Please help me plan our vacation to AZ/NM

[Anonymous]

Looking to go NM/AZ for spring break in late March with 5 and 7yo boys. Boys love animals, especially reptiles. Wild Kratts is their favorite show and they often talk about the Sonoran Desert.

Could you recommend places to stay, eat and go in AZ?
Would it be too much to do both New Mexico and Arizona on the same trip?

We have previously been to Scottsdale with the boys when they were 1 and 3 years old and it was one of our best vacations. We stayed at the Westin using Starwood points and visited the train park and Phoenix Zoo.

I read about the great kids club at the Hyatt Regency Tamara Resort & Spa and it has been on my to visit list. It is about 7 hrs from Phoenix so not sure if it is worth the drive.

Is there somewhere to stay or go in between so we can cut the drive up?

[Anonymous]

Hey "affordable gems PP"....nobody wants to help you, even on a new post.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey "affordable gems PP"....nobody wants to help you, even on a new post.

Not sure why the nasty tone. There were a lot of posters on that thread. I did not post the last comments including the last poster who said they are also going to AZ in March. That was not me.

[Anonymous]

Sonoran desert museum in tucson is best in the world.
Saguaro natl park - the only place in the world where those cacti grow.

Organ pipe natl park just down the highway.

[Anonymous]

OP, I feel like our kids would get along great!
I'm not really up on New Mexico. It might be nice to do one week in Southern Arizona. Here's what I would consider:
Tucson -- Saguaro National Monument if you want to hike, etc; but Sabino Canyon tram ride will have a nicer orientation to the flaura/fauna and then you can hike/walk a bit from the tram rides. Sonoran Desert Museum definitely. Old Tucson would also be fun. There's also a Wildlife Museum place not far from the Sonoran Desert Museum, but I've never been. The Tucson Zoo is actually a really nice little zoo -- you can feed the giraffes.
There's a dude ranch in Tucson called Tanque Verde guest ranch that would be awesome, but not cheap.
There are some other dude ranches south of Tucson, including one in Sonoita that gets fabulous reviews and might be cheaper.
Kartchner Caverns is supposed to be super awesome -- relatively recently discovered and one of the most impressive caves in the country. Check to make sure when the bats are having babies, though -- I think they close certain caverns because of bat breeding. If you're in the area, you could also do a trip down into the old copper mines at Bisbee, and a visit to Old Tombstone, where they re-enact the shootout at the OK Corral pretty much every day (but without Val Kilmer, who actually could probably use the work at this point).

Tucson up to Grand Canyon is about 8 hours, so it would take a chunk out of the week, but could be do-able if you are the type of family that doesn't mind long drives. Or you could skip the south, and fly into Phoenix and just head north from there.
I also really like Canyon de Chelly, which is also up north. If you do the up north route, there's a ton of great state and national parks, including the painted dessert, petrified forest, hoover dam (do the tour), etc. Do the Junior Park Ranger programs at each park if your kids like nature and animals. I think the northern section of the state would definitely be more of a "look at the beautiful scenery" and clamber around on rocks type vacation, whereas Tucson and the area south has more of a mix.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey "affordable gems PP"....nobody wants to help you, even on a new post.

No, I think OP is also OP of "Good vacation spots with a preschooler and 1st grader". In that thread, OP references Scottsdale and Starwood points.

the preschooler and 1st grader could easily be 5 and 7 by March.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey "affordable gems PP"....nobody wants to help you, even on a new post.

No, I think OP is also OP of "Good vacation spots with a preschooler and 1st grader". In that thread, OP references Scottsdale and Starwood points.

the preschooler and 1st grader could easily be 5 and 7 by March.

Yes, I posted the good vacation spot request and this thread. After reading the other thread, I am narrowing in on San Diego for Nov and will most likely go to AZ for spring break.

I am also looking into Mexico (Grand Veles and Rosewood mayakoba) if you are interested and want to keep tabs further.

[Anonymous]

We really had a great time at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona. They have a kid's program, too.

Sedona is a fun little quirky town -- maybe your kids are old enough to get a kick out of all the alien/Area 51 stuff?

[Anonymous]

Slot canyons near Page, AZ.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Hey "affordable gems PP"....nobody wants to help you, even on a new post.

No, I think OP is also OP of "Good vacation spots with a preschooler and 1st grader". In that thread, OP references Scottsdale and Starwood points.

the preschooler and 1st grader could easily be 5 and 7 by March.

