Mileage Driven: 60 miles
Points of Interest: Goldie’s Route 66 Diner, Bearizona, Cataract Creek Gang Shootout, Pine Country Restaurant, The Railhouse on 406 Air B&B
Fun Fact about Williams:
- Williams was the last city to be bypassed on Route 66.
It was time to say goodbye to sleeping in my sweet special tent with the boys and head to a bed, wifi, shower and laundry in Williams, Arizona. It was nice because today was only a 60 mile drive south before we reached our stop for the night but as you know by now, I had things planned for us to do along the way that I was hoping the boys would enjoy.
We had packed up camp and loaded the truck in a record 25 minutes and got on the road. We stopped at the Starbucks in the nearest town of Tusayan, which is located only about 4-5 minutes outside of the park’s entrance. We didn’t eat breakfast in camp so grabbed coffee, hot chocolate and some pastries for the long long drive of an hour to Williams. Ha!
Arriving in Williams was fun as we had been following Route 66 for quite a while on our adventure at this point but we were able to see a lot of Route 66 icons in this small town in one place.
Check in time to our Air B&B wasn’t until 3pm and it was only 10:30am so as we passed a fun looking diner, Sam begged to stop to go in and get a milkshake. I can’t resist Sam’s sweet face! We get out of the truck and enter a different decade…everything from the curtains to the wall pictures took us back to a simper time at Goldie’s Route 66 Diner. If you pass through Williams, please consider stopping by even if just for a milkshake. It is located at 425 E. Route 66, Williams, AZ (791 miles on Route 66 marker). It is open from 7am-9pm, 7 days a week!
What can I say, I let the boys have milkshakes before lunch…it is vacation right? 🙂 Now it was time to head to a place I have been looking forward to since I started planning this vacation as cheesy as it may sound. It was now time to go to Bearizona, Drive-Thru Wildlife Park! I know, I know…but anytime I get to see and learn more about wolves, I get excited. Plus, I thought the boys would enjoy seeing all the different animals they have in the drive thru and walking experience.
It is a little pricey, but I thought it was worth it since we won’t probably ever come back here. Admission for ages 13-61 is $25 per person and ages 4-12 is $15 per person. You can buy tickets online on their website or at the location. It is open 8am-6pm daily. You can find all the information about the park and specific showtimes here: https://bearizona.com/
After we saw the wolves, it was time to see the bears! Bear with me as I am going to post a ton of pictures below of them. 🙂
Once the drive thru portion of the tour was over, we parked and then got to go inside the zoo part which was very cool. Below is the map of the park so you can see what things they offer.
After walking around for about an hour, we were famished! So we decided to eat in the amazingly unique Bearizona restaurant! It is a sprawling 6,000 square foot space called Canyonlands. The atmosphere was so beautiful as it was designed from the floor to the ceiling in Native American style motif that really allowed us to be immersed into the Southwest. They have everything from burgers, sandwiches, salads and BBQ. Here is the Canyonlands menu in case you plan to eat lunch there.
One of the attractions of eating at the restaurant is they have a panther viewing area.
While we were finishing up at Bearizona, I was so excited to get a sweet message from our Air B&B host that the house was ready and we could check in early! Yay, cause it was only about 1:30pm so it would be amazing to get there and start laundry and rest a little longer after 3 days of camping. Thanks sweet host and to the house we immediately went!
Along the drive through the town to the house, I saw Smokey and had to stop to get a picture! Remember, only you can prevent forest fires friends!
Our Air B&B was such a unique and sweet home. You knew it was historic as it was built a long time ago but the owners had done an amazing job renovating it with newer appliances and conveniences and yet kept the old original charm of the house. Great job!
As soon as you walked up to the house, there was an adorably decorated and quaint screened in porch with a tall table and 2 chairs so you could sit out and drink coffee to welcome the morning.
There were 2 bedrooms, one with a queen bed and the other bedroom with 2 twin beds. It had a shared bathroom that was updated and super cute.
The living room has 2 sofas that could also be a bed if need be.
You can find the link to this sweet home here if you are looking to stay in Williams. The host was very responsive to messages and questions and the house was extremely clean and comfortable. Highly recommend this location if you are in the area.
https://www.airbnb.com/rooms/26522884?source_impression_id=p3_1562483844_XtRPi16BZbtxbsPr
Once we rested, it was time to see a cowboy shootout in downtown Williams! It is a free nightly event that you don’t want to miss.
After all the shooting fun, we were hungry for a late dinner and decided to walk to the famous Pine Country Restaurant that is known for their down home cooking and homemade pies! The food was reasonably priced and very tasty! You can find their information here: https://pinecountryrestaurant.com/
Josh got the steak and fries and Sam and I got the taco salad without the meat and it was very good.
What a fun experience in Williams! If you ever drive through Williams, I would suggest driving down thru the cute town and google at all Route 66 iconic locations along main street, check out Bearizona and witness a good old western gunslinging fight with some comedy mixed in. They also have great little shops worth a stop on main street.
Time for rest and sleep! Clothes are clean, beds are calling. Goodnight friends!
Thanks for coming along this journey with us.
Happy trails and safe traveling…until next time!!
— Owl, Hi-Five and Eagle
Wandering with Owl 