Things to do / Travel Guide
No matter how you tour the magnificent national parks of southern Arizona - on foot, on horseback, or maybe even in a hot air balloon - encountering the spectacular canyons and giant cacti and desert wildlife makes visiting the region a memorable trip for the little ones in your group.
Fun Family Vacation Ideas
By day, you're riding high in the saddle through southern Arizona's spectacular desert scenery. At night, you're “back at the ranch,” relaxing by the fire, playing a game of horseshoes, or taking a swim in the pool. In other words, “Dude Ranch” culture is alive and well in the hills surrounding Tucson. This is a great place to take the family, there's no doubt your little “city slickers” will love it out on the prairie. Contact the Arizona Dude Ranch Association for more information about the ranch that's best for you.
The region's Old West theme parks, ghost towns and gold mines, and museums and craft shops devoted to southern Arizona's Native American history provide other fun ideas for the kids.
If your kids need to get out some pent up energy, take them over to Papago Park in Phoenix where they can go crazy playing on all the boulders and interesting rock formations. When the heat finally takes its toll head to the nearby Arizona Science Center, which has tons of hands-on exhibits to keep the little ones amused for hours.
All kids love airplanes, so stop by the Davis-Monthan Air Force Base for one of their weekday tours of the approximately 5,000 airplanes stored at the base. Aviation buffs will also enjoy seeing the fighter planes from World War I and World War II housed at the Champlin Fighter Museum.
Kids will definitely love a visit to the Kitt Peak National Observatory or the futuristic Biosphere 2. Phoenix's Hall of Flame houses what might be the world's largest collection of fire-fighting equipment. And if you're in the region during the spring, take your kids to one of the dozen or so major league baseball spring training camps that are located in Phoenix, Scottsdale, Tucson and other locations in the region.
The region also has great places where kids can learn the ropes of some of the local pastimes. The Phoenix Rock Gym is a great idea for youngsters who can learn the sport of rock climbing. At the O.K. Corral, the entire family can saddle up and enjoy anywhere from an hour to several days of riding through the Superstition Wilderness.
Once used as a movie studio where Western-film stars such as John Wayne, Jimmy Stewart, Gene Autry, and Ronald Reagan walked down the dusty streets, Old Tucson Studios is now a theme park that recreates life in the Old West. A fire in 1997 destroyed most of the old Hollywood sets, but the reconstructed site still has plenty to offer, including saloon musicals, blazing gunfights (staged by stunt performers), and studio tours. You can also take a guided ride down the desert trails where many a Hollywood star rode off into the sunset. If you get hungry and thirsty, there are several restaurants and saloons that will take care of you in Western style. They are open daily during the day, prices are about $15 per person.
Rawhide at Wild Horse Pass
The “Wild West” comes alive at Arizona's largest western-themed attraction, which is located in the scenic Sonoran Desert, outside of Phoenix. If you can make it past the gunfights and stunt shows put on by the Rawhide Roughriders, there are also calmer activities to enjoy, such as a stagecoach ride through the desert, burro rides for the kids, and live country music. Or you can test your marksmanship at the shooting gallery and your cowboy skills on the mechanical bull.
If anyone in your party gets too rambunctious, take advantage of “Arrest-a-Guest,” where Rawhide's sheriff will throw the young scoundrels behind bars. If they're lucky, they'll convince Rawhide's judge of their innocence so that they can enjoy a Sundown Cookout before everyone heads home.
Family Vacation Ideas in Phoenix, Tucson, Scottsdale, Tombstone and Southern Arizona
Family-Vacation-Ideas
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