Where Route 66, the wild west, and a national park collide.
In the days of yore , Williams had a rough report . TheArizonafrontier town was a shoes where cowboys , loggers , and railroad workers would get raucous , get intoxicated , and get into trouble — often at casinos and whorehouse , which were legal until 1907 . Today , Williams is less known for its high noon scuffle and more for its proximity to the Grand Canyon . It ’s a noteworthy stop onRoute 66 , which helped usher in a fresh geological era of road trip culture for Americans .
" Route 66 is what we call the female parent road , " say Mayor John W. Moore over dinner at Miss Kitty ’s Steakhouse . " It was the first route to reach L.A. from Chicago . It was the heyday of big Cadillacs and Buicks . There were a mint of roadside attractions . That ’s what made it democratic . " Williams in reality became the last formally dynamic reaching of Route 66 — a footnote in history that ’s germinate into a legacy the town celebrate today .
One of the closest cities to the south entering of the Grand Canyon , Williams stay on a great understructure for contrive a trip to the home parkland , peculiarly when a locomotive is involve . But do n’t kibosh there . This charming address feel like a head trip back in fourth dimension with much of its town nerve centre recognized on the National Register of Historic Places . So far , Williams seems prosperous poise its Old West culture with a zipline , gift shops , and other contemporary hint that reflect a growing demand for tourism .
Git your kicks.|Photo courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection
" We ’ve still receive an quondam feel for the room it used to be , " adds Moore . " I wish to call it a little town with a big warmness . "
Here are all the places to eat , drink , see wildlife , and establish yourself for a Grand Canyon adventure .
Welcome to Williams—time to leave
embarkation a string with theGrand Canyon Railwayis the most enticing grounds tourer come to Williams . The ride is 2.5 time of day each means with a three - hour layover at the South Rim in Grand Canyon National Park . There ’s a good opportunity of spotting tempestuous horses , cattle , and perhaps a fast - moving pronghorn , which is like a cross between a butt and antelope . You ’ll even see a few prairie dogs popping their heads out of the ground to watch the train depart near the Williams depot . ( Squint your eye and look for ‘em above pocket-sized mounds of shit . They ’re tiny — and preposterously cute . )
Splurge for a luxury cabin . It ’s totally worth it to load out on a prosperous couch while watch the scenery go by , specially the pine trees of the Kaibab National Forest . It ’s the best clip to step out on the train ’s rear platform and plume in all that impudent atmosphere . Plus the private legal profession is a skillful bonus . Sip on a Bloody Mary ( load with Worcestershire , Tabasco , and European olive tree brine ) on the manner to the Grand Canyon and a Tequila Sunrise on the way back . The journey include a Wild West show outside the post before going away , live music onboard the train , and a bandit heist — so have your peak quick during the " robbery . "
Go on a South Rim binge
There are two ways to enjoy the South Rim of the Grand Canyon while in between train drive . Some opt to take a bus tour — but do you really want to sit down again so shortly ? Take matters into your own hands and research the country ’s largest hole in the undercoat sans spell scout .
Here ’s how to maximize your time . The railroad train depot is veracious by the El Tovar Hotel at the Grand Canyon Village . Hang a rightfield and walk north-east along the rim to the Geology Museum at Yavapai Point . The views do n’t get any better than this — and deplorably any exposure you take just wo n’t do the canyon DoJ .
Sweaty palm and anxious second are n’t unusual with a two - foot stone barrier — and sometimes nothing at all — ramify you from a usurious drop and a potential nightfall that would guarantee certain death . So take it easy on ambitious selfies . ( It ’s odd that we trust human beings to be responsible here , but most of ‘em actually are . )
Not sure I’d be as happy to see this sight out the window.|Photo courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection
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The integral base on balls is on a paved track and little more than an minute rung trip at a regular walk pace . When you get back to the Village , catch a bite to eat at one of the restaurant , check a short plastic film at Kolb Studio , and visit Lookout Studio , a talent workshop with a balcony platform and winding terrace carved into the canon rock .
Whatever you do , get back to the wagon train on time . It runs on a pissed schedule and wo n’t wait around for strayer . If three time of day is n’t enough , pass the night at a cabin or the historicEl Tovar Hoteland return via train the next day .
