Williams, AZ In the charming, Frontier-town buildings, you can watch a Wild West gunfight before taking an old steam train into the Grand Canyon. We’ve even camped in one of the Williams KOA Kamping Kabins, and relived the adventures of the day by a warm fire while the fall night fell and the temperature dipped below freezing. If you get tired of drinking your Sapphire and Tonics from cold stainless steel camping cups, I heartily recommend a drink at the Grand Canyon Lodge Lobby Bar, close to where you’ll disembark the Grand Canyon Railway.Flagstaff
Even less of a detour, planning your overnight stop to occur at the Hampton Inn Flagstaff, and you can see the beauty of Coconino National Forest from your room.
Kingman
If you decided to bunk in Kingman after your first day of travel, there’s plenty to see as you head east on Old 66 from downtown Kingman. Follow the Mother Road across the rugged desert, 30 miles to the old-fashioned gas pumps and weather-beatensign collection at the Hackberry General Store. Continue 40 miles to the cement Dinosaur in front of Grand Canyon Caverns, a nostalgic and interesting stop on Route 66.
Sedona
30 miles south of Flagstaff is our family’s favorite Arizona 66 side trip, Sedona. We usually stay at the Hampton Inn and then hike up to the Vortex at Red Rock (you can find out at a crystal shop, but don’t pay for a map or a tour; their easy to get to) to meditate on things that we want to happen in our lives. We’ve done it a couple of times and our “wishes” have all come tree. It’s the kind of place that takes hold of you and transports you. I remember my 4-yr-old hiking back to the car for 45 minutes in complete silence, transformed by a meditative state induced by one of the vortexes in Sedona. It seems crazy, but take a sidetrip to Sedona, and watch your dreams come true. Even if I’m wrong, you’ll still enjoy the breathtaking beauty of the red rocks.
