WILLIAMS – If you are not on a Hog for the rally, you can take in the Bearizona Drive Through Wildlife Park just to the east of Williams up to an hour later. Bearizona recently extended their hours from 5 to 6 pm for the summer. The gates open at 8 am, though, and unless you are in a rush you should go in early. If you are rushed, you will probably miss much of the park like the walk-through area and petting zoo.

If you are new, here are some tips. The animals are moving earlier in the day when it is cool. They may be moving about later in the afternoon when it cools off. You can go through the drive through portion more than once. So go through once and have your cameras ready. Concentrate on watching the actions of the animals. Go through a second time prepared to get your pictures. Don’t forget to watch for the Kaibab squirrels enjoying lunch with the bears.

You can also enjoy the park by riding the open-air buses which allow you to take pictures without reflection from your windows. So you can drive through once and then take pictures from the bus.

Going earlier will allow you to take in the raptor show and get a closer look at the animals in the walk-through area.

If you are looking for an alternative to the traffic congestion downtown, Bearizona could be your ticket.