emma

we are travelling to arizona this year 23-may-10-june to visit my cousins, we went last year but only stayed at there house and visited the normal places like slide rock and casles and coasters and sedona. this time we want to go futher a field. we would like to see the canyon and other places. any ideas whee we can go. my children are girls aged 11 and 9.

m

the senora desert museum is great for kids and adults. It's near tucson. Also in the area is old tucson, a former western movie set turned very low key theme park.

Mike

You have enough time to visit the Grand Canyon as well as some of the great national parks in southern Utah, like Bryce, Zion, Canyonlands and Arches.
Also, there's Lake Powell in northern AZ. You could visit Las Vegas and Hoover Dam/Lake Mead very easily. Jerome (just west of Sedona) is a curious place to see.
In southern AZ there's Bisbee, Tucson, Saguaro National Monument.
Plenty to occupy a couple weeks or just as a few side trips.

Judy

Your kids would love saltwater tubing. Itj's east of PHX about 1/2 on the salt river. For $10 you get a tube and can float for an hour & half or 4 hours. It's a blast, it's a family favorite of ours & your floating right next to mountains. What about the Science Center or visitng a Diamond Backs baseball game? Grand Canyon - see it once & that's good. Unless your kids like to hike there is not much to do there after you see the view. What about a pink jeep tour in Sedona? great fun!

fly

There's an interesting airplane museum just north of Tucson and right off the interstate. (Unforturnately, I can't remember the name of it.) It has lots of stuff, such as President Kennedy's Air Force One. Some kids will like it, and most adults enjoy it.

XX

If you are going to start this trip in Phoenix or close by you can do a circle route that will allow you to visit in this order: Petrified Forest NP, Canyon de Chelly, Mesa verde NP. Arches NP, Monument Valley and the Grand Canyon. Can be done in less than 10 days. Order can be reversed, starting the trip at the Gr. Canyon. Add two or thee days on the road and you could include Zion and Bryce National Parks.

em

thank you to everyone that has replied. i think we are going to have a great time when we come over there

steve

about the salt river tubing - this year the flows are expected to be low and might not be as much fun as other years. I have been tubing for 35 years and enjoy it quite a bit. however, on weekends (especially), it is a place for kids to party and get drunk. Much public nudity, loud music spoiling the natural scenery.

It is also not without danger for children (and sometinmes adults). Have children wear a life jacket!!!! My brother almost drowned when he was 9, my best friend's son almost drown when he was about 8, and my wife had trouble. Several people drown there every year. Fun, but be careful

kkj

The air museum in Tucson is the Pima Air Museum. I don't know how much the kids would like it. Personally, I was bored to tears, but I know that lots of people like going there. If you are going to Tucson, I would suggest Old Tucson, the Desert Museum and perhaps doing the tram up Sabino Canyon.

Have fun.

Raven

As Mike suggested, a day or two in southern AZ might be enjoyable for you. If you've never been there, Tombstone is a big tourist attraction of the "old west". The kids will enjoy it. Bisbee could be interesting, as well as some of the border towns, Nogales & Douglas for example. Nothing spectacular there (in my opinion), but pretty cool to break up the trip with some diversity and all are an easy drive in the area. For example, if you stayed in Sierra Vista (sort of centrally located) you'd be 20 minutes or so from Tombstone and under an hour from all the rest. I believe there are caverns within 30 miles or so as well, but have never visited them. The Dragoon Mountains... Tucson has the San Xavier Indian Reservation and I'm sure you could find more around if that's of interest. Do some research on the area if it sounds interesting. You'd be about 4 hours from Southeast Phoenix. The weather will be nice too. They average mid 80's that time of year. Oh, and if you go, I must suggest dining at La Casita in Sierra Vista. Great Mexican food. Damn, now I want to go. ;-)

sharon

Definitely stay in the Tucson area for several days. Hiking in Saguaro National Park is great. The Sonoran Desert Museum is a must-see! It's a zoo, botanical garden and museum all in one. You can spend a good part of a day there. Also, a drive up Mount Lemmon is lots of fun. Tucson is a wonderful place. You'll enjoy it.

estelle

Another great place to visit in Tucson is Ted DeGrazia's house/museum.
He is a local artist who built his own home and it is open to the public & free admission.
I always bring my out-of-town guests there.
It is a really neat place!