Hard to believe it’s been nearly a month since Jim and I visited our grandsons (and daughter and son-in-law) in Arizona.

Hard to believe, too, that I’ve not shared the stories of all we did (other than make bracelets) during that visit. But with Benjamin’s milestones to mark soon after our return — such as his first haircut and his first birthday — details on our desert visit to see Brayden, Camden, and Declan were put on the back burner.

But with temps hovering just below freezing and a snowy scene outside my windows as I write this, today seems an especially ideal day to recap one particularly grand fun-in-the-sun outing we enjoyed with grandsons at the outset of autumn. That being the day we spent at Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park, located about an hour south of the Grand Canyon.

Now, our daughter and son-in-law have lived in Arizona since they married thirteen years ago, and our grandsons have lived there all their lives. Jim and I have visited them numerous times in the past thirteen years and enjoyed various activities while there. Yet never til now has a Bearizona outing been on the agenda. But after spending time at the attraction during a road trip last year, our grandsons — and their parents — decided it was a must-see for PawDad and me.

Bearizona Drive-Thru Wildlife Park in Williams, Arizona, is, well, a drive-thru park … plus so much more. The drive-thru part comes first: a scenic three-mile drive through forest and flatland to see the bear, bison, burro, wolf, sheep, deer, and reindeer that reside there.

With Preston at the wheel, we headed out, err, in to the park, paying close attention to the rules listed on the park literature and signs throughout. Rules such as the No. 1 one, posted at vehicle entrance: “Enter at your own risk. Bearizona is NOT responsible for any damages. Windows Up, Doors Locked & Stay in Your Vehicle.”

Along the way, we realized the importance of the “windows up” rule when wolves, bears, and bison approached within arms length — and when unseen park attendants shouted via speakers throughout the park to do as told when we dared one another to keep them down.

Together we got an up-close view of amazing animals in their (nearly) natural habitat:

Once we tired of the driving portion — despite us all getting the giggles over folks in their vehicles behind us following and following … and following … when several times Preston went around and around some spots just to see how intent on blindly following us they’d be — it was time for the “Stroll It” portion of the park.

In “Fort Bearizona” visitors are invited to enjoy the winding, forested trails at their leisure. The numerous critters residing at the fort — otter, fox, raccoon, beaver, porcupine, bobcats, farm animals, and javelinas, to name most — captivated and kept us strolling for quite some time.

Bearizona also features a Birds of Prey flight show, where falcons, owls, and other raptors show their stuff — and swoop hair-grazlingly close to spectator’s heads — providing an educational, entertaining sit-down spell.