Does it Seem A Little Weird?

Does it seem a little weird that we drop a pine cone to ring in the New Year here in Flagstaff?  Well ya it is a little weird I guess but it really seems to make sense.  Several thousand people from all over the southwest seem to think it makes sense as well.   Here in Flagstaff we have pointed trees that grow pine cones and we are at 7000 feet where we get snow and have mountains, yes all that right here in Arizona.
The whole pine cone thing is not too weird when you look at what other cities are doing to welcome in the New Year.   In Port Clinton Ohio, they drop the big Walleye; in Easton Maryland they do the crab drop, Fayetteville, Arkansas send down a big Hog and in Key West Florida drop a big red shoe with a woman in it or wait…. Maybe that is a man… Who knows… it is Florida…
Well… right here in Flagstaff AZ, Sam and Henry Taylor got a great idea in 1999 to build a big pine cone out of a metal trashcan and hang it up off the balcony of their historic hotel, the historic Hotel Weatherford.  After hanging it from their balcony the Taylors put out the word to several of their closest friends and this great event was born.  This year the pine cone took on a much more technical look and feel.  Bright sparkly lights blinking on and off gave the five feet by seven feet peculiar pine cone a whole new look and feel.
So on December 31st at 10:00pm (the drop for families) and again at midnight the gold and silver aluminum constructed pine cone will be dropped to welcome in the New Year.  Come on up to Flagstaff and watch our quirky pine cone get dropped right in downtown Flagstaff.  Take in a great dinner at the Weatherford or any of our great downtown restaurants.  Many of them have great New Years specials including Champaign.   Plenty of snow to hit the slopes on Friday at the Arizona Snowbowl, all slopes are open and skiing really well.

Happy New Year to you all!