Bearizona!

NOTE: This is the 10^thpost of a multi-part series chronicling my family's two week vacation in the summer of 2010.

For links to the entire series, click here.

(You read it right. Not Arizona, but Bearizona. Read on and you will see why!)

Leaving California, we had planned to make it to Grand Canyon National Park and find a place to pitch our tents at or near the park. But we had lingered longer visiting family and left later than planned. Darkness overtook us on our eastbound drive miles before we reached the highway 64 exit where we would leave Interstate 40 and head north to the Grand Canyon. Because we had no idea if there were any vacancies at the campgrounds in the park, we chose to stay in Williams, AZ.

Evidently many other weary travelers chose to pass the night there as well. We passed numerous motels with signs proclaiming "No Vacancy" as we drove into and through town. But once again, our Lord above was there to provide for our needs that night. We eventually came to an Econolodge with still un-rented rooms.

The next morning we arose and indulged ourselves with the complimentary deluxe continental breakfast offered by the hotel. A rack near the front desk offered dozens of free brochures tempting tourists to spend their money on nearby attractions. Most of these advertised Grand Canyon related adventures: take the train to the Grand Canyon, take an airplane ride over the Grand Canyon, fly in a helicopter over the Grand Canyon, ride a mule to the bottom of the Grand Canyon, etc. But we were particularly drawn to a brochure describing a very different experience.

The title "Bearizona!" headlined the brochure with pictures of several species of wildlife. Scanning the description on the front, it became clear this was a drive-through wildlife park, just recently opened. Though we had been blessed with the opportunity to see numerous species of wildlife in their natural environment at Yellowstone, there were several species listed on the Bearizona! brochure that we had not seen. And, there were babies! The ad promised baby black bears and baby grey wolves awaited us in the wildlife park.

The wildlife park was located just off I-40 at the same exit (Highway 64) we needed to take to get to the Grand Canyon. So it wasn't even out of our way. An added bonus was the price. The advertised entry fee to view the wildlife was $11 per person. The Bearizona! brochure made clear the fee would increase to $22 per person in the 2011 season for several reasons. The park had opened only 5 weeks earlier than our arrival and construction was ongoing. Because some containment areas were yet to be completed, certain wildlife species were not yet available for viewing.

At the park entrance we paid our fee and received more literature and a map of the park. We were also warned that we were not allowed to leave the vehicle on our tour, and that all windows should be kept completely rolled up once we entered the black bear enclosure. The young lady at the booth promised we would hear these warnings again as we progressed through the park. She also let us know we could drive through more than once if we desired.

So off we went.

The most impressive species we viewed on the drive was certainly the black bear. Though we had spotted one in Yellowstone, it was too distant to get a really good look (or a good photo). Here, we were able to get really close and get several good pictures of several bears. We even witnessed two bears mating. Other species were less impressive, including the American burro and the Dall sheep. But one thing we had not seen at Yellowstone was a White bison. Here they had several. These were smaller than the brown buffalo we had seen so many of in Yellowstone, but still interesting to see.

White Bison

Dall Sheep

American Burro

Black Bear

The really neat thing about driving through was it allowed us to get so close to the animals. At Yellowstone, we could only observe them from a distance. But here we were mere feet away from the beasts. Not that the experience here was better than it was at Yellowstone, or worse. It was simply a different experience, and that made it worth the money we spent to get in.

But the best part was yet to come. The drive-through circuit through the park ended at a parking lot bordered by a gift shop, restrooms, snack bar, and the baby animal enclosures. There were wolf pups and black bear cubs in two exhibits set up much like those you would find in a city zoo. The wolf pups were beautiful, but they dozed the entire time we were there. The napping canines provided little in the way of entertainment. The bear cubs were a different story.

The two black bear cubs were different colors, one black and one brown, with two distinct personalities. While we were there, the black cub never stopped moving. Running or pacing from one end of the enclosure to the other most of the time, he strayed from that path only to launch a playful sneak attack on his brown cousin. The brown cub on the other hand ignored his black playmate unless such an attack occurred. It seemed to prefer entertaining itself by climbing trees, or playing with the pine saplings inside its domicile. But, once distracted by his simple toys, his black companion would soon engage.

We passed quite a bit of time here watching the two baby bears wrestle and play. If they had been the only animals in the park, it would have been well worth the money to come and watch. We took a lot of photos of the bear cubs, and the short video near the top of this post.

We could have stayed hours longer and watched the adorable, frolicking cubs. They were so much fun to watch. But one of the seven wonders of the world awaited us a short distance to the north. So we pointed our Blazer toward the Grand Canyon and moved out.