10 July, 2019

A Procession of Furry Creatures

 Our last full day in Williams saw us up bright and early for breakfast at Pine Country Restaurant. The food was delicious, but the vast majority of the menu was comprised of pies.  Apparently that is a thing in Arizona.



Williams is very kitchy and touristy, but not in a way that feels tired or jaded.  They are well aware of where their town's livelihood comes from, but it feels quaint and comfortable.  Like this guy. 





Most of the day was spent at the surprise gem of this vacation, Bearizona.  It's a preserve for bears and other wildlife, has drive-through and walk-through parks, and was enchanting.

We drove through the park first (twice).




































































These pictures really don't do this part of the park justice.  They were snapped in a hurry as I crept down the road as slowly as I could.

At the end of the drive, one could park and enter the walking section, which was very much a modern zoo, with large habitats separated from the people by moats or fences.





















Bird shows are pretty common fare at Renaissance Festival venues, and this one was in the same vein.  The birds were all local, though, and, even after seeing many of these shows, they're still fun and the birds are wonderful to watch.










At the end, a pair of ravens were taking donations.  As mentioned during the Canyon trek, I hadn't realized this part of the country hosted a large population of them.

I attended Edgar Allen Poe elementary school as a child, and have always had a soft spot for ravens, which was (of course) our mascot.







Finally, it was back to Williams for a lazy afternoon of touring shops and taking in the town.






Dinner on the roof.




And the hotel lobby, with its original fireplace.