Walk the nostalgic streets of downtown Williams
With your Grand Canyon train ride out of the way of life , take an special day or two to see what Williams is all about . The business district striptease is exceedingly walkable and easy to sail with historically preserve building framed by a pair of one - direction street . Businesses come and go , but the atmosphere has n’t exchange much since road tripper start pass on through in the 1930s .
The legacy of Route 66 is celebrated byPete ’s Gas Station Museum , a detached appeal of exhibits ( donations welcomed ) inside an old fill station . One room picture off vintage pumps and other travel - related antiques . The 2nd room is a talent shop .
Wild West Junctionis a hotel that seems to go even further back in clock time to the frontier day . You ’ll find facade of a barbershop , jail , and other Old West byplay around a townspeople second power with breeze tables and string lights . The complex includes the four - way Drover ’s Inn and Branding Iron Restaurant , which temporarily closed its dining room , but continues to serve BBQ at the neighboring Long Horn Saloon .
Definitely worth a three hour pitstop.|Photo courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection
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Eat classic Americana burgers, steak, and pizza
TheRed Ravenis the dining topographic point topical anesthetic always recommend first ; and it ’s the closest affair to a fully grown metropolis restaurant in Williams . It has a charming dining room with a brick rampart , wainscotting , and a offbeat mix of framed paintings and vintage china hang on the walls . It does n’t do much to reinvent the wheel , but the lamb sirloin is a nice surprise and the charbroiled duck titty is a satisfying beauty that equilibrise a dulcet cranberry sauce with the savory combination of mushrooms and risky rice .
Miss Kitty ’s Steakhouseisn’t fantasy , but it ’s a vibe . The principal dining room is the bombastic , more buttoned - up option , with two levels of tables , improbable roof , and flowage of light from the vast windows . But the cocktail waiting room is a little more fun : messy and worn - in with a touch of pandemonium and country euphony play at just the right volume . Every steak comes with two sides and a salad , and you might get a mirthful look if you ask for fossil oil - and - vinegar as your dressing .
For a few more quick - fire dining options , Station 66serves woodwind instrument - fired pizza with a broad terrace and a rooftop deck . Cruiser ’s Cafe 66was originally a telegraphy office and after a gas station , but is now a Greco-Roman American dining compartment that mesquite - smokes its own BBQ on the front patio . It also has one of the skillful natural endowment store in township . Anna ’s Canyon Cafeserves breakfast all day with a grave emphasis on Mexican dishes inspired by the possessor ’s family recipes and scratch - made sauces . The Huevos Rancheros have an off - menu " Christmas - style " choice with blood-red and green chili on the same dental plate . WhereasPine Country Restaurantis also democratic for breakfast , but well known for a killer batting order of homemade pies . If you ’re forgetful on time , involve for a gash to go .
Memorabilia galore.|Photo by Rob Kachelriess
Get up close to wildlife in Bearizona
After the safari - style drive - thru , visitors park their gondola and venture into the park for an on - understructure menagerie experience . It in the main boast low brute ( like Fox , castor , and bobcats ) , but a few elk and young bear have their own enclosure . If you do n’t see the racoons , look up into the trees . The otter love an audience , play it up with near - Olympic levels of synchronized swimming . You ’ve got dining ( restaurants and food for thought trucks ) , plenty of room to slow down and yes , hard drink , include a localize take on a Bloody Mary with Arizona Hot Sauce . Tickets are reasonable ( $ 20 - 35 ) , but an annual pass allow the most value while challenging the limit of how many people you could fit into a single car .
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Drink beer made for the outdoors
Williams is unquestionably a beer town . When visitingSouth Rims Wine & Beer Garage , you ’ll hear lots of detail about the brewage on spigot ( proudly Arizona - made ) and little about the wine ( a few options posted on the wall ) . Either room , it ’s a coolheaded little haunt renovate from an automobile garage . An idealistic leg was build over the alignment racks , but the best seats are on the terrace .
TheGrand Canyon Brewing Companyshows what the town is able of when making its own booze . The homegrown 40 - cask brewhouse is responsible for for eight core craft beer with a few rotate seasonals . The fellowship also makes its own small - batch spirits and has the good cocktails in town . Substitute the Bond Fire smoke single malted milk in the Old Fashioned . The two - level bar is decked out in wood interior decoration from top to bottom for a Wild West cabin experience .
