Travel on Route 66 – See Williams
Posted in Family Fun, Food, Historic, Hotels, National Park, Scenery, Shopping, Southwest, Travel | By Shelley Gillespie | Tags: Grand Canyon, Hotels, Railroad, Southwest, US Domestic Travel
Since Williams was hosting the Disney Christmas Carol train recently, I had the pleasure of seeing this quirky and historic northern Arizona town.
Billed as the “Gateway to the Grand Canyon,” Williams is about 55 miles from the major attraction. They are small, but their marketing is powerful.
Williams is the starting point for the Grand Canyon Railway that provides a ride to the Grand Canyon, complete with staged train robberies and other entertainment.
Walking around town, all of the whimsical shops and restaurants, visitors center and municipal buildings are located within a three-block area. Driving in from Route 40 on old Route 66 from the east, the road is one way in the westerly direction; one way back going east.
Iconic Route 66
It is apparent that all of the shops find the Route 66 connection irresistible, since almost every one has signage connecting them to the picturesque old US Route 66.
Since the economy is dependent on tourism, we were glad to find the service uniformly courteous – refreshing these days!
When we stopped at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel, the desk clerks were extremely helpful and let us take a look at a room, which was nicely remodeled. They have an old-fashioned pub that was transported from England on the premises.
The shop owners have a sense of humor, as evidenced by decorations on the exterior of the Red Garter Bed and Bakery Expresso.
Red Garter Bed and Bakery
A tour of the shops of Williams might take an hour or two, but the visit is terrific as a prelude to the Grand Canyon.
Williams Arizona shop
Let’s Eat!
Cruiser's Rt 66 Cafe
Although we were planning to try out Cruisers Rt. 66 Café, since they had retro décor and a car above their parking lot, we wound up eating lunch at Pine Country Restaurant. We had heard great buzz that they had the best pie. And, we just love pie!
We devoured their robust sandwiches with homemade fries and saved room for dessert. But, we still didn’t have room for the pie!
So, we took home pieces of the combination blueberry, apple, peach pie. We like cream-based pies, but didn’t trust our cooler to get them home safely after our three-hour drive.
When we finally got home – ooh, the pie was luscious! Big slices and pieces of fruit, not cloyingly sweet syrup and giant, homemade crusts.
If you go… Williams has national brand motels (Motel 6, Super 8, Best Western, Holiday Inn, etc.), the Grand Canyon Railway hotel and other local accommodations. The Willliams Chamber of Commerce is a good resource for all things Williams, Arizona.
There are many restaurants since those heading to the Grand Canyon need choices. There is a Denny’s, but we recommend trying one of the local eateries.
Tags: Grand Canyon, Hotels, Railroad, Southwest, US Domestic Travel