Horseshoe Bend near Page

If it’s a remote adventure you crave, pass up Flagstaff for Williams, Page and Tuba City, where history, culture and cool temperatures await.

Valley travelers looking to escape the heat and congestion of the city in the summer often get as far north as Flagstaff and stop. The (usually) two-hour drive is convenient, the elevation gain – from 1,100 feet to nearly 7,000 feet – ensures a cool getaway in the Ponderosa pines, and there’s no shortage of things to do.

But those who seek relief from city life won’t find it in Flag anymore. To find true respite, keep heading toward the more remote areas of northern Arizona. Williams, Page and Tuba City offer history, culture and attractions that most tourists never explore. You can do it as a loop from Phoenix and back in less than a week, or split it up into long weekends. Throughout the summer, average highs in Williams are in the low 80s; in Page and Tuba City, they range from the 80s to the mid-90s.

Williams/Grand Canyon
Located about 32 miles west of Flagstaff on Interstate 40, Williams is known for its historic roots on old Route 66 and vintage train rides to the Grand Canyon. At 6,800 feet, it’s as cool as Flagstaff, and it exudes oodles of charm.

The town itself is a living museum, with hotels, retro diners and storefronts lining the main street. The Grand Canyon Hotel, dating from 1891, is the oldest in Arizona and still has the creaky, tilted wood floors that add to its character. The rooms are small and have no TVs, so go for the vintage décor and hospitality.

Dining is anything but trendy, with the Route 66 Diner, Rod’s Steakhouse and Pine Country Restaurant dishing up sturdy fare. The Red Raven is more upscale, with seafood, meat and pasta entrées and a well-chosen wine list.

Take a refurbished Grand Canyon Railway train if you can; it’s a ride back in time. Cowboy and Navajo singers perform in all of the cars – you don’t want to miss Clarence Clearwater’s hilarious “Pico de Gallo” song, with verses in five languages. Even if you don’t ride, get to the train depot by 9 a.m. to watch the campy “shoot-out.”

The newest attraction in Williams is Bearizona, a drive-through wild animal park that opened in May 2010. It includes burros, bobcats, bison, black bears, bighorn sheep and more, and it eventually will comprise eight acres.


Page/Lake Powell
From Williams, the drive up US Highway 89 to Page feels like a roller-coaster ride since it’s difficult to build roads on the clay beds, explains our guide, Les Graff. Graff works with Detours of Arizona, a well-respected tour company favored by many of the Valley’s top resort concierges. If you want a thorough, narrated insiders’ experience, the company conducts private custom trips to northern Arizona and group trips around the Southwest.

Heading into Page, pull off at Horseshoe Bend Lookout and take the 15-minute walk up and down the hill to the dramatic drop-off overlooking the scenic bend in the Colorado River. See the river up close on a three-hour float trip with Colorado River Discovery in a clean-engine Neoprene boat. The river and its environs boast 800 animal species – including majestic blue heron, peregrine falcons and hawks – and spectacular canyon views.

Another must-do is a boat tour to Rainbow Bridge, which dwarfs Utah’s Delicate Arch. It’s nearly as high as the nation’s Capitol and as long as a football field. Forever Resorts/Antelope Pointe Marina offers boat tours there, and also rents houseboats for overnights on the breathtaking lake. If you’re not nautically inclined, don’t despair: These boats only travel 8 mph.

While in town, sign up to tour the famous Antelope Canyon, the place with the twisting, windswept, glowing gold-and-orange walls famous in galleries and calendars. It’s impossible to get a sense of the scope and detail from mere pictures.

Page also is home to the John Wesley Powell Memorial Museum, a cornucopia of local lore with historical photos, mammoth bones and artifacts. After a big day, fill up at Canyon King Pizzeria, a former paddle wheel boat that you might recognize from the films Maverick and The Gambler.

Looking into a suite at Amangiri Resort

Looking for luxury? In October 2009 world-renowned Aman Resorts opened Amangiri, an exclusive 34-suite getaway that seamlessly blends modern architecture into the dramatic 165-million-year-old rocks, mesas and canyons. Peaceful and serene on 600 acres in a private canyon, it’s just a short drive to Page (where guests with private planes can fly in and out) and Wahweap Marina at Lake Powell.

