Mid-Century Motel Review: The Canyon Motel and RV Park

Mary-Frances O'Dea

More posts by this author

Continuing our spring break tour, we were excited to hit Williams, Arizona and especially happy to check in to the Canyon Motel and canyonmotelrv1RV Park!

This historic motel was slated to be torn down and replaced with townhouses. It would be gone today if not for Kevin and Shirley Young, a couple of California transplants, who stepped in with a dream of resurrecting this historic property. With experience from a famous hotel chain, the Young’s bought the old fixer upper, classic motel.

canyonmotelrv3Williams, Arizona lies on the route of Historic Route 66, Interstate 40, and the Southwest Chief Amtrak train route. It is also the southern terminus of the Grand Canyon Railway, which takes visitors to Grand Canyon Village. Having been a major hub for the railroad in the late 1800’s and early 1900’s,  the Young’s thought this might be a great focus and they moved two authentic, original 1929 cabooses onto The Canyon Motel property and transformed them into deluxe lodging suites.  They also brought in a 1950’s Grand Canyon Pullman rail car and turned it into lodging quarters.

canyonmotelrv2We were so excited to stay in the 1950’s Grand Canyon Pullman Rail car! This 1950’s Pullman classic has three separate railway car suites is fully modernized with all of the conveniences of any motel room.

As an alternative, the vintage flagstone cottage motel rooms are quaint and comfy. This fun location is also a fully functional RV park, so a great place to bring your airstream and come and enjoy all of the areas sites.

The Canyon Motel and RV Park
1900 E. Rodeo Road
Williams AZ 86046

Email: TheCanyonmotel@aol.com

Phone: 800-482-3955
928-635-9371

share this:

Facebook
Twitter
Pinterest

Visit our
travel site:

More articles:

Preserving a Piece of American History: Inside Las Vegas’ Mob Museum

Tucked away in downtown Las Vegas, The Mob Museum—formerly known as the National Museum of Organized Crime and Law Enforcement—offers more than just a glimpse into criminal history. It’s also a powerful example of historic preservation done right. Housed in a striking 1933 neoclassical courthouse (originally a U.S. Post Office and Federal Courthouse), the building is a rare survivor from an era when clean lines, bold function, and civic pride defined public architecture. Its marble

Read More

Retro Roadtrip: Desert Hills Motel, Tulsa, OK

The neon green cactus sign welcomes guests to the Desert Hills Motel, a charming mid-century getaway along the Tulsa, Ok stretch of Route 66. Built in 1953, the building is laid out so that all of the rooms are built on angles. This unique design optimizes the amount of room space, so that there are large rooms for the relatively small location. All rooms have been recently remodeled to ensure guest comfort and enjoyment. Amenities

Read More

Route 66 news – buy a historic landmark!

Lurking on my favorite Route 66 group, I’ve found some interesting and fun news! First, always wanting to encourage preservation, it appears the Historic Minnetonka Trading Post on Old Route 66 in Winslow Arizona, is up for sale again (this is the only picture I could find – is it correct? **Now that I look at the ad, I don’t think it is, if someone has a picture, can they send it to me?) –

Read More