On The Road Again *people notes*

We arrived at Williams, AZ just as a welcome cold front blew into the area. The town is quirky, historic and has a great brew pub (of course, we made that discovery shortly after we ditched the dog!) the Grand Canyon Brewery. Williams was the last town in America on Historic Route 66 to be bypassd by Interstate 40 in 1984, and is now referred to as the 'Gateway to the Grand Canyon'. The Grand Canyon Railway and its historic locomotives provide daily service from Williams to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. It is a trip worth taking if ever contemplating a visit to the Grand Canyon. In November and December they run a Polar Express train...and yes, everybody wears pajamas!

We stayed at the Grand Canyon Railway Hotel in Williams, and boarded the historic locomotive for the 2-1/2 hour trip to the South Rim of the Grand Canyon. Upon our arrival at the Grand Canyon we stepped off the train and into a winter wonderland. Our first 'views' of the Grand Canyon consisted of about 12 feet of visibility and near white-out conditions. A bit disappointing initially, but the weather did have moments of clearing later in the evening and into the next day. When we did finally get a view of the canyon (a mile down and 18 miles across), it was breathtaking...spectacular...mesmerizing; adjectives cannot do it justice, nor can photos. If you have not had the oppportunity to see it - put it on your short list!

We spend the night at the Grand Canyon Maswik Lodge in the National Park, wandered around the Grand Canyon Village and walked several miles of the South Rim. We witnessed the success of a captive breeding program of the nearly extinct California Condor managed by the Peregrine Fund, and now the birds are inhabiting and nesting in the area with over 60 living and flying free in the Grand Canyon National Park area.

We then re-boarded our train and headed back to Williams, gathered up the Odie dog, packed up the vehicles and headed in a general eastnortheasterly direction.