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Polar Express Williams, AZ

WildHorses24

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Booked our tickets on the Polar Express this fall with the kids. This will be our first time, we're taking the RV and making a trip out of it! Any suggestions on where to stay in Williams? What to see, what else to do? We'll be going in November with a tow vehicle and thinking about the Grand Canyon for a couple nights as well as a stop off in Havasu. Any tips suggestions, I haven't been to Williams or the grand canyon since i was 10!
 

jesco

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Go to the Sultana Bar in Williams, built in the early 1900s, real OG cowboy bar. Cool little town, lots of history. Just East of Williams is Bearizona (drive through zoo) http://bearizona.com. Your kids will love it.

Polar Express is cool, did it when my kids were little, they still talk about it every Christmas (15 and 11 now, they were 9 and 5 when we did it). Dress warm, it gets COLD in November up there.
 

Firemanjoe

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The kids will love the polar express. Williams is small but the Grand Canyon is great and bearizona is worth a stop
 

3.Slow

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Stay at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, we stayed there for the Polar Express 2 years ago, walked to the train and to the bars in Williams. And as mentioned, it gets cold, down to 13 while we were there in November, froze the water tank on the trailer.
 

linds

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It's a great family trip! We went 2 years ago over Thanksgiving break and stayed in our RV at the Grand Canyon RV resort at the Depot. It was clean and so easy walking back and forth to "town" and the Depot. It's beautiful at night with all the Christmas lights all around. The other campgrounds looked great too but we chose to the Depot Definitely bring a space heater to help keep it warm at night. We used it 24/7 and the rv heater did not kick on during the day. Being 18' at night though, the heater helped a ton at night along with the RV heater. Crack a window a tiny bit at night or the moister will build up inside too.

Aside from that breakfast at Pine Country was yummy and we loved driving through Bearizona and to the Grand Canyon.

We made this trip a week-long trip staying at Rancho Sedona Campground. It was great off-roading exploring around town. If you go to Sedona you have to do the Chuckwagon Dinner at Blazin M Ranch. It was an awesome experience and the kids still talk about it :)

Have fun!
 

bagged97taco

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How young is too young to take on the polar express? We want to do this but my son will be 3 and baby only 8 months. Obviously the little one won't even know what's going on. Should I wait till she is older?
 

MOUZER

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yah pretty much wait another few yrs.. you may only do it once and u want the youngest to remember...mine were 6 and 9 now there 19 and 22 they remember the grand canyon trip specially when they look at pics from r photo album....mom will have a better time too...
 

Magic34

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Definitely do Bearizona... But be certain to do the open bus tour as well there, a must. They throw food to the animals and they come right up to the bus.
 

Havafewinsider

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We did the Polar Express for 9 years had alot of fun kids still ask to go even though they know who Santa is now.

1. Camp at the grand canyon Rv resort buy plug in ceramic heaters you will freeze your ass off
2. Bearazonia
3. Day trip to Sedona
4. Day trip to South rim of grand canyon
5. Dont do the train its long and boring
6. A couple family friendly bars in town but really small town
6. good place to stop and streatch your legs and eat is crackerballel in kingman
 

thedan

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We really enjoyed walnut canyon if you make it into Flagstaff. A lot of walking, but the scenery is awesome.
 

hawgty55

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X2 on the grand canyon rv. Just did this trip in march great service and amenities!
 

Hypnautic

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Did this trip when kids were about 8 and 11, so about 4 years ago. We stayed at Wild West Junction. They are themed rooms. We took the largest that had two separate bedrooms and a fireplace. It is definitely not the Ramada, but the kids still remember staying there. And honestly, we enjoy staying at off the wall type places better, it makes memories! It also comes with free breakfast which was very good. The young girl who checked us in was also the bartender at the hotel and then later our bus driver at Bearazonia!!
I'm sure it's set up the same each year, but when we went, Santa was on the right hand side.
 

WildHorses24

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Great info in this thread, we are planning the Bearazonia and will for Camp in Grand Canyon RV. We'd like to day trip to Sedona but our tow vehicle is more of an around town not really a highway flyer😉 20160712_132610.jpg
 

Deja_Vu

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Stay at the Grand Canyon Railway RV Park, we stayed there for the Polar Express 2 years ago, walked to the train and to the bars in Williams. And as mentioned, it gets cold, down to 13 while we were there in November, froze the water tank on the trailer.

THIS.

We stayed here and walked to the train station. Fun adventure for the whole family.
The train will get robbed on the way, so you can help make it real for the kids and give 'em your money. LOL

We did a bus tour at the South Rim then enjoyed lunch at the Bright Angel Lodge prior to departing back to Williams.

Say Hello to Conductor Phil!
 
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