Williams, AZ and Grand Canyon

After a 3 hour drive from Chandler, we arrived in Williams, AZ. It was an amazing change of scenery as we transitioned from the cactus thick desert in Phoenix to snow-covered forests of pine trees in the mountains in Northern Arizona. The temperature also dropped and we had 4 inches of new snow overnight! 

We ate at Pine Country Restaurant twice. How can you pass up a diner that offers breakfast all day long?

Williams is located on Route 66. Lots of shops and restaurants in the area however with temperatures in the 30s we did not spend a lot of time walking around.  

Our hotel in Williams had 2 queen beds and a rollaway. It made for a very cramped stay. 

Just outside of our hotel is the depot for the Grand Canyon Railway. We hopped aboard the train at 9 a.m. for the just over 2-hour ride to the Grand Canyon. 

So cold and so snowy. We had lots of layers on but the scenery was beautiful!

The South Rim of the Grand Canyon. So impressive! Our timing was bad as the temperature was in the 20s and there was fresh snow. So, we spent an hour dining inside at El Tovar to warm ourselves up!

All aboard! We ordered sack breakfasts to take aboard the train.

Winter weather advisory on our spring break trip. Of course!

After sprinting back to the hotel through the snow we warmed up by the lobby fireplace. 

Sedona, AZ

 

We stopped in Sedona for the scenery and lunch on our way to Williams from Chandler. The red rocks are stunning!

Lunch at Mesa Grill Sedona right next to the Sedona airport. One of the best meals of the trip. We sat on the patio and the weather was quite cool so we bundled up in blankets.

The kids were shoved together in our small SUV for a 3-hour ride and there was plenty of "commotion" going on. 

Chandler, AZ

We found out that our friends were going to be in AZ at the same time we were so we made a small change of plans and stayed with them in Chandler for two nights. A fun family hike to Telegraph Pass Trail and lots of pool time. 

 

Phoenix, AZ

Dinner time arrival in Phoenix meant a stop at In-N-Out Burger on our way to the hotel. Everyone's first experience at In-N-Out.

Our hotel was located near the North Mountain so we were able to take a hike directly from our hotel.

Taking advantage of our one warm day while in Phoenix. 

Will threw a plastic shark at Scott when Scott wasn't looking. The shot ended up with blood dripping from Scott's mouth as we hustled to find napkins at the pool. Never a dull moment. 

Dinner at Culinary Dropout which is connected to the bar called The Yard where there were lots of fun lawn games to keep the kids entertained. 

Cool, cloudy and rainy weather sent us looking for a non-pool activity. We found ATV rentals in the desert.

We rented a 5 passenger side by side and were set free on desert trails. What could possibly go wrong?

The trail was about an hour ride out to Indian ruins and then a 1-hour return trip. 

The terrain got pretty steep and Will said, "At one point I thought I was going to die."

Quite an adventure but Evy said "it was not my cup of tea."

We picked up Crumbl cookies on our way back to the hotel. So good but huge and should be shared to avoid a stomach ache. Speaking from experience.