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Your vacation is waiting for you in your backyard

The beginning of school can make those who didn't get a vacation this summer feel cheated. Perhaps money was tight this year or you couldn't get away because of a heavy workload. Whatever the reason you may have missed out, don't feel sad for yourself. Instead, remember and enjoy what is in our backyard.

Take a deep breath and pretend you are a tourist in the Williams-Grand Canyon area. Weekend mini vacations - even just one or two days - are abundant in northern Arizona. A brief visit to the Williams-Forest Service Visitor's Center will provide you with local vacation information - at no cost to you.

When was the last time you drove along the Perkinsville Highway or the Loop Road at dusk? Wildlife including deer, elk and even coyotes can be seen nearly every evening in these areas.

When was the last time you strolled in downtown Williams? Evenings in our historical downtown area can take us back in time. Visiting the local shops while posing as a tourist can be refreshing. The Cataract Creek Gang can be found downtown nightly staging a gunfight. The sounds of the Williams Fifth Regimental Cavalry Band are also offered nightly. Return to the Old West at Wild West Junction.

Hop into your car and return to the 1950s along Historic Route 66. Tune your radio in to your favorite oldies station and leave Interstate 40 at Crookton Road, milepost 139, just west of Ash Fork. While traveling west on Route 66, you will see wide-open spaces and remnants of days gone by. Once you reach Seligman, cool off at Delgadillo's Snow Cap. Treat yourself to your favorite ice cream treat or an old-fashioned hamburger and fries while viewing the hysterical antics of the Delgadillo family.

Continue west on Route 66 approximately 30 miles and you will reach Grand Canyon Caverns. Unique guided tours are offered throughout the day in the underground caverns. Flashlight tours and explorer tours are available along with miles of nature trails and a kids' play land.

Closer to home is the animal wonderland at Grand Canyon Deer Farm. At the Deer Farm, you walk with the deer as you pet them while they eat right from your hand. Pygmy goats, llamas, miniature donkeys, pronghorn antelope and baby farm animals also reside there.

A visit to the Grand Canyon offers many recreational opportunities, whether you travel on the Grand Canyon Railway or drive to the park. While there, visit the historic gift shops, enjoy a guided bus tour of the area, visit the IMAX Theatre or take a scenic helicopter ride.

On the way to or from the Grand Canyon, don't forget to stop in Valle. Along with trading posts, gift shops and service stations, you will find Flintstones Bedrock City Campground and Amusement Park. See how Fred and Barney lived firsthand, slide down the giant slide and ride the miniature train. At Planes of Fame Air Museum, increase your knowledge of the history of aviation. View a wide variety of planes up close and don't miss the displays located inside the museum.

Picnics and cloud watching in the Kaibab National Forest or an overnight camp out at one of our area lakes are opportunities we oftentimes overlook. A quiet day of fishing can be therapeutic for the soul, even if you don't catch a thing.

These opportunities and more are all in northern Arizona. Many activities are free or cost very little money. Take a deep breath and kick back for a few days as a tourist in your own hometown. You may be surprised at what you have missed in your own backyard.


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