For more recounts on travels and trips like Williams, visit the blog here.
Who else is guilty of abusing streaming services for their free trials?
If I had a dollar for every time I signed up for a free trial on Netflix, Hulu, or Disney+, I could probably afford to actually pay for those services, instead of creating burner email addresses every few months.
I’ve just started watching Manifest, and it is one of the most addicting shows I’ve ever seen. Not because it’s good, oh no. I’m constantly yelling at the mom for being the WORST character in the entire show. However, my Netflix trial ends tomorrow, so it’s about that time to start begging my cousin’s college roommate’s boyfriend’s uncle for his account password.
The premise of the show, though, is brilliant. A plane flies into a lightning storm, where it returns to Earth after five and a half years. Nobody on the plane aged, and the mystery stretches over several seasons. Lightning is a key component to the trip I recently went on, so let that stick in your mind as you read.
ANYWAY.
Finding tiny towns and lesser-known places is the bread and butter of travel. There’s something to be said for being your own pioneer for new experiences. I recently went to Arizona, which was a complete shock, since I thought our camping group was staying in Nevada. Imagine my surprise when my friend told me that we were traveling three hours away to a tiny place that I’d never heard of, instead of good ol’ Mount Charleston.
It reminded me of when I went to a wedding in the middle of Buttfuck Nowhere, Michigan last month. We stopped in this straight-from-Disney town called Frankenmuth. The charm here was at full volume, to the point where they were playing traditional German music from speakers on the main road. The town’s calling card is their Christmas store, Bronner’s, which is like a black hole of holiday cheer that goes on FOREVER.
Anyway, that’s how we ended up in Williams, Arizona, for the most turbulent 36-hour camping trip I’ve ever been on.
Williams, arizona and white horse lake
For my international readers, the famous US Highway 66, or “Route 66” is a highway that is famous for connecting Chicago to Los Angeles when automobile travel was on the rise. The landscape surrounding this historic road is beautiful and stuffed with outposts and towns that are trademarked as being part of this timeless road.
Williams is one such town and was on the way to our elusive campsite. Since our group was gallivanting around that area, we stopped in town to do the three most important things one can do on a road trip: eat, get coffee, and shop for bolo ties.
coffee – brewed awakenings
We stopped at Brewed Awakenings, a funky shop with soft-serve dispensers and arcade games in the back. In addition to the name being oh so punny, the oat milk cappuccino I ordered was delicious. If that makes me a flaming millennial, then let the fire rage.
steak before the stakeout
The number of steakhouses in the small square mileage of Williams was surprising. Since steak is one of the main food groups, and our abundance allowed us to pick one at random, I don’t think we could have made a wrong choice.
We settled on Rod’s Steakhouse, at the end of the main drag. Rod’s had a homey feel, with Southwest-style decorations on the walls and the best menu shape I’ve ever seen. If prime rib is available, I always go for that, and theirs did not disappoint.
local native treasures
Normally, souvenir shops are full of touristy crap that nobody in their right state of mind should buy. However, when local artists can feature their work and offer it for sale, that changes the game.
Williams is near Navajo nation, and several shops introduce the work of indigenous artists. For example, at Grand Canyon Native Jewelry, the pottery and jewelry are thoughtfully crafted. If my apartment wasn’t the size of a Nike shoebox, I would have bought at least a dozen pots, plates, and other pieces.
Now, as good and fun as the town was, the real star was the surrounding nature.
Camping in NEATure (get it?)
We camped at the White Horse Lake Campground, which is about thirty minutes outside of Williams. As soon as we pulled up, I knew I was in love because LOOK AT THIS FIELD OF SUNFLOWERS.
We slept next to this gorgeous field. In the morning, it felt like waking up in an enchanted fairyland.
Our campsite also housed a lake, which rented out kayaks and water sports equipment via the Black Bear Snack Shack, which is permanently parked at the edge of the lake. Thank God for them, because I needed more than one cup of coffee to start the day and we ran out of instant brew immediately.
On the only morning we had at camp, the three of us jumped in the truck to explore two nearby landmarks: Sycamore Falls and Sycamore Canyon.
I don’t think I need to say much about these places. The splendor speaks for itself.
sycamore canyon
Locals call this place a “mini Grand Canyon.” Given its size, it’s easy to see why. The drive to the top is a bit treacherous, but the canyon opens up like a giant mouth and it’s splendid.
sycamore falls
The falls were almost deserted, which made it perfect for photos. The sky was overcast, casting a shadow over the whole terrain and cooling the air. We could hear our own footsteps as we wandered around the edge of the drop.
HOWEVER, I hate when people play loud music outside, especially the doofuses across the falls that were blasting “Call Me By Your Name” at full volume. Those people shouldn’t be allowed outside.
Other than that, the only other two downsides to the trip were a) being eaten alive by mosquitos and b) our dramatic exit.
Here’s what went down.
damn nature, you scary
To return to Manifest and freaky lightning storms, we nearly died from something similar.
It’s an odd time of year, where the temperature is unforgivingly hot, but extreme weather events will still pop in and remind us, as humans, of how small we are. We experienced a storm that was so massive and terrifying that it made us fear for our lives.
While cooking a classic camping meal of sausages and random vegetables, to offset the alarming amount of shitty snack food eaten throughout the day, lighting began flashing in the distance. My friend checked the weather and we thought that the two approaching storms would pass us on either side, so we were in the clear.
Five minutes later, when we looked up, the lighting was surrounding us. It had also started to rain.
We packed the truck at lightning speed and left the campsite at 10 PM. By then, the rain was pouring down, a thick blanket of drops that left a layer of water in the truck bed.
And the lightning. The sky was cracking like a plastic wrapper, sending bolts to the ground every couple of seconds. From a distance, it would have been an amazing show to watch, but we had to leave it. To leave it, we had to drive right through it.
So, with my friend driving and me holding onto the back of the passenger seat for dear life, we weaved through the dirt roads to get to the freeway, watching the sky for any bolts that got too close for comfort.
The worst part was crossing an open stretch of land, with no trees around and no protection. The meadow was at the highest point of the summit, putting us close to the heart of the storm, making it doubly dangerous.
For five minutes nobody spoke, and we sped across the field as fast as we dared. As soon as we arrived on the interstate, everyone breathed a sigh of relief. We then peed for ten minutes straight at the next gas station we stopped at.
For the next three hours, the lightning raged in the distance, taunting us with the closeness of our danger. We arrived home at 2 AM and fell straight into bed.
Was it terrifying? Yes. Would I visit Williams again? Without a doubt.
Stumbling on beautiful places that become treasured places is what makes life serendipitous. I can’t wait to go back. Next time though, I’ll check the weather report.
