Downtown Diner: A popular diner is ready to open for patrons in downtown Williams, Ariz. The town has embraced the tourism industry and thrives as a Historic Route 66 destination and the Gateway to the Grand Canyon. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Grand Canyon Railway: The Grand Canyon Railway returns to Williams in the early evening after a trip to the Grand Canyon. The train runs daily throughout the year. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
By GARY WARREN
Photographer
Formerly of Los Alamos
Route 66 was America’s first “superhighway” and served the country’s travelers well for many years. However, the road was aging, and the Interstate Highway System was established and under construction by the 1960s.
Williams, Ariz. fought the Interstate long and hard in the courts but finally conceded and I-40 opened in Williams Oct. 13, 1984. Williams was the last town on Route 66 to be bypassed by the Interstate Highway System.
Many thought the Interstate would be the end for Williams, but the town has become a major tourist destination in recent years. The town relies heavily on Historic Route 66 tourism as well as being the Gateway to the Grand Canyon.
The Grand Canyon Railway transports visitors daily to and from the Grand Canyon from the depot in Williams. Downtown Williams consists of souvenir shops, soda fountains, classic diners and motels, which have been saved and revived from the Route 66 era. At night Williams is light and bright with ample neon lighting reminiscent of the bygone era.
Williams is a town that fought against the Interstate but has since embraced the high numbers of tourists that the highway brings to town. Add in a touch of the wild west in the country from days gone by and you have a very enjoyable destination with many activities for all ages.
Editor’s note: Longtime Los Alamos photographer Gary Warren and his wife Marilyn are traveling around the country, and he shares his photographs, which appear in the “Posts from the Road” series published in the Sunday edition of the Los Alamos Daily Post.
Souvenir and Gift Shops: In addition to restaurants and diners, Williams, Ariz. has many souvenir and gift shops selling a variety of Grand Canyon, Williams, and Route 66 items. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Route 66: Route 66 items are a hit in Williams, Ariz., as visitors are again traveling remnants of the old ‘Mother Road’ . Historic Route 66 as it is known today has gained popularity as travelers retrace the path of the former highway. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
Night Lights: Neon lights and other signs and store fronts light up Williams every evening as the town has become more popular than ever as a tourist destination in northern Arizona. Photo by Gary Warren/ladailypost.com
