After a good night’s rest in Sedona, we headed north to get back on Route 66 and head towards our next stop in Williams.
Coming into Williams, you are greeted with a large overhead sign to welcome you to town. We found Williams to be the quintessential Route 66 town. A fun main street loaded with old historical buildings, lots of neon signs and lots of hustle and bustle. As we were early again for check in, we decided to have a quick bite to eat and stopped at a local spot that served up ice cold Coronas and tasty tacos. After we finished, we took a stroll down the main road and took in all the sites killing time until check in.
Our overnight stay was at another historic hotel, The Historic Grand Canyon Hotel. This grand lady was originally established in 1891 and was Northern Arizona’s first hotel and is also Arizona’s longest lasting hotel. Guests would stay here and catch the stagecoach to the south rim of the canyon. As with many old hotels, it was abandoned at some point during the 70’s or 80’s and was purchased in 2004 and refurbished by a couple named Amy and Oscar Frederickson. It was sold again in 2023, and the current owners have done extensive remodeling. When you are inside you feel like you have stepped back in time.
After we got ourselves settled, we took another walk down the main road and it was time to stop into the Sultana Bar, another old-time location. This one was established in 1912 and was a saloon serving up shots of whiskey to thirsty cowboys, and during prohibition served as a speakeasy. We bellied up to the bar, Joey had a whiskey and I had a tequila. For a Wednesday afternoon, the place was hoping. There are a couple of pool tables, some dartboards, and of course wall to wall memorabilia. Additionally, you can sign a dollar bill and tack it up on the wall. Of course, we added ours to the collection.
After our saloon adventure we cleaned up and went to a great restaurant, the Red Raven, which was located right next to the hotel. This spot was fantastic, the food, atmosphere and décor were top notch. We timed it perfectly as within 15 minutes of our arrival, the place was packed. It was obvious this was one of the top spots in town.
This little town has a great vibe, lots to see and plenty to do. A great selection of restaurants and historic sites to see. If you’re lucky, you’ll run into a guy who will write and recite a poem just for you. Of course, he’ll expect a tip for his troubles, but hey everyone’s gotta make a buck or two. Oh, but we kept walking 😉
Tomorrow, we have a long day, heading to Barstow with numerous stops along the way.
See you down the road.
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