Santa Fe or Sedona with kids?
 

Hello,
I am looking for some advise... We'd like to travel to either Sedona or Santa Fe this April with our two kids, ages 8 and 4. We'd like to stay in a resort where kids can splash in a pool and maybe even have some activities in a kids club while we relax a bit. But we also want to take some day trips and excursions to see local attractions, nature, etc and to explore local culture. It's going to be our first time in the South West (we'll be coming from NYC). Which destination would be more fun to visit for a week?
Thank you!

Splashing in the pool in April may be a bit early for Santa Fe, unless it's an indoor pool.

You need to do more research into what is in each area. Arizona and New Mexico are the Southwest, but they're very different.

Santa Fe is small, but it's about 6x larger than Sedona.

The weather will be much better in Sedona, and Sedona has spectacular hiking opportunities. Day trips from Sedona include the mining town of Jerome and the Route 66 town of Williams. Also, the Grand Canyon is a two-hour drive from Sedona.

HTtY

You could check Bishop's Lodge http://www.bishopslodge.com just outside Santa Fe to see if they offer children's activities. Another option is the Hyatt Tamaya http://www.tamaya.hyatt.com/en/hotel/home.html just north of Albuquerque.

The Albuquerque/Santa Fe area has a lot to offer families - the zoo, Acoma Pueblo, Taos Pueblo, Bandelier National Monument, etc.

Lee Ann

There is a lot more to do in the Santa Fe/Albuquerque area than in Sedona for kids and honestly, for adults too. The hiking in Sedona is grand, but we have some great hiking here in NM.

Along with what Lee Ann has suggested:

http://blog.trekaroo.com/albuquerque...ico-with-kids/

http://www.familydaysout.com/kids-th...-usa/newmexico

itsatrip.org

cabq.gov

brokensaddle.com

http://www.museumhill.org/

http://www.blm.gov/nm/st/en/prog/rec...ent_rocks.html

Museums, pueblos
And that's just for starters.


Lots of great restaurants in both cities.
There are some great hotels in Santa Fe, but that's another thread ;)

hi, I grew up in AZ and now live in NM and honestly, I don't think either are great for young kids - they are both really adult focused towns. If you haven't bought your tickets yet consider Scottsdale - great resorts, swimming, horseback riding, weather will be lovely, and you can do a day trip to sedona or even the Canyon. just a thought

Sedona - and go to the Grand Canyon.

Sorry, I just got back from Sedona and aside from the red rocks and hiking I sure don't think there is much for anyone, let alone kids, to do IN Sedona.

We have several thousand children [a lot more, actually] who live in ABQ/SF area and they manage to have lots to see and do.

Not sure what kind of culture you can explore in Sedona. We have quite a bit here.

We loved Sedona with our kids!
We went in December....

http://www.fodors.com/community/unit...rip-report.cfm

Ours are older but there were some little girls with us the youngest was probably 6 or 7.

We didnt stay in just Sedona - we did lots inlcuding the Grand canyon and Tuscon!!! Check out the trip report above....

The (grown) kids were talking over the holidays about how much they loved their Sedona vacation at the Enchantment resort. It should have the perks you are looking for.

Sedona / grand canyon / meteor crater/ petrified forest and monument valley was our best kids vacation ever.

There are things to see and do around Sedona for children.

Jeep tours
Out of Africa Park
Blazin' M Ranch
Jerome (Nelly Bly's kaleidoscope shop)
Verde Canyon Railroad.


If splashing around the resort pool is high on the list, it will not be outdoor pool weather in Santa Fe (7200 feet elevation) in April. In fact, even in Sedona (4500 feet elevation), it will be a little cool. Maybe split your time between Sedona and Phoenix/Scottsdale, where it will be quite a bit warmer.

Here's the kids program at the Enchantment resort -
http://enchantmentresort.com/activit...a-camp-coyote/

And an overview of what they offer -
http://enchantmentresort.com/activities/

Here's a cute article on Sedona with Kids
http://blog.trekaroo.com/sedona-with-kids/