Entry #8: Arizona's Mysteries

I have lived in Arizona my whole life and honestly there is not much that happens other than the blistering heat in the summer. If you're a snowbird and you only come down for the "cooler" weather, you don't really know the beauty that Arizona possesses, or it's hidden gems. It's really helpful to have family that loves to travel and be active, so I feel like I have been to every inch of Arizona. Some places I continue to love and return to. 

1. Williams, Arizona

Williams is about 20 minutes west of Flagstaff, lying on the historic Route 66. I first visited Williams when I was very young. My family took a trip to visit my grandparents who were staying there. They were staying in a trailer park near the main attraction that was Williams. In the town there were many Route 66 themed diners/restaurants and shops. There are also cafes, ice cream shops, tattoo parlors, and a train! It's a historic train, but there is a real train you can ride! There is this one shop on a corner street that holds barrels of the BEST salt water taffy you will ever had. There is a shop across the street from it that has a ton of Arizona themed souvenirs but also a ton of crystals and fun rocks! The restaurants are Route 66 themed and there is even live performances! I have only seen it once, but sometimes there is a live cowboy battle with whips and guns! It's really an amazing, and kind of terrifying experience!

Near Williams is the drive through wildlife park called Bearizona! They have many animals like buffalo, wolves, mountain goats, and of course, bears! Once you finish the drive through experience, they have a walking area where you can visit animal shows, like their birds of prey shows where you have eagles and owls that soar over your head, they have a small petting zoo, other animal pens that you can visit like otters and badgers, and of course they have an enormous souvenir shop that is connected to a restaurant, with a view of their jaguars!

2. Jerome, Arizona

Next is the "haunted" city of Jerome. Located between Prescott and Flagstaff, this town is small but mighty. There are many small shops and boutiques. They have many haunted themed restaurants and attractions, like Haunted Hamburger and their Ghost Tours. They have haunted hotels like Jerome's Grand Hotel. All of the buildings are authentic old west architecture! If you go past Jerome a little bit and head down the mountain, you find yourself in a hidden valley with a mine museum. When you walk in its a small shop with many souvenirs and  you can even pay a small fee to walk around the mine and its haunted buildings.

3. The Grand Canyon

You obviously cannot live or visit Arizona and not go to the Grand Canyon! It's 277 miles long and up to 18 miles wide in length! You can see the layers of each type of rock the further you look down the canyon. You can camp, lodge, hike, take a tour, or take a trip down the river. My family just hiked and went shopping for souvenirs. Make sure you bring close toed shoes and a ton of water! It really is a breathtaking sight when you first witness it. You should at least see it once in your lifetime!

There are many other places in Arizona, like Sedona, that I will let you discover on your own, these are just some of my favorites! Let me know down below some of your favorite places to visit in Arizona or anywhere that you visited and liked!