Local author book signing at Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe

levi-01WILLIAMS — Levi Thompson of Ash Fork will hold a book signing at Anna’s Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe this weekend. He will be signing copies of his book of poetry On Any Given Day.

The book, which also includes his own sketches, concerns his journey to find out if God is real. He said that the book contains his poetry about God’s world and his journey in it.

Additionally, local musician Daniel Volkart will be performing throughout the weekend and invites other musicians to attend and join in.

Anna’s Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe, in the Red Garter Inn on Railroad Avenue, is now offering Navajo tacos on Mondays and Fridays. They are open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m except Wednesday when they close at 3 p.m.

Williams welcomes Fiesta Mexican Grill

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WILLIAMS — Ivo’s Restaurant is gone. But it did not take long to fill the void. The Rodriguez family has opened the Route 66 Fiesta Mexican Grill at 122 W. Historic Route 66.

The restaurant opened briefly tonight, but their hours are currently 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. daily. Their Wi-Fi will not be available until Monday.

The Rodriguez family:  Martin Sr., wife Olivia and sons Martin Jr. and Chris.

The Rodriguez family: Martin Sr., wife Olivia and sons Martin Jr. and Chris.


Martin Jr. explained that his father has been opening restaurants since he was fifteen years old. “So it’s a family tradition,” he said.

Martin said that the ingredients for all dishes are made from scratch. None are taken from a can.

The family discovered Williams because Martin Jr. traveled through to visit his daughter in Phoenix. The family moved from Palmdale, California to open the new restaurant.

Happy 5th birthday Bearizona

Photos by Bearizona.

Photos by Bearizona.

WILLIAMS — With all that transpired over the weekend, we now have time to congratulate Bearizona on the occasion of their 5th anniversary. Bearizona was established on May 22, 2010 and has since grown to one of the most popular attractions to Williams.

Bearizona opened May 22, 2010 and has already grown to be a top tourist destination in Arizona. It was recently voted one of the top 10 drive through wildlife parks in the entire country by USA Today, and was last year’s recipient of the Governor’s Tourism Champion of the Year award. They have been featured on national and local television programs. They seem to be most popular in the spring when the bear cubs are born.

In their effort to educate people about wild life, they had started a summer day camp for youth ages 6 to 15. This year the day camp will begin June 29 and run through July 3. Tickets are apparently still available. They host Home School Visitation days. They held one on April 3 and May 1. They will host two more this year on September 4 and October 2.
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As usual, the staff provided the animals with special treats to mark the occasion. These snacks look scrumptious and sweet and might lead the visitor to believe that they can provide similar sweets to the animals. The celebratory snacks, however, are carefully prepared by the staff for the animals and their specific dietary needs. Visitors should not attempt to feed the animals.

Bearizona Launches Summer Day Camp Program for Youth age 6 to 15

bear-squirrelWILLIAMS — Bearizona Wildlife Park is excited to offer it’s first ever summer day camp program. Camps will begin June 29 and finish July 3.

Participants are provided opportunities to learn about the North American Model of Conservation, recycling in nature, amazing animal adaptations and preserving wildlife for the future. Each day features hands-on animal encounters and fully integrates science, physical activity, and creative arts.

Parents can register their campers at www.bearizona.com and follow the link at the bottom of the website. Each week has a different theme and each day has its own focus.

DEAL ALERT: Bearizona is currently running a Groupon for $100 off the cost of admission for a one week summer day camp. The Groupon is set to expire May 1st.


About Us:.Bearizona Wildlife Park’s mission is to promote conservation through memorable and educational encounters with North American wildlife in a natural environment.

Love’s opens in Williams

Love's opened Thursday.

Love’s opened Thursday.

WILLIAMS — After a struggle over signage, Love’s finally opened last Thursday in Williams. Love’s is a 24-hour truck stop with all of the truck stop paraphernalia. This includes the standard mobile phone and GPS electronics. They have tools, videos and books on tape. They have coffee available all day.

The exciting thing for many Williams residents seems to be the return of Subway. A 24-hour Subway at that. The addition of a Carl’s Jr. is the frosting on the cake, although it is not open 24-hours.

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Don’t forget your pets this Easter

spoiled-rotten15-03-28 003WILLIAMS — Need some gifts for your pets this Easter season? Spoiled Rotten Pet Boutique and Many Tails Pet Grooming have the answers.

Spoiled Rotten has a line of treats and toys for your feline or canine. They also feature a line of Science Diet products. The store has pet clothing and beds and t-shirts and stickers for the owners.

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Many Tails Pet Grooming will pamper your pet with a grooming and bath. Call (928) 635-8897 for an appointment.

Old Trails True Value hardware on Rodeo Road also has a line of pet supplies. They also have supplies for that pet project, such as a dog house.

Planning your Route 66 tour, but no Vet? I-40 Fleet Services to the rescue

i40-15-03-31 013WILLIAMS — It’s spring and you are planning a trip on old Route 66. Maybe take old Route 66 through Parks and on into Flagstaff. Or maybe down to Ash Fork. Maybe you want to visit one of the many car shows in Williams and Flagstaff this summer, but do not want to look like the average tourist (Loose the iPhone. It’s a dead give-away).

