Hi Arizonians! We (mum, dad, 13 and 10 year old) are arriving in Arizona on December 26th and are thinking of starting in Tucson, rather than Phoenix. Is this a good idea? We thought we could try the Loews Ventana if it isn't too expensive. Is this the best resort for kids in Tucson? We then thought we'd spend some time in Sedona and from what I gather, the Hilton is good value, as opposed to Enchantment. After that, Grand Canyon. Is Monument Valley "do-able" as well in 12-14 days all up? Anything else (places, hotels) you'd recommend? We don't want to spend the whole time driving. Thanks, infoaddict

If you are the "infoaddict" your name indicates I suggest you get a good map, check out distances in Arizona and also go online and look at weather history for Dec. I am not trying to "rain on your parade" here but if you are arriving in Dec. you should have your trip planned already.

I live in Tucson. The Ventana is a very expensive hotel in the winter. Winter is "high season" here. Whether it is a good hotel for kids is something I do not know (or care to know since when we travel we try and avoid times when kids are out of school). There is a pool there, but in Dec. not many people will be swimming. The location is beautiful but again, it is not inexpensive.

Are you flying directly from Australia to the US ? If so I would imagine you land at LAX. Are you driving to AZ ? Are you flying to AZ ? You will have incredible jetlag, I would not suggest driving anyplace the first day, frankly it is not safe to drive like that. You can fly into Tucson from either LAX (approx. 1 hr flt) or PHX (about 20 min. flt).

I think it is kind of late to be making these kinds of inquiries unless this trip was a spur of the moment decision (hard to imagine with kids, and I assume jobs, but I suppose possible).

From Tucson to Phoenix is about a 2 hr. drive, from Phoenix to Sedona another 2 hours. Weather north of Phoenix will be an issue. It snows in Northern AZ and is very cold - for example last night was forecast for 29 degrees (F) in Flagstaff. In Dec. it will be VERY cold at the Grand Canyon (and maybe snow).

Be aware that car rentals charge for drop off in another city from where you picked up the car. If you do not want to pay extra charges pickup and leave from same city.

I meant to say you can fly from LAX to Tucson in 1.5 hr. and from PHX to Tucson in about 20 min. - sorry not to be clean on that.

Hello infoaddict. I'm going to try to answer some of the questions you asked. You said you were arriving in Arizona on December 26th, not the United States on that date so I'm not going to make any assumptions on where you are coming from when you arrive in Arizona.

Based on the info you've provided regarding where you want to go, it is my opinion that 12-14 days will be fine. I think starting in Tuscon is a good idea since you can start at your most southern point of the trip and make your way north toward the Grand Canyon & monument valley. Plus, you might have difficulty getting a hotel at the Grand Canyon if you start there on 12/26 so if you start in Tuscon where there are more lodging options so close to Christmas you should have more options for staying at the GC.

While you are in the Tucson area you might want to check out Saguaro National Park.

I don't know anything about the Loews Ventana but you can check out the trip advisor website to see what the reviews there say about it.

Sedona is a fun place to visit with incredible views. The Enchantment is nice but with a 13 & 10 year old I would probably opt for something less expensive and more basic. There are a lot of good options in Sedona. I'm not familiar with the Hilton so I can't speak to that.

Weather from Flagstaff north is what could really give you problems that time of year but if you are patient and prepared you should be fine. I think you should allow yourself enough time at the GC in case there is snow & fog blocking your view while you are there. I've been there on occasions where the canyon was completely unviewable due to the snow & fog but then 2 hours later it was clear again.

Hint for you regarding lodging at the Grand Canyon - When you look at the website for lodging inside Grand Canyon it may not show you all the rooms they really do have available. If you don't see the lodging you want, you should call the reservation # directly to see if there are more options that you don't see online.

Monument Valley will be more driving north of the Grand Canyon and while it is an incredible area, you may want to plan another trip and consider doing it along with a trip to visit southern Utah areas such as Bryce & Zion. However if this will be your best opportunity to get there, it is certainly possible but will be more driving for you and your family.

Good luck with your planning!

To add to the previous posts:

Weather in Tucson can be nice around the holidays. Last Christmas it was perfect. Our kids swam in the pool (it was heated). But it was warm enough for shorts & T-shirts. For Tucson I would also suggest the Desert Museum.

Once you get north of Sedona, the weather can be a factor as already suggested. If you don't yet have reservations at the Grand Canyon, it may be difficult to get them at this late date. You could try staying in Williams or just outside the park.

It will be high season in southern AZ, so hard to get a good deal at hotels, but there are a lot of them. Do make your bookings soon.

Lots of good advice already, so I'll just add something about Sedona.

