The Grand Canyon and Walnut Canyon

We took two trips to the Grand Canyon during the nine days we were in Williams, Arizona. It was just an hour north of our campground, and the drive was pretty scenic. The first time out, we walked a couple of miles of the South Rim and checked out the Yavapai Observation Station and Yavapai Museum of Geology.

On the second trip, we started at the famous Mather Point near the Visitors Center, and then drove out to Desert View. There were lots of lookouts and stops along the way, including the Tusayan Museum and ruins (which tells the story of the American Indians in the region). Desert View offers some great views of the Colorado River, and we really enjoyed climbing to the top of the historic watchtower to get a bird’s-eye view of the canyon geology.

Aside from visiting the Grand Canyon during our time in Williams, we also went into the small town of Williams a few times for some kicks on Route 66. The part of the historic road that runs through Williams is very well-preserved and has lots of motels, restaurants, and shops. We took the 30-minute drive to Flagstaff a couple of times, and I was struck by the snow-capped San Francisco Peaks that one can’t help but spot on the way into town.

Speaking of “snow-capped,” our RV park was pretty covered one morning during our stay. We woke up to a Winter Wonderland in Spring. It lasted long enough for some sledding and snow ball fights (that quickly turned ugly with the girls), and it was gone by the evening. That’s the kind of snow fall I like!

On our last day in Williams, we took a drive out to Walnut Canyon National Monument for a peek at more cliff dwellings. The ancient inhabitants were pretty smart. They built their homes into the sides of these cliffs, which afforded them water-proof rooftops and some pretty solid back walls. They used clay to build the fronts of the dwellings, and they collected the water that came right to them from down the sides of the cliffs after a rain or snow fall.