About a ninety-mile drive from Winslow west on I-40 brings you to Williams, Arizona. As the photo indicates, Williams was the last town to be bypassed by I-40 of all the towns on Route 66. In fact, Route 66 runs right through the middle of town. The rich history of the area is reflected all over. From the western frontier and introduction of the railroad, to the history of Route 66, there is a lot to see and learn with a visit to Williams, Arizona.
Where We Stayed
Williams is home to the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel & RV Park. This large complex houses the 298-room hotel next to the Train Station, along with a restaurant, gift shop, and even a pet hotel.
We stayed across the street at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park. This is a beautiful park with 124 level concrete-padded full hook-up sites. Views of the mountains around the park are glorious. Be prepared, however, for the railroad that runs next to the park. It does run at night, and you will hear the whistle as the train goes through town. We felt the location of the park far outweighed the train noise.
What to Do
The entire town of Williams, including the Safeway, many restaurants, and shops are within walking distance. If you’re a fan of Route 66 nostalgia, Williams should be on your bucket list of destinations. There are many well-preserved buildings, gas stations, and motels along this section of Route 66.
If you’re interested in riding the train to the Grand Canyon for the day, check out the Grand Canyon Railway While we didn’t do this because that was going to be our next destination, for those who just wish to spend the day at the canyon and not have to worry about parking or driving, this would definitely be a great memory-making experience.
As seems to be a theme with our travels in 2020, there were restaurants and experiences we would have loved to spend our money at, but COVID dictated what we thought we could safely do. If we make our way back to Williams, we would definitely have lunch and pie at the Pine Country Restaurant. We would also visit Bearizona, a drive-through wildlife park, that we just didn’t have time for this trip.
Williams by Picture
Our Thoughts of Williams
On our original plan, we were not scheduled to visit Williams. We found out that WiFi isn’t the greatest at the Grand Canyon, and since Mike needed to work, we shortened our stay there and went to Williams first. We were happy we did and highly recommend a visit to this wonderful historic town.
Jennifer Skinnell is the author of the Hope Springs Romance Series available on Amazon. Click here for all the details.