Williams & Sedona AZ

Greetings from Williams, AZ Williams is referred to as the Gateway to the Grand Canyon and is located at the base of the Bill Williams Mountain amid the world’s largest stand of Ponderosa pines, which we can see from our windows. The old Route 66 runs through town…remember that old TV show?? It really was quite a site this past Monday night when a snow storm came roaring through dumping about two inches of fresh snow. It was blowing so hard that the snow was almost coming down horizontally…it was so beautiful and what was really nice was that it was almost all gone here at the RV park by noon the next morning but still visible on the mountain peaks. Williams is a neat little quaint town having the charm of a late 19 century Western town and has a rich diversity of cultural influences. It was originally a mountain town and logging center, and once a home to gambling, opium dens and brothels. The old 19th century store fronts are still here and we listen to the nostalgic sounds of the train whistle as it goes by the depot in the center of town and passes the campground. We will be getting on the Grand Canyon Railroad this Friday with our Texas friends, Zee and Charlie, traveling on a century-old rail line to the heart of the Grand Canyon and spend the night at one of the lodges so as to see the sunset and the sunrise over the canyon along with taking a grand bus tour. We will fill you in on that experience latter.
In addition to enjoying each evening playing various card and dice games with Zee and Charlie, we have also traveled to Flagstaff several times but the best of those trips has been traveling on to the canyon town of Sedona!! It is a work of art in itself and a area of majestic beauty which even our photographs cannot capture its true beauty! A long time ago the ancient water and the winds blew in creating rose-colored sand grains into magnificent mesas of crimson and creating pinnacles that we must have stopped twenty times along the way to view and take photos. They are indeed monuments of timeless beauty….it is like looking at a canvas of Mother Nature’s panoramic wonders. The rocks are painted by the light into breathtaking hues of red and gold with sometimes having etchings of ancient Indian tribes which are considered timeless art forms. There are over 47 art galleries and more than 400 artists living in Sedona along with some authors and actors. Our favorite place was Tlaquepaque, which is a landmark in the town of Sedona itself. It is a wonderful collection of galleries, shops and fine restaurants but you feel as if you have left the commercialism that lies just outside its walls. There a four different courtyards within the masonry walls with giant sycamores and stately cottonwoods. There are wonderful flowers and greenery everywhere in the tranquil plazas, graceful arches, lots of fountains, and shady verandas that make you just want to sit and be quiet and listen to the sound of peace. We hope that our photos will give you a glimpse of what our eyes beheld along the way. And yes, that IS a pig you saw! Our next door neighbors have a pot bellied pig, Frank, weighing in at a whopping 158 lbs! In addition to walking on a lead, he will do an occasional trick like “sit” or “circle” for a special cookie. What a surprise it was seeing what the dogs were barking at this morning! Enjoy!!