| John Steinbeck dubbed Route 66 The Mother Road, a | | | | connects visitors to an era gone by that is the true |
| road that was and is today the lifeblood of Williams, | | | | Wild West heritage of territorial Arizona. Owners, Mike |
| Arizona. Unlike most of historic Route 66 communities, | | | | DuCharme and Jay Redfeather, dress the part of the |
| Williams has preserved the heritage of The Mother | | | | vintage west as do all the employees at the Junction. |
| Road and the historic motor hotels are experiencing a | | | | The original motel has been totally reconfigured and is |
| renaissance as new owners take over, in many cases | | | | now one of the most unique tourist facilities in America. |
| run down properties, and re-energize them with unique | | | | Staying in one of the six one-of-a-kind guestrooms in |
| furnishings and a fresh exterior. The business district | | | | the Drover's Hotel is like being invited to stay in |
| with vintage shops and restaurants line old Route 66 | | | | someone's museum. Each room portrays a theme |
| and the entire town is very walk able with motels and | | | | from the Old West. A highlight of the Bordello |
| shops along about ten blocks of historically preserved | | | | single-queen room is a mural on one wall depicting an |
| architecture. | | | | upscale brothel from the late 1800s. The rich |
| When Rob Samsky first considered rehabilitating a | | | | décor of the room is worthy of the Madame |
| vintage Route 66 motel he knew he had a big project | | | | of the establishment. The China Camp, with its two |
| ahead, the building was on the slate for condemnation | | | | comfy Queen beds and Chinese motif, was decorated |
| by the city. Rob says "It was a labor of love and hard | | | | with the Chinese in mind who were such an integral |
| work for over a year with a whole lot of family and | | | | part of the building of the West. If you like Westerns, |
| local community resources going into the rebirth of our | | | | then the Movie Memorabilia single-queen room is the |
| motel. The pine wood that we used for the exterior | | | | perfect place to slumber, with movie posters on the |
| treatment was cut from the forest right here and | | | | walls, one of the ten original hats worn by Clint |
| milled by a local sawmill. We combined many of the | | | | Eastwood in "Pale Rider", as well as the "Quigley" gun, |
| original rooms to create suites to make a very | | | | and a portrait of Tom Sellick over the bed. The |
| comfortable lodging experience." The Lodge on Route | | | | Hacienda is a two-room suite, with fireplace, wet bar, |
| 66 has the exterior character of the small vintage | | | | Jacuzzi tub, and two private patios. |
| Route 66 motor hotels but the owners redefined the | | | | To recognize the heritage of the Chinese laborers |
| standard of luxury in all nine standard rooms and nine | | | | who built the railway that comes through Williams, the |
| suites with wood and travertine flooring, top of the line | | | | Junction owners created Hop Sings Chinese |
| pillow top mattresses with luxurious cotton linens, and | | | | Restaurant. The building is new but, like the rest of the |
| solid wood furniture. Complimentary breakfast is | | | | Junction, it looks like it has been standing since the |
| served in the covered exterior cabana which is central | | | | heyday of the era of the wild west. Dining is on two |
| to the motor court. | | | | floors with four outdoor patios and an upstairs bar with |
| The Samsky family took on another significant | | | | a terrific view of the sunsets, mountains, and the |
| renovation project to bring the motel across The | | | | Ponderosa Pine forest that surrounds Williams. With |
| Mother Road, the Downtowner, back to life. In this | | | | the Typhoon Saloon Restaurant & Bar within |
| project the rooms have an upscale "downtown" feel | | | | footsteps of the Drover's Hotel, as well as the |
| with flat screen TV's, granite & slate appointments | | | | Territorial Museum, the Courtyard where most days |
| and two of the 16 rooms have whirlpool tubs. The | | | | cowboys hang out (and most nights there is live |
| essence of the original Mother Road architecture has | | | | entertainment), the Wild West Junction is a great place |
| been preserved an, of course, a quieter and tamer | | | | to relive the Old West and stay right on The Mother |
| Route 66 is right out the front door. | | | | Road, Route 66. |
| The Wild West Junction is a unique development that | | | | |