TheHistoric Brewing Company Barrel Houseis a showcase of Flagstaff brew in a building that was once a saloon . Choose from one of 16 beer on tap while have fun with Skee Ball and a shooting gallery game . The streak also makes cocktail to go — commodious for when it ’s time to head back to your hotel elbow room .
If you really require to do what the topical anaesthetic do , spend time at theCanyon ClubandSultana Bar . Both place are entire dives , but have a heavy societal vim with crowded puddle table , later - night hours , and ratty dollar bills among the cluttered interior decoration clinging to the walls . The former hosts regular karaoke nights , and the latter has no shame in zigzag up ' eighty heavy metal .
Okay … so you want some wine after all ? Williams has the only public tasting room for theGrand Canyon Wine Companywith a cozy mix of countrified and Mid - Century Modern interior decoration . The troupe ’s full batting order of vino , distilled in nearby Verde Valley , is available along with an outstanding light - embodied Mourvedre .
Find out what a zonkey is
If you did n’t get enough time with the animals at Bearizona , survey up with a visit to theGrand Canyon Deer Farm . It ’s a much more personal experience – and maybe even more endearing – where guests are invited to hang out with tons of European fallow deer , who bang to deplete out of your helping hand . Do n’t worry , they ’re birth without top teeth , making the whole cognitive operation dependable and easy for all postulate . The deer can get a little pushful , but that ’s part of the playfulness , when they tug on the back of your shirt to get your tending . The Japanese Sika deer incline to hang back and run it cool . Either way : cuteness overload .
The farm follows a childlike formatting , allowing Edgar Albert Guest to drift at their own pace , crossing path with other animals , include tumid ones like elk , reindeer , a zonkey , ( zebra + Equus asinus = zonkey ) , and a camel nursing bottle - raised on the farm from when she was a calf 14 yr ago . Most of these creatures are as friendly and endearing — a will to the owners , who often deliver animals abandoned or facing grimness in the wild . For a few extra dollars , you could have a " usance brush " with the wallabees or porcupine ball ( yes , really petable ) with 15 minute of private feeding .
Roller-coast down a mountain
The newest attraction in Williams is the Canyon Coaster , a small adventure park that opened in April . The independent attraction is Arizona ’s first - ever alpine roller coaster with single cars controlled by its passenger — push the handles forrard to accelerate , root for back to Pteridium aquilinum — with gravity doing the work . The ride can reach up to 35 Admiralty mile per hour at full speed , but it ’s more about the scene than the thrill , with the track twirl and turn down spectacular mountainside and pine tree thought . The cars have computerized sensors to prevent collisions — but there ’s enough elbow room in between each one to not worry about it .
The park also has a tubing J. J. Hill with conveyor belts bringing guest to the top . slew down snow during winter or a specialized track between spring and dip . Wax can be add to the bottom of your inflatable sled for a little extra zip . Canyon Coaster is rolling out a full kitchen and lounge ( with sandwich , salads , chili pepper , and mac n ' Malva sylvestris stations ) and a second - level outdoor deck of cards to savour the views and firepits with a drunkenness .
Where to stay in Williams
The principal striptease in Williams is dominated by motels and deduction hotels . You ’re good off at theGrand Canyon Railway Hotel , properly next to the train storage and a close walk to almost everything in Ithiel Town . The hotel hostsSpenser ’s Pub , a cocktail lounge with a few Arizona wines and spirit function from a dark oak tree English backbar handcraft in 1887 .
The old hotel is not to be confused with theGrand Canyon Hotel , which is another fantastic selection and see back to 1891 , lay down it the oldest hotel in Arizona . Each of the 29 rooms has its own design and topic . A few partake a bathroom , so choose carefully when placing a reservation .
TheRed Garter Innhas its ploughshare of history too . It was once a saloon and bordello , and its four rooms are decorated to match the furnishings of more than a hundred year ago — prove the more things change in Williams , the more they stay the same .
Because Americana stole pizza from Italy.|Station 66
Get on the grizzly train.|Bearizona
The way nature intended.|Historic Brewing Company
How in the world did its parents meet?|Grand Canyon Deer Farm
Preferable to hiking.|Photo courtesy of Canyon Coaster Adventure Park
Rustic on rustic.|Photo courtesy of Xanterra Travel Collection
