The annual Arizona HOG Rally recently returned to the historic mountain town of Williams. The rally has moved around the state from year to year, but Williams is a HOG favorite, having been held in the northern Arizona town nine times.

Founded in 1881 as a trapping and logging camp, Williams is named after one of the town’s wooly settlers, mountain man Bill Williams. Riding by its handmade brick and clapboard buildings, it’s easy to get the feeling Norman Rockwell might be hanging around, leaning up against a worn and oily Flathead, waiting for the next staged western shootout, admiring the period architecture, maybe planting his easel on the corner of Third and Main, more popularly known as Route 66.

Roughly one thousand HOG members rode into this well-preserved piece of old west Americana. Sue Atkinson, Site Coordinator for the Williams Chamber of Commerce, said, “I think HOG keeps coming back because of our small town hospitality. Bikers are welcome here. They also like being on Route 66, the motorcycle-only designated parking throughout downtown and, of course, all the great rides. We roll out the red carpet and they pretty much have the run of the town.”

When many motorcycle rallies across the nation are finding their hosts less and less hospitable, Williams is a welcome sight. There is this creeping weirdness elsewhere, a no-good, money-hungry thing that if it could speak would say: “Give us your damn money and get your dirty biker butts outta’ here. And, by the way, here’s a nice parking ticket to remember us by…you all come back now.” This old outpost, population 3,200, about 3 ½ hours northwest of Phoenix, and under 30-minutes west of Flagstaff, appears to relate to the free spirited far better.

Within one- to two-hour rides from Williams, which sits in the middle of the biggest ponderosa pine forest in the nation, lies the Grand Canyon, the college town of Flagstaff, spectacular Oak Creek Canyon, the red rock wonderlands of Sedona, and the old copper boomtown of Jerome. Further northeast is Monument Valley and the great Navajo Nation, the country’s largest Native American reservation. Some four hours east is the haunting Petrified Forest and parts of the vast Painted Desert. If Williams has the will and facility, it has the makings to become another Sturgis.

At an elevation of 6,800, June in this mountain town offers almost ideal biker conditions. Temps were in the 80s with low humidity and a soft breeze that sometimes picked up to a bluster. The event offered welcome barbecue and hoedown, bike games, a free poker walk, guided and self-guided tours, poker run, bike show, bike wash, and a dramatic bike parade that could bring a tear to the most grizzled eye. In the spirit of Wildman Bill Williams, there was dancing in the streets, right off the Mother Road.

A number of colorful and comfortable accommodations are available in the area. Poker Run tabulator and B&B impresario, Bill Job and his wife, Gloria, run one of the more posh B&Bs, just a few blocks off Main at 701 Quarter Horse Rd. Cool your big black boot heels and relax in a claw-foot tub or unwind on the wraparound porch. The Grand Living Bed and Breakfast stands true to its name, exuding charm and an eclectic mix of international art, plush home furnishings, a breakfast bounty worthy of any dirty hungry biker, and the service and décor details that make for a memorable stay. Call 928/635.4171 or 800/210.5908; visit www.grandlivingbnb.com.

Considering the cut of our Baby Boomer relaxed jeans, it’s easy to see we have husky appetites. But do you just sometimes pine for pie? Most days, the Pine Country Restaurant on North Grand Canyon Blvd. pops out up to 80 cakes and pies, all baked to dissolve your will. Cattycorner to the vendor lot, you can rest your chrome bones on the restaurant’s benches and watch the moseying leather, pin and patch crowd. For something savory, their deep-fried zucchini hit the spot, and the three-squares a day menu has hearty American fare. Call 928/635.9718; visit www.pinecountryrestaurant.com.

Swiftly rising up the ranks of travel review sites, The Singing Pig is the new Hog in town. Barbecued pork, beef and chicken are tended, sometimes up to six hours, by astute grill-master, Kevin Manley, while his personable companion, Kathi Calahan, works her charm on the clientele. Fresh cut fries and specialty coleslaw are signature sides. The tasty portions are ample, and the prices seem to reflect the quality ingredients and added preparation. Off Route 66, call 928-635-2904; www.thesingingpigroute66.com

The annual Arizona HOG Rally will return to Williams next year, June 7-9. For more information, contact Nick Feldaverd, Rally Coordinator, email nfeld@cox.net; call 602.206.1940; www.azstatehogrally.com. For more on Williams, AZ visit www.experiencewilliams.com.