What a gorgeous morning to travel! We were on the road by 10:30 a.m. and headed to Williams, Arizona, our gateway to the Grand Canyon. Our drive was going to take us into higher elevations (over 6,700 feet) so I made sure I lowered the air pressure in our Sleep Number mattress in our bedroom, otherwise the mattress might pop.
Ahead of us were the San Francisco Peaks topped with snow. Gorgeous backdrop.
Amazing how trains became the highlight as we explored this area of America. After all, Arizona and several other states' history revolved around the railroad. In 1877, Arizona got its start beginning with the Southern Pacific line making its first run to Yuma then Tucson. There were 76 different railroads just in Arizona during those times but unfortunately, many have since been sold, abandoned, merged or simply faded away. Some reasons included the economy and/or poor management. However, in its heyday, famous lines such as the Atchison, Topeka and the Santa Fe ran from east to west, stopping in Arizona. Coal and copper were the natural resources mined from this area and carried by rail.
Williams, Arizona is about two blocks from Historic Route 66 and has been used by many travelers as the base camp when venturing to the Grand Canyon. Williams was the last town in America on Historic Route 66 to be bypassed by freeway Interstate 40. Thus, this portion of Route 66 became the last surviving segment on October 13, 1984.
I really liked Williams. It had a charm all its own linked to Route 66 and was a step back into pure Americana.
Our campground was the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, which also offered hotel accommodations on property as well. It was a clean, well maintained resort within walking distance from downtown Williams. We were given plenty of literature upon check-in to read and help us navigate our surroundings.
We pulled into our site, which was black topped and level and included a picnic table for our enjoyment.
One thing I learned along the way was that picnic tables came in many shapes and sizes. When I put on a tabletop covering I would always secure the corners due to breezes/winds, which would blow a tablecloth away. These clips we bought at Bed Bath and Beyond were the best! They open wide enough to fit any thickness of a picnic tabletop. Although these clips are sold to secure beach towels to a lounge chair by a poolside, they double very well for my purpose. The "toucan bird" clip was the best - the clips came in different shapes such as flip flops, sunglasses and more. The key was the widest hinged opening possible.
We saw this truck as we walked towards downtown Williams looking for a place to eat lunch. The dust and dirt was pretty regular in this part of America. This vehicle was crying for a shampoo.
This was a Shay Number 5 locomotive that was designed to operate at slow speeds (10-15 mph), up steep grades (10%), around tight curves and over light weight rails. Shay's wheel sets swivel independently to accommodate tight curves up to 30 degrees. There used to be a lumber mill in Williams in 1893 owned by the Saginaw and Manistee Lumber Company (S&MLC). The company virtually built the town and supplied water and electric for nearly the entire first half of the 20th century. The S&MLC used workhorse engines identical to the Shay Number 5 to move the lumber across America.
A step back into American history.
This caught my eye in a shop downtown. Handbags made specifically for "gun toten mamas". Definitely different.
The names and Scoville Units on these hot sauces were amusing. For those who aren't familiar with Scoville Units: this is a measurement of heat in a hot pepper. The higher the Scoville number, the more burn. Wow, these looked like they would "take paint off a car". Yikes!
The Grand Canyon Hotel in downtown Williams is the oldest hotel in Arizona, built in 1891. It is a historic Boutique Hotel with 2-stories and designed in vintage European style. Lovely place.
This microbrewery was a nice find for lunch. Started seeing more hand crafted beers the further west we went. It was fun to taste - I had a pint of their bestseller "Undercover Cucumber" beer made from cucumber and basil. It was remarkably delicious. They had other selections called "Joy Ryed" (rye ale), "Raisin Da Roof" (barrel aged ale), "Ryan, Follow Your Dreamsicle" (tangerine and vanilla creme ale) and "Cintrana" (sour ale with sea salt and spices).
The town center.
Downtown Williams along old Route 66 was a walk into the past with all kinds of amusing reminders of American culture. Of course, it was the typical style, architecture, design and whimsy of the ole' Mother Road. What a fun town this was.
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