Thanks to I-40 Fleet Services on Route 66, you can now travel in style. You can rent elegance in every form from their 1964 C-4 convertible Vet—for about half what you would pay in Vegas or Phoenix—to the Bobcat front end loader.

i40-15-03-31 020From $59.95 to $159.95 (additional charges may apply) you can rent a Chevrolet Cobalt, Jeep Grand Cherokee, Dodge Caliber, Dodge Grand Caravan, 15 passenger van, and, now, a 1994 Chevrolet Corvette.

I-40 Fleet Rentals, at 441 East Route 66 in Williams, has a variety of equipment i40-15-03-31 019for rent for large and small jobs and yard work. Their service trucks do RV and truck repairs along I-40.

Since it is time to check the oil and anti-freeze in your own car, they remind customers that they will take the used oil and coolant off your hand for free.

I-40 Fleet Rentals has an A+ rating with the Better Business Bureau. So if you have a need to rent large equipment for a large job, have some yard work planned, or need to rent, say, a C-4 Vet convertible, call I-40 fleet services at 928-635-9199 for more information. If they don’t have it, they may be able to tell you where to get it.

Marvelous Marv on the road to the Canyon

The Marvelous Van

The Marvelous Van

WILLIAMS — It’s spring time and visitors are taking advantage of the private, guided tour of the Grand Canyon given by Marvelous Marv’s Private Grand Canyon Tour.

Marvelous Marv has been conducting tours to the Grand Canyon for well over thirty-years. He adjust the tour length to the time you have and picks you up where ever you are staying in Williams. He even gives you a disk of pictures he has taken over the years.

Marv’s Marvelous Van is equipped with a DVD system which plays educational videos on the trip to and return from the Canyon. When you arrive, he explains features and history of the Canyon. You then have time to wander, take photos or just enjoy the splendor of the Grand Canyon.

NPS Photo.

Marv does not just give tours in the spring and summer. His tours are available all year, weather permitting. He often laments that people do not take advantage of the beauty of the Grand Canyon during the “off-season.” The changing climate of the Canyon during the fall and winter provide some spectacular views such as the recent inversion layer witnessed.

If you do not get a reservation to his tours, there is always the Grand Canyon Railway and Jeep tours. You can sign up for the Pink Jeep Tours in downtown Williams.

One way or another, if you visit Williams we can get you to the Grand Canyon.

The three new additions at Bearizona now on display

Laura Leinaar, Animal Care specialists, give kids a close-up look at the cubs.

Laura Leinaar, Animal Care specialists, gives guests a close-up look at the cubs.

WILLIAMS — Last Friday we got to visit Bearizona Wildlife Park (Facebook) in Williams Arizona to see the newest addition. Three bear cubs born around 7 weeks ago in January. The cubs are Klondike, Blue and Captain.

Laura Leinarr, Animal Care specialist at Bearizona, explained that they are separated from their mothers because male bears will attempt to kill the cubs in an attempt to make the mothers go into heat.

In the wild, mother bears can hide their cubs, but this is not an option at Bearizona. They are also very protective of their cubs in the wild. That is why you should use extreme caution if you encounter a cub or bear in the wild. Immediately begin to slowly back up the way you came until you are well clear.
Bearizona-15-03-20-3Laura explained that they are currently being kept in the enclosure in the Mine Shaft so they can remain under constant observation to ensure their best chance of survival. While they are under constant observation by gleeful children, we think she meant professional observation.

The bear cubs will remain in the enclosure until about May. They will then be transferred to an enclosure near the new gift shop that is currently being constructed. If that is not finished, they will be located at the normal cub enclosure at the walk-through area.
Bearizona-15-03-20-4Like any newborns, the cubs are still developing eyesight and learning to walk. Yet they have a highly developed sense of smell that they rely on to identify their mothers. In this case, they know Laura’s smell and get excited hoping that it is feeding time. If you get a chance to see the cubs around feeding time, Laura might even give you a close-up look.

Bearizona is a drive-through wildlife park and the animals ARE considered wild. Laura explained that it is extremely important to keep windows rolled up and doors locked while in the drive-through section. Bears are intelligent and if they smell something interesting in your vehicle, they can actually operate your door latch. That includes the latch to the back door in many SUVs.

If you do not enjoy the option of shooting pictures through window glass, you can opt to take the windowless bus. You can catch the bus at the entrance to the walk-through area.
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New Old Smokey’s opens tomorrow

640-Smokeys-07WILLIAMS — One of the historic Route 66 restaurants in Williams re-opens tomorrow. Almost like the Phoenix, Old Smokey’s restaurant is rising from the flood to move onto Route 66.

The restaurant opens tomorrow at 125 W. Route 66 at 6 a.m. They plan to open from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m., initially, adjusting the hours as necessary. The old Old Smokey’s only served breakfast and lunch, but the owners have added a dinner menu at the new location.

Owner Dan Barnes explained that they had a lease at the old building—located across the street from Dairy Queen—with an option to buy. The building fell into disrepair and there was some difficulty getting repairs causing the restaurant to be closed for several years. Mr. Barnes had acquired the rights to the name and the Old Smokey image and kept the LLC open. The image of Old Smokey is the same, albeit a little flashier.

The restaurant boasts a better menu with hamburgers and a chicken sandwich you can build to your taste from the menu. They recommend checking out the pretzel and corn meal dusted sandwich buns. They also recommend trying out their chicken, pork or beef barbeque. They still offer the old familiar breakfast favorites that made old Old Smokey’s famous.