10/21/19 to 10/26/19 - Las Vegas, NV to Williams, AZ (223 miles) 5 nights, stayed at the Grand Canyon Railroad RV Park.
Get your kicks on Route 66!
With a name like the Grand Canyon Railroad RV Park, you’d better expect that you’re going to be staying near active railroad tracks. Williams, AZ was the last town on Route 66 that was bypassed by Interstate 40 in 1984, and still retains that nostalgic charm with a train depot, neon signs, motels and diners. When you stay in Williams, you can take the day trip on the train to the Grand Canyon. Those who went said it was entertaining. There was historical information from the conductor and a staged train robbery - something for everyone.
We chose to drive the 60 miles, and got there much faster, so we could enjoy more time at the park. It was a perfect day, and the crowds were very small - so much better than coming in the summer with sweltering heat and being packed in like sardines. We had a picnic lunch and strolled along the Rim Trail at the Village. It’s amazing! You would think that it would get boring fast, but every view is a little different, especially as the light changes throughout the day. We met a couple who had taken the train up and stayed the night in the historic El Tovar hotel, so they could see the night sky. That would be cool! Fun fact - the El Tovar is the hotel that Chevy Chase robbed in the original “Vacation” movie. We took a picture from the viewpoint just outside where he ran up to his wife, paused for two seconds to take in the view, and ran off.
I love the architecture around the Village! Many buildings were designed by a female architect named Mary Colter in the early 1900s resulting from her relationship with Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe Railroad (a whole other story that would make a great middle-grade novel). Her work helped define the Southwest style. We got to go in and explore several of these organic-looking structures, like the Hopi House and Lookout Studio. I also saw a gorgeous art exhibit at the Kolb studio. I had a hard time framing photos to capture the essence of the place. I don’t know how they were able to catch it in paintings. They ranged from realistic to abstract, and the colors were beautiful!
Before we left, we drove to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and Mather Point to the east of the Village. This entire area was just reopened after after a massive renovation, and was VERY nice. The crowds were definitely bigger and people were making questionable choices about where to stand to take their selfies. There’s actually a book for sale in the gift shop called, “Death in the Grand Canyon.” We played it safe and still got some good shots 😁
We easily filled our days walking down Main Street in Williams, window shopping and trying out the restaurants. I got the feeling that places like this are dying off and it made me want to slow down and pay closer attention. This is definitely a place we could come back to again, if it hasn’t disappeared.
We chose to drive the 60 miles, and got there much faster, so we could enjoy more time at the park. It was a perfect day, and the crowds were very small - so much better than coming in the summer with sweltering heat and being packed in like sardines. We had a picnic lunch and strolled along the Rim Trail at the Village. It’s amazing! You would think that it would get boring fast, but every view is a little different, especially as the light changes throughout the day. We met a couple who had taken the train up and stayed the night in the historic El Tovar hotel, so they could see the night sky. That would be cool! Fun fact - the El Tovar is the hotel that Chevy Chase robbed in the original “Vacation” movie. We took a picture from the viewpoint just outside where he ran up to his wife, paused for two seconds to take in the view, and ran off.
I love the architecture around the Village! Many buildings were designed by a female architect named Mary Colter in the early 1900s resulting from her relationship with Fred Harvey and the Santa Fe Railroad (a whole other story that would make a great middle-grade novel). Her work helped define the Southwest style. We got to go in and explore several of these organic-looking structures, like the Hopi House and Lookout Studio. I also saw a gorgeous art exhibit at the Kolb studio. I had a hard time framing photos to capture the essence of the place. I don’t know how they were able to catch it in paintings. They ranged from realistic to abstract, and the colors were beautiful!
Before we left, we drove to the Grand Canyon Visitor Center and Mather Point to the east of the Village. This entire area was just reopened after after a massive renovation, and was VERY nice. The crowds were definitely bigger and people were making questionable choices about where to stand to take their selfies. There’s actually a book for sale in the gift shop called, “Death in the Grand Canyon.” We played it safe and still got some good shots 😁
We easily filled our days walking down Main Street in Williams, window shopping and trying out the restaurants. I got the feeling that places like this are dying off and it made me want to slow down and pay closer attention. This is definitely a place we could come back to again, if it hasn’t disappeared.
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