The Best Arizona Vacation to Take with Kids

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We recently took a family vacation in and around Arizona and it was amazing! Be sure to read my recent post on how to travel with kids here, because this is the perfect vacation to bring your kids on. We are so lucky to live in one of the most beautiful states. Arizona is full of amazing treasures and I am here to share with you all the details about our wonderful vacation and how you can do it too! 

Arizona vacationOur vacation started on a Thursday. My husband worked that day until two and we set off at three to head to our first destination, Prescott! Whiskey Row is an amazing place; you could easily spend a whole week there. We stayed in The Grand Highland Hotel. This hotel had an amazing bed and breakfast feel. The staff was kind and the rooms were nice and spacious. We spent the evening walking around town and found an amazing hidden Meadery. We went to bed before the town really came alive, but you could never be bored here!

 The next morning we headed off to Bearizona. It actually started snowing as we drove and it made the drive magical! Bearizona is perfect for people of all ages! You pay $20 for adults, $10 for children over 4. You get to drive through 160 acres of wildlife (bears, bison, deer, elk, wolves, etc.) in their natural habitat! The drive is beautiful and most of the animals come right up to your car! There is also part of the park that is more “zoo like” which you can walk through. It has bird shows and a more up close views of the baby bears.

From Bearizona we headed off to the Grand Canyon! Keep in mind that in the colder/snowy seasons the north rim is closed. We arrived at the Grand Canyon and were SO cold so we headed straight to the coffee shop, Bright Angel Bicycles & Mather Point Cafe. There we grabbed some hot drinks and set off on our hike. We just continued walking towards the North Rim as far as we could. If you haven’t been to the Grand Canyon, you need to go! It isn’t one of the seven wonders of the world for nothing! 

Best Arizona Vacation with Kids

We ended the day driving down to Flagstaff where we stayed the night at the DoubleTree by Hilton. This hotel is so perfect if you have kids who need to run/crawl around after being in carriers and car seats all day. The rooms are huge! The only downside was our room didn’t have a bathtub.

The next day we spent touring Flagstaff; downtown Flagstaff is full of hidden gems. I would suggest The Lumbar Yard (an amazing restaurant and brewery) and Blendz (a fun winery/bar where you get to taste wine and blend your own)! If you like your wine you can get a bottle of it made with a custom label including a picture of your choice for only $30! Also, if you have time