I think kids will be a bit bored in Sedona. I suppose you could take a jeep ride through the red rocks, and the views are spectacular, but after about 1 day, I suspect your children will say "enough."

So, maybe you can spend one night in Sedona, just as a place to stop between Tucson and the GC.

If you do stay in Sedona, there's a back road to the GC that's longer but more picturesque than the highway. Check a map. HOWEVER, as others have noted, snow is a possibility. We got stuck in a driving storm one year in March and had to turn around and go back to Sedona.

Hi, I am not from Arizona, but I have spent some winters with my family there. I would suggest starting in the north (Sedona, Grand Canyon, Monument Valley) and spending the last days in Tucson, because the weather in Tucson will be wonderful at this time of year. On the higher elevations it will be colder and you will meet some snow. So it might be a better idea to go from the cold regions to warm Tucson and relax there the last days.
You will love Tucson. The climate will be perfect (springlike) and there are so many things to see around the city. The Arizona Sonora Desert Museum is the #1 attraction as well as Mission San Xavier del Bac. The kids will love Tombstone. You may also drive up to Tumacacori and Nogales to try a taste of Mexico (of course touristy but colorful and with easy access). Or just hike through the desert.
We stayed two times at the Westward Look Resort. IMO a very beautiful resort with typical southwestern design (and 3 swimming pools). We paid around 160 Dollars for a room which comfortably slept four, including two refridgerators and a balcony. See http://www.westwardlook.com/
The other destinations of themselves. A very good source for information is Arizona Highways Magazine, a wonderful journal. See also their website http://www.arizonahighways.com/

You will definitely find a lot to see and do around Tucson and the weather is usually good in December.

Ventana Canyon and Westward Look are my favorite two of the resorts, but I haven't been to Starr Pass yet, so I can't comment on that. The only problem is that both are out of town with not a lot very close by for the children. What might be better is the Marriott University Park. It is right off the University of Arizona campus and there are a lot of things to see right within walking distance (plus some restaurants that might appeal more to the kids). The University will not be in session, so the hotel shouldn't be packed.

http://marriott.com/property/propertypage/tusup

For things to see and do around Tucson, I have a good list, with clickable links, on my blog.

http://mikepintucson.blogspot.com/

I don't think the kids will get bored around Sedona, particularly if they like hiking. They will probably love the Pink Jeep tours, also the Verde Canyon Railroad and Jerome. You could spend a couple of nights there, maybe 3.

Definitely do the Grand Canyon, and good advice has already been given. Monument Valley is quite out of your way, so you really should leave that for another trip.

I would definitely include the NE corner of Arizona, including Canyon de Chelly and the Ganado trading post. The whole area represents a different cultural experience and should not be postponed--who knows when the OP will make another trip to that part of the U.S.

We used priceline for a tucson resort last year during CHRistmas week. We ended up in the Loews for about 1/2 the best published price I could find. We used Priceline again in July, and got the Westin La Paloma for next to nothing. Both are lovely resorts.

I you are on a budget, try priceline. They have a resort category for Tucson (and Scottsdale/Pheonix as well). We have done it several times and have had great luck. No problem at all in getting a room for a family of 4.

Thank-you everyone for your advice and suggestions. I am very appreciative. We are honing our itinerary now and it looks like we will start in Las Vegas and then drive south taking in Grand Canyon and then Sedona, Prescott and Tucson. The Westward looks beautiful. Would any of you plum for the Westward over Loews Ventana? Was wondering if you would advise any hotels in Sedona and Prescott. Someone said the Hilton was good in Sedona. We have decided to leave Monument Valley which was a difficult decision because who knows if we will return. One more question - anyone have a favourite "family" hotel in Las Vegas? Thanks again. We are very much looking forward to seeing beautiful Arizona

I meant Scottsdale, not Prescott.

We stayed at Sky Ranch Lodge on our recent trip to Sedona. Absolutely gorgeous views from the red rock view rooms. and pretty reasonably priced compared to some.

http://www.skyranchlodge.com/

If you are interested, here is my trip report of our Grand Canyon / Sedona trip. It includes pictures taken from our room in Sedona, as well as restaurant suggestions.

http://p104.ezboard.com/feuropetogof...icID=252.topic

Just a note, but you won't have any problems finding rooms at the Grand Canyon in the winter, even Christmas isn't sold out yet. But if you aren't coming on the holidays, and weather and driving conditions are a concern, you can wait and see what the weather will be like once you get to Arizona. If you can be flexible about where you stay when, you could alter plans accordingly. Look for the Los Angeles weather reports. If they're having rain, we'll probably have rain or snow two days later (unless like last year a high pressure system parks itself over AZ for the winter).