A few weeks ago, the hubs and I decided to visit Bearizona in Williams, Arizona for my 29th Birthday and we had so much fun! I had been wanting to go to Bearizona for quite a few years now and let me just say that this visit did NOT disappoint! Sam and I started off the day by waking up around 8:00 a.m. so that we could drive 2+ hours up north and be at the Zoo shortly after in opened at 11:00 a.m.! Since we drove up on a Friday (which was my actual birth day) there were hardly any crowds and the traffic was practically nonexistent (which we both loved)! As you can see in my pictures, we also saw quite a bit of snow during our visit since Williams had gotten a few inches of snow the night before so I truly felt like my “White Christmas” dreams had finally come true! For those of you that have never visited Bearizona before or do not know what it is, Bearizona is an Outdoor Wildlife Park that offers a drive-thru exhibit where you can drive up really close to the animals and see what the wild does in their natural habitats! The park is located at 1500 East Route 66, Williams, Arizona, is open 7 days a week from 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. (with hours varying in the summertime), and is open 364 days out of the year except for Christmas Day. Admission fees vary per customer and per day so if you’re wanting to save a few extra bucks, then I would suggest you go on a weekday like I did to save you a few extra dollars! During my visit at the park, I was able to see all of the animals and I thought that they were pretty active during my visit, however, it does say online that most of their animals are active in the mornings all year round and later in the afternoons in the summer months so make sure that you plan accordingly to get the most bang for your buck!
Once we got to the park, the first thing we did was the wildlife “Drive Thru” portion and it was seriously so awesome! Like 12/10 I would recommend it to ANYONE! Some of the animals that we saw in the drive thru was the black bear, American bison, American burro, bighorn sheep, deer, grizzly bears, and of course my favorites, the Alaskan wolves! The wolves were so special for me because I had never seen a pack of wolves howling together for 5 minutes straight until now and it literally was so magically that I almost cried tears of happiness because I thought it was THAT beautiful! Not to mention, the footage that I was able to capture during the drive thru was absolutely priceless and turned out even better than I thought was possible! Also, I thought the bears crossing the street while you’re just chilling in your car was definitely a sight to behold and that experience alone is enough for me to want to go back to do it again!
The drive thru portion only lasted a few minutes and once we were done, we parked our car off to the side so that we could do the walk through! Once you enter the walk through, there are a few different shops inside where you can purchase yourself some food and/or drinks to enjoy during your visit at the park! The hubs and I decided to share a little snack since we were hungry from all of the driving so we went with an order of french fries and I ordered a cup of hot chocolate to keep me warm since the whether was below 30 degrees outside and my blonde self forget to bring me a pair of gloves! Which reminds me, if you’re planning on visiting Bearizona in the winter, make sure that you wear warm clothes and/or dress in layers so that you don’t freeze like I did! I promise you – you’ll thank me later! 🙂
During the walk thru, we saw even more amazing animals like the red fox, a beaver, some raccoons, a jaguar, and even some of the cutest North American river otters that were absolutely to die for! In fact, if you’re a fan of otters like I am then I would highly recommend that you ask an employee during your visit what time they feed the otters because they let the guests feed the otters sardines during your visit which I ended up doing and seriously loved SO MUCH (and the best part is that it’s entirely FREE!) There’s also a fun little gift shop that you can hit up if you’re looking for cute souvenirs and even a fun little cafe that you can grab a bite to eat if you’re hungry! Sam and I wanted to find a place to eat outside of the park so we didn’t check out the cafe, but I did snag two souvenirs that I was really happy with!
Here’s a fun little video I made for TikTok sharing my experience with all of you and I hope you guys enjoy – feel free to follow me on TikTok @jlynnconsentino if you haven’t done so already!
After spending about 3 hours at the park, Sam and I were ready for lunch so we left the park to head into town on Route 66 to eat at the delicious Station 66 Italian Bistro which was insanely delicious!
The hubs and I ended up ordering the baked Mac and Cheese with pulled pork with a Cesar salad and the baller meatball to share! The food was 12/10 incredibly delicious and the portions were so big the we had plenty of food leftover to eat for two more meals! My favorite thing from the menu, however, would have to be the prickly pear margarita with a sugar rim! MY GOODNESS! If you are a prickly pear lover like myself, then you would understand! It was so refreshing and tasty that I had to resist the urge not to buy a second drink! They also had some yummy smelling locally made candles that you could purchase during your visit which of course I could NOT leave without!
I especially loved that this cute little restaurant was all decked out for Christmas time which made my visit that much more exciting! In fact, all of the stores in downtown Williams, Arizona were decorated in Christmas lights and filled with Christmas trees! I honestly wish I had taken more photos to show you since the whole scene reminded me of the ones you would see in a Hallmark movie!
All in all, I had the best birthday this year and I can’t wait to see what this next year has in store for me! After all, it is the last year in my 20’s and I hope it is the best one yet! Also, sorry I’ve been a little MIA these past few weeks, but now that the holidays are finally over, I hope to start sharing my regular content with you all again soon!
Feel free to leave me a comment if you have already visited Bearizona and/or Station 66 Italian Bistro in Williams, Arizona and what you thought of it! xx
