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Williams' entire downtown area has been placed on the National Register of
Historic Places, and there are several buildings along here that a deserve
a stop. One interesting business is the
Red Garter Bed
& Bakery located at 137 Railroad Avenue. This century old inn
was once a a popular
saloon and
bordello, and reportedly now houses a ghost.
Outside of
Williams, an abundance of outdoor activities prevail at four beautiful
lakes within minutes of town – Cataract, Kaibab, Dogton, and White Horse
Lakes, which all provide fishing and camping.
Within an hour's drive are
Walnut Canyon and Wupatki National Monuments, sites of several
12th-century Indian ruins; Sunset Crater, the remains of a once-active
volcano; and the San Francisco Peaks, the highest elevation in
Arizona.
The surrounding Kaibab National
Forest provides hunting for deer, turkey, antelope, elk, lion and bear in
season. The
Williams Ski Area
provides downhill skiing and sledding during the winter months and there
are cross-country ski trails nearby.
After having visited the
Old
West and the
Route 66
era, take as step way back in time as you stop at
Flintstone’s Bedrock City, just some 30 miles north of
Williams
on your way to the Grand Canyon. Here you can, frolic with Fred,
Wilma, Bam-bam and the rest of the cast of the popular Flintstone
characters at this wacky amusement stop.
To
continue your journey on the
Mother Road,
you will rejoin I-40 just west of
Williams
at exit 161. The southern frontage road is
Route 66
but soon dead ends.
Beyond
here, there were once two old alignments traveling west, as those long
ago travelers dropped down from mountain country to the plains below. Both alignments can be accessed at exit 157 and run south of I-40. The more southerly pre-1932 alignment soon runs into private property.
The post-1932 alignment can be driven but is mostly dirt or rugged
pavement. The post-1932 alignment will take you by two old
cafes – the Monte Carlo and the County Line, about a mile on down the
road. Both these eateries are long closed.
More early
alignments appear just a few more miles down the road, which can be
accessed at exits 151 and 149. Some of these are drivable but
others have been made into bike trails.
Continue your
Mother Road
journey by visiting nearby
Ashfork and
Seligman, a bit further down the stretch.
©
Kathy Weiser/Legends
of America, updated July, 2010.
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