Located just a stone’s throw over the Arizona border in Utah, Amangiri makes an ideal “base camp” for exploring Arches, Bryce and Zion national parks, as well as the Grand Canyon, Navajo tribal lands, Monument Valley, the Colorado River and other northern Arizona parks and landmarks.

Resort staff work closely with guests prior to arrival on personalized itineraries. Browse the 37-page “adventure guide” and choose from tours, charter flights, horseback rides, hikes, rafting trips, hot air balloon rides – just about any activity you desire. After a busy day, indulge at the 25,000-square-foot spa, one of the largest of all the Aman properties.

Navajo basket weaver Jenny Crank

Navajo/Hopi Tribal Lands
In addition to seeing some of the most magnificent scenery in the world, the most satisfying aspect of visiting northern Arizona is learning about the rich cultures of the Navajo and Hopi people. One of the best ways to do this is with a stay at the Moenkopi Legacy Inn in Tuba City, on the border of the two tribal lands.

From there, visit the Navajo Interactive Museum, a compact but well-organized trove of fascinating facts and history. Or drive to Shonto Trading Post, where a guest hogan (an eight-sided traditional home) built in the 1930s hosted the likes of John D. Rockefeller and Western film director John Ford. The Shonto people produce some of the finest arts and crafts available, and manager Al Grieve has an award-winning collection – much of it for sale – in a small room attached to his convenience store.

Moenkopi Legacy Inn has ongoing displays of American Indian artwork and presentations from May to November, including flute players, storytellers and art demonstrations. The staff will help travelers hire guides for visits to the Hopi Villages, 12 living villages spread across three mesas.

These are some of the longest continually inhabited places in North America: Walpi Village at First Mesa dates from about 900 A.D. and had about 2,000 residents when Spaniard Pedro de Tovar first encountered it in 1540. Hopi agriculture – also called the “original Slow Food movement” – is another wonder, and in January the Moenkopi Legacy Inn started monthly seminars and ongoing tours.

Respect is the operative word on tribal lands. Respect the people – don’t photograph or record anything without permission – and respect the land. Don’t drive off main roads; hire a guide if you want to explore the backcountry. In return, you’ll disconnect from city life and connect with Arizona’s past and native people.

Sleep & Stay
• Amangiri, 1 Kayenta Road,
Canyon Point, Utah, 877-695-3999
amanresorts.com.
Rates: $1,000 per night starting June 15 through June 2012

• Forever Resorts/Antelope Pointe Marina houseboats, 537 Marina Parkway Route 22B, Page, 928-645-5900
antelopepointlakepowell.com
Rates: $950 to $2,114 per day

• Grand Canyon Hotel, 145 W. Route 66, Williams, 877-635-1419 thegrandcanyonhotel.com.
Rates: $28 (hostel-style room) to $125 (sleeps four) per night

• Moenkopi Legacy Inn, Highway Junction 160 & 264, Tuba City, 928-283-4500
experiencehopi.com.
Rates: $139 for singles/doubles

Activities
• Antelope Canyon Tours, 22 S. Lake Powell Blvd., Page, 928-645-9102, antelopecanyon.com

• Colorado River Discovery Tours, 130 Sixth Ave., Page, 888-522-6644, raftthecanyon.com

• Detours of Arizona, 866-438-6877, detoursaz.com

• Grand Canyon Railway, 233 N. Grand Canyon Blvd., Williams, 800-843-8724, thetrain.com

• Hopi tours, full list available at experiencehopi.com/tours.htm/

Eat & Drink
• Canyon King Pizzeria
663 S. Lake Powell Blvd.
Page, 928-693-7173
thecanyonking.com

• Pine Country Restaurant
107 N. Grand Canyon Blvd.,
Williams, 928-635-9718
pinecountryrestaurant.com

• Red Raven
135 W. Route 66
Williams, 928-635-4980
redravenrestaurant.com

• Tuuvi Café, Tuuvi Travel Center
Highway Junction 160 & 264
Tuba City, 928-283-4374
experiencehopi.com

Information
• discovernavajo.com
• experiencehopi.com
• experiencewilliams.com
• pagelakepowelltourism.com
• thetrain.com