Yes, I posted the good vacation spot request and this thread. After reading the other thread, I am narrowing in on San Diego for Nov and will most likely go to AZ for spring break.

I am also looking into Mexico (Grand Veles and Rosewood mayakoba) if you are interested and want to keep tabs further.

Sorry, this is OP. I didn't mean to have a nasty tone. I just reread and realized you were just saying that I am the OP of the other thread.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We really had a great time at the Enchantment Resort in Sedona. They have a kid's program, too.

Sedona is a fun little quirky town -- maybe your kids are old enough to get a kick out of all the alien/Area 51 stuff?

OP here. I have been to Enchantment without kids. I did not realize they had a kid's club. I had one of the best meals of my life at Elote. So good.

Kids have never been to the Grand Canyon or Sedona, just Phoenix and Scottsdale. I think I will take New Mexico out and just focus on Arizona. FCPS does not have school the day after Easter so we can spend up to 10 days on this spring break trip.

[Anonymous]

OP, we spent a week at Christmas one year staying in PHX but we did day trips to Tucson and Grand Canyon. Our son was in 2nd grade at the time. He loved it. I think about 3 days were in PHX/area. two were in Tucson (full day) and Grand Canyon/Flagstaff (full day). We put a lot of miles on the rental car.

If you want to go to NM, then I suggest going to NM and only NM. But if you want to go to AZ, then go there. But I would not try to combine the two destinations.

I don't know if you are only trying to stay at hotels where you can use your Starwood points.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, we spent a week at Christmas one year staying in PHX but we did day trips to Tucson and Grand Canyon. Our son was in 2nd grade at the time. He loved it. I think about 3 days were in PHX/area. two were in Tucson (full day) and Grand Canyon/Flagstaff (full day). We put a lot of miles on the rental car.

If you want to go to NM, then I suggest going to NM and only NM. But if you want to go to AZ, then go there. But I would not try to combine the two destinations.

I don't know if you are only trying to stay at hotels where you can use your Starwood points.

Did you change hotels each time or just day trips? I have always loved Arizona. I think it is my favorite place to vacation. Love the hiking, pools, spas and food.

We do not need to use Starwood points. I have stayed at Phoenician, W and Westin in Scottsdale previously. It looks like there is a Westin in Tuscon but it does not look very impressive. I would rather pay for a better resort preferably with an excellent kids club.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hey "affordable gems PP"....nobody wants to help you, even on a new post.

Go away.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:OP, I feel like our kids would get along great!
I'm not really up on New Mexico. It might be nice to do one week in Southern Arizona. Here's what I would consider:
Tucson -- Saguaro National Monument if you want to hike, etc; but Sabino Canyon tram ride will have a nicer orientation to the flaura/fauna and then you can hike/walk a bit from the tram rides. Sonoran Desert Museum definitely. Old Tucson would also be fun. There's also a Wildlife Museum place not far from the Sonoran Desert Museum, but I've never been. The Tucson Zoo is actually a really nice little zoo -- you can feed the giraffes.
There's a dude ranch in Tucson called Tanque Verde guest ranch that would be awesome, but not cheap.
There are some other dude ranches south of Tucson, including one in Sonoita that gets fabulous reviews and might be cheaper.
Kartchner Caverns is supposed to be super awesome -- relatively recently discovered and one of the most impressive caves in the country. Check to make sure when the bats are having babies, though -- I think they close certain caverns because of bat breeding. If you're in the area, you could also do a trip down into the old copper mines at Bisbee, and a visit to Old Tombstone, where they re-enact the shootout at the OK Corral pretty much every day (but without Val Kilmer, who actually could probably use the work at this point).

Tucson up to Grand Canyon is about 8 hours, so it would take a chunk out of the week, but could be do-able if you are the type of family that doesn't mind long drives. Or you could skip the south, and fly into Phoenix and just head north from there.
I also really like Canyon de Chelly, which is also up north. If you do the up north route, there's a ton of great state and national parks, including the painted dessert, petrified forest, hoover dam (do the tour), etc. Do the Junior Park Ranger programs at each park if your kids like nature and animals. I think the northern section of the state would definitely be more of a "look at the beautiful scenery" and clamber around on rocks type vacation, whereas Tucson and the area south has more of a mix.

I'm not sure if you're describing round trip or not, but Tucson to GC is right at 5 hours on Google Maps.

I do love Saguaro National Monument near Tucson.

Also, Pima Air & Space Museum and the Boneyward in Tucson.