Get your kicks in Williams

Driving the ‘Mother Road’, Route 66, is on the wish lists of most travellers. And Williams has one of the best-preserved sections of the hallowed route in Arizona. Williams touts six blocks of Route 66 history, overflowing with memorabilia. Ever since John Steinbeck wrote about it in The Grapes of Wrath, and Bobby Troup penned the song ‘Get Your Kicks on Route 66’, enthusiasts have been doing just that, even after Williams became the last Route 66 community to be bypassed when a new interstate opened in 1984.

Williams first became a hub for Route 66 tourists thanks to its proximity to the Grand Canyon. It was ideal for a pre- or post-Canyon visit, with some of the same motels still there, albeit refurbished. And many of the shops, diners and petrol stations are preserved as well, now part of a designated National Historic District.

Another highlight of Williams is the Grand Canyon Railway, which runs to the South Rim. The railway, established in 1901, now moves tourists instead of ore, with the steam locomotive and its vintage rail cars chugging along the

104 kilometres of track, with western musicians and cowboy characters entertaining guests along the way.

Williams is also known for the Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park, with guests able to drive themselves, or enjoy a guided tour on the windowless Wild Ride Bus Tour. See black bears, bison, mountain goats and Arctic and Alaskan tundra wolves on your explorations. Fort Bearizona is a walkthrough section, with the high country raptors free flight show a highlight, along with the jaguar exhibit and the North American river otter feeding session.