely made it and if it weren't for the fireworks his eyelids might have dropped along with the pine cone.
Opa, Uncle Zeke, Annie and Kian: all bars are kid friendly in Arizona!
They are gun friendly too which balances it out, I guess.
They are gun friendly too which balances it out, I guess.
Hanging out at a brewpub prior to hitting the streets for the big drop.
