Bearizona is a relatively new drive through wild animal park, located just east of the town of Williams. It opened last summer, and the reviews from the folks we ran across at the canyon this summer, were all positive. We knew that at some point, a visit to this attraction was going to happen. Yesterday was that time, as our group of 10 loaded into 3 vehicles, and we drove the short distance to Bearizona.
I took a bazillion pictures of all the critters, of which most were native to North America. The first part of the experience was the 2 mile drive through, where we saw goats, sheep, bison, & wolves, to name a few, and all were in huge enclosures that replicated their natural habitat. Seeing these captive creatures in a natural environment is so much better than what you see at most zoos, where cages are the home for many of the animals.
After the drive through, we parked the jeep, and Patty, I, Nancy, & Bob Tucker headed for the more traditional enclosures where there were Bears, Lynx, Racoons, & a birds of prey show. The Bobcats were in jail, because they had figured a way to escape from their enclosure. All of the enclosures were large, giving the animals lots of room to do what they normally do.
There were 12 black bears, all born this year at the park, and they were doing what most kids do, wrestling with each other, and chasing all over the area. It was fun to watch their antics, as they played, and did all sorts of goofy things.
We were impressed with the facility, and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see wild animals, mostly in a natural setting. Evidently, the park is doing quite well, as the local newspaper had an article stating that 6,000 people visited Bearizona over the Labor Day weekend.
Later in the day, all 10 of us had dinner at Rods Steak House, a family owned restaurant that has been at the same location in Williams since 1946. From the conversation, I think everyone had a good meal, I know my New York steak was excellent. After dinner, we drove down main street, and it looked like the town was very much alive, with people everywhere, and most of the shops still open at 8pm.
It was a good day with good friends, and as the morning sun rises, we'll soon be heading over to the train depot, and boarding our steam train to the Grand Canyon. I'll close with a few more pictures of the critters.
Bearizona is a relatively new drive through wild animal park, located just east of the town of Williams. It opened last summer, and the reviews from the folks we ran across at the canyon this summer, were all positive. We knew that at some point, a visit to this attraction was going to happen. Yesterday was that time, as our group of 10 loaded into 3 vehicles, and we drove the short distance to Bearizona.
I took a bazillion pictures of all the critters, of which most were native to North America. The first part of the experience was the 2 mile drive through, where we saw goats, sheep, bison, & wolves, to name a few, and all were in huge enclosures that replicated their natural habitat. Seeing these captive creatures in a natural environment is so much better than what you see at most zoos, where cages are the home for many of the animals.
After the drive through, we parked the jeep, and Patty, I, Nancy, & Bob Tucker headed for the more traditional enclosures where there were Bears, Lynx, Racoons, & a birds of prey show. The Bobcats were in jail, because they had figured a way to escape from their enclosure. All of the enclosures were large, giving the animals lots of room to do what they normally do. 
There were 12 black bears, all born this year at the park, and they were doing what most kids do, wrestling with each other, and chasing all over the area. It was fun to watch their antics, as they played, and did all sorts of goofy things.
We were impressed with the facility, and would highly recommend it to anyone who wants to see wild animals, mostly in a natural setting. Evidently, the park is doing quite well, as the local newspaper had an article stating that 6,000 people visited Bearizona over the Labor Day weekend. 
Later in the day, all 10 of us had dinner at Rods Steak House, a family owned restaurant that has been at the same location in Williams since 1946. From the conversation, I think everyone had a good meal, I know my New York steak was excellent. After dinner, we drove down main street, and it looked like the town was very much alive, with people everywhere, and most of the shops still open at 8pm. 
It was a good day with good friends, and as the morning sun rises, we'll soon be heading over to the train depot, and boarding our steam train to the Grand Canyon. I'll close with a few more pictures of the critters.
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