I also live in South Florida (Southwest, actually) and have been to Phx in the summer. The worst part for my family was the lack of humidity. Our lips, noses and skin dried up so quickly, it was awful. Bring plenty of lotion and that saline nasal spray to keep hydrated.

Having lived here for 30 years I have a few thoughts. If your family stays at a resort and if you enjoy the resort atmosphere you should have a good time. Your hotel room will be ice cold (with no guilt about paying the electic bill), you'll be steps from the pool, drinks, music, shade etc that should make being outdoors enjoyable. I would splurge and try to stay at a nice resort if you can (eg. Hyatt Scottsdale etc).
Coming from So. Fla. I doubt if you will have any trouble with the heat. There are 3 million of us who do it everyday....

I have lived in both Phoenix and SE Florida so I can compare the two. The fact is that the summer in Phownix is absolutely brutal. The dry heat argument goes out the window once it reaches 105 or so and you can pretty well count on that. It is like being in a blast furnace. Overall I prefer the climate in Phoenix to SE Florida because of the other 9 months of the year. I live in a Southern California valley ( Temecula Valley ) which has great weather both summer and winter.

I was there in September -- 100 plus degrees. I agree that the dry heat argument goes out the window.

Do you know how strange for a Phoenician to hear an easterner say that after a cold spell, 25 degrees feels like a heat spell. Having lived in Buffalo for 20 years I know how "warm" 25 degrees can feel. So true, 100 plus degrees is not a problem, in my mind, if you are on vacation. On the other hand, if you were working on tar roofs all day it would be a problem. So, go to a pool, get wet, feel "cold" after you get out and have a good time!

anybody who thinks over a hundred isn't hot -- dry or not, has never been in a sauna. dry heat is worse than humid heat to me.

My family was in Phoenix in the middle of the summer for a Friday and Saturday before flying back to NY on Sunday morning. We had spent about 2 weeks travelling-- The Grand Canyon, Sedona, Tuscon, Flagstaff. It was hot but a great vacation. Phoenix, on the otherhand, was unbearable. We didn't leave the hotel room from the time we got there Friday afternoon until about 10 on Saturday night. That was the first time that the outdoor pool was swimmable. Why not Sedona and the Grand Canyon?

Not if you're from Vegas or Tucson

As a Detroiter, traveleis, I take offense. Have you even ever been here?

I love AZ in the summer! We get a suite every summer with free kids club for under 100 bucks a night at Tapatio Hilton that comes with a ton of freebies like food drink and movies.
I like South Florida during the summer too, especially the beach where the breeze is blowing. I do NOT like Orlando in the summer too hot and muggy.
I think you can handle it and I think it would be fun. Maybe do a day trip down to Rocky Point for the breeze, the beach and a bit of Mexico.

I live in Phoenix. It is definately hot in the summer, particularly July - August. Even those of us who live here limit our time outdoors. I'd suggest, if you decide to come, you book a resort that has an indoor pool in Phoenix. Sedona and Northern AZ is much nicer in July...hot, although tolerable. The more time you can spend in the Northern part of Arizona, the better.

To martytravels: you mis-read my comment. I also said, as an equivalent example, that some people don't mind living on islands (like Kauai and Bermuda) all their lives. I doubt any residents of Bermuda or Kauai would take offense (particularly since that wasn't the intent).
I was giving examples of things many people would not consider desirable, but some people find perfectly pleasant. Many people (the above comments are a perfect example) consider PHX an undesirable place to live due to the heat. Obviously at least 2-3 million people feel otherwise.
And there are still more than a million people in Detroit last I checked.
FWIW, I've been to Detroit at least a half dozen times (not counting airport layovers).

To earl30: while each person is entitled to his/her own perceptions, the heat index scale is based upon the fact that humid air produces greater physical distress than dry air. When it's dry, your body cools itself more efficiently thru perspiration.
Hot, humid air of a given temperature is more physically dangerous than dry air of the same temp.

Is it hot in Phoenix in the summer you ask? The heat is unbearable. The first week or so in July marks the coming of the monsoon season and lasts till sometime in September, not a good time to visit the desert that time of year. Even up in Sedona some major resorts do not have air conditioning, not a good thing especially given the very hot summers in the past few years. Even Zonies, as they are called, ditch the desert for the cooler climes, head to the beach cities such as San Diego for one. No, I wouldn't recommend Phoenix/Scottsdale in the summer months at all. Sorry.
Francie

My husband & I were in Phoenix last July 4 for a week. Temps reached about 115 every day. We are considering Phoenix as a retirement place & thought it would be a good idea to go at the absolute hottest time of year. A couple of times, we looked at each other & said, "can we do this?". But for 3 very very hot months, we will have 9 great ones.

For a visit, I wouldn't choose the summer, unless you need to economize. Hotels are very reasonable during that period.

Thank you for your candid responses. If we make the trip I am leaning to 3 days only in the Phoenix area and 5-6 days in the Sedona area. I can say with certainty that there will be ho hiking, tennis, biking while in Phx. We can save them for Sedona.