Family w/ 1 week to experience AZ - mostly Scottsdale but can travel

Slide Rock State Park
Grand Canyon-helicopter ride, hike down the canyon a short bit
Saguaro National Park-Arizona Sonara Museum(ZOO)
Sabino Canyon
Maybe something around Sedona
Maybe a Hot Air Balloon ride somewhere

You are smack in the middle of things.

Maybe even Walnut Canyon.

How many Adventure days do you have. Don't try to do to much, just pick one or two and really do them right.

If you go the Grand Canyon, I would spend a night there.

Visit Pueblo Grande. It's a HoHoKam ruin right on the Phoenix/Scottsdale border.

There are also some petroglyphs nearby - google petroglyphs phoenix

Goldfield ghost town near Apache Junction

Thanks so much - great ideas! Glad to see no shopping malls on the list! Love the native American ideas - the kids are history nuts. Off to research!

Verde Canyon Railroad

Tuzigoot National Monument

Montezuma's Castle and Well (2 different locations, I like the Well better)

Jerome (I prefer to approach it via Prescott - over Mingus Mtn.)

If your kids are history nuts, I'd suggest a visit to the Heard museum in Phoenix with its focus on Indian history & artifacts. Especially good on rainy day when you might not want to do any outdoor activities.

The Musical Instruments Museum! Don't be put off by the sound of the name - everyone will love it, including the kids.

themim.org

Some great restaurant suggestions:

Near Scottsdale- Chelsea's Kitchen, Le Grande Orange (LGO), Lolo's Chicken & Waffles (fried chicken)

Gilbert, AZ (about 30 min away, but worth it) Joe's Real BBQ, Joe's Farm Grill (on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives), Liberty Market

Chandler, AZ (about 30 min away) San Tan Brewing Company

Also second the hiking suggestions and your boys might enjoy the Phoenix Zoo or Arizona Science Center. There are plenty of easy hiking trails- Piestewa Peak, South Mountain, Superstition Mountains. If you're here during Spring Training, catch a game? Lots of teams to watch.

Enjoy!

Unfortunately, spring training ends the last weekend in March, but if you like baseball, the D'backs will be playing in Phoenix in April.

I'm not sure Piestawa Peak qualifies as an easy hike, especially with a child as young as 8.

Eat at the Sugar Bowl in downtown Scottsdale. If you ever read 'The Family Circus' comic, then you will have seen its name several times.

Thanks a bunch for the ideas. We're only staying in Phoenix/Scottsdale for 4 nights and probably somewhere like Sedona the other 3. Really looking forward to exploring a tiny bit of AZ!

I second the Musical Instrument Museum, kids would totally enjoy it~