Teams
Forum List
Toggle sidebar

Spring Break with Kids - Arizona

ICCYFAN

ICCYFAN

Well-Known Member
Sep 6, 2006
2,310
1,318
113
Iowa City
We're making plans for a Spring Break trip to Arizona with children ages 14, 13 & 12. My wife decided we were driving after weeks of fruitless search for an airline deal! Anyway, we've got the framework for the vacation in place and I'm asking if anybody has any suggestions for sights that are highly recommended. Here's what we currently have planned:

Sat & Sun - Drive - arrive Flagstaff Sunday evening
Monday - Flagstaff area - Observatory Monday Evening
Tuesday - Grand Canyon - South Rim
Wednesday - 12 hour tour of Grand Canyon by air, boat & jeep!
Thursday - Drive to Peoria, AZ for 1:05pm Cubs ST Game
Friday - Phoenix area - head back towards home in PM.

In conclusion, I'm interested in anything anybody has to say regarding things to see on the drive to and from, as well as things between Phoenix & Flagstaff. Thanks in advace!
 
Maybe head through Colorado on your way down.

Pikes Peak
Royal Gorge
Mesa Verde

Four corners.
 
Somewhere around Phoenix there a small mountain that's a nice hike ... we called it by an inappropriate name for so long I can't remember the real name ... "camel-something"

It's a neat hike, just don't try to find you're own way down, the DNR gets all ancy and yells at you for a while.
 
clones_jer said:
Somewhere around Phoenix there a small mountain that's a nice hike ... we called it by an inappropriate name for so long I can't remember the real name ... "camel-something"

It's a neat hike, just don't try to find you're own way down, the DNR gets all ancy and yells at you for a while.
Click to expand...

I want to say it's Camelback Mountain. Used to go up there with my grandparents when I'd visit them in the summers.

We used to go here a lot, too. They're old Indian cliff dwellings - small hike up the side of a cliff to get there. I do not remember at all if it's on the way to Flagstaff:

Tonto National Monument, Arizona

There's the Organ Stop restaurant (or something like that) in Phoenix that's fun for kids. The zoo isn't bad - kind of middling. Old Tucson is really cool - that's where they filmed Tombstone and some of the older westerns.

Just flew back from Phoenix today, and it's gorgeous out there. Have fun.
 
chadm said:
Maybe head through Colorado on your way down.

Pikes Peak
Royal Gorge
Mesa Verde

Four corners.
Click to expand...
Have you been to the four corners?

I went when i was really young and i remember a long drive in the middle of know where to see absoultely nothing.

Big waste of time in my opinion.
 
Flagstaff is a beautiful area, but it won't be much warmer than Iowa. They might still be getting snow when you go. The interstate drive south out of Flagstaff is nice with some good scenic overlooks and roadside stands to stop at along the way. If you don't want to go all the way into Phoenix, I'd stop at Sedona.
 
I did the drive from Ames last March, saw 5 spring training games (4 Cubs) and a Suns game. Went swimming, golfing, the usual.

On the way down I hit up the Boulevard brewery.
Way back I hit up Grand Canyon south rim, drove up thru Moab.
Went thru Colorado, hit up Coors, New Belgium, and Ft. Collins brewery.

My recommendations are to always stop at breweries on the way, kids might be a different story though.
 
Driving from Iowa to AZ = suicide.

I'd rather overpay with a flight than waste all that time. Especially since the first day of driving is horrible boring.
 
Drive4cy said:
Driving from Iowa to AZ = suicide.

I'd rather overpay with a flight than waste all that time. Especially since the first day of driving is horrible boring.
Click to expand...

I think it can be if you might not drive all that much. I drive a lot for work, so it wasn't too bad for me.
I left Ames at 9am, stopped in KC for a couple hours and drove to Tucamcari, New Mexico. Woke up and drove to Mesa and was there early afternoon.
I think that XM and college basketball tourneys helped with my drive too though.
 
CyDude16 said:
Sedona, Arizona. It's just south of flagstaff. Defiently worth checking out.
Click to expand...


This is a must!! Extremely beautiful terrain..wish I was there now.....:sad::sad:

If I remember correctly, doesnt Sen. McCain live there?
 
Yes, the trip to Sedona is worth it. The views from the drive from Flagstaff to Sedona are beautiful if you take 89A. The red rocks and the rock formations are really, what you want to see in Sedona. Notably teakettle rock (I think) is specifically a cool formation. It is a town of very wealthy people. The shops and houses are very nice in the area. Sedona also has the only McDonalds with a green arch. Not that it is a big deal just a little side note.
From there you could drive to Jerome, a small mining community and still has an 'Old West' feel. If you do go to Jerome, I would suggest eating at the Brewery.
 
Have fun ! I haven't been to Arizona since the Insight.com bowl game.

I agree with others about visiting Sedona. Also, there are allot of Baxter people down there this time of the year, that you can visit:)

Don't forget to visit the Iowa Cafe, I believe it is in Mesa.

Also, what I thought was fun was visiting other team's training site, just not only the Cubs. Spring Training is great the players actually take time to talk to you and sign autographs.
 
Drive4cy said:
Driving from Iowa to AZ = suicide.

I'd rather overpay with a flight than waste all that time. Especially since the first day of driving is horrible boring.
Click to expand...

Flight prices go way up the middle of March; we were looking at $400+ / per x 5 = $2000, plus all the ancillary expenses. I'm sick that we have to drive, but we'll make it up to the kids with all the cool stuff we'll do while there! I was just looking at the route down and trying to see where we could make some interesting stops; I'm not seeing anything to do in Amarillo, TX!

Hey Fred! I asked for desirable things to see, which doesn't include people from Baxter!
 
You must log in or register to reply here.

Help Support Us

Become a patron
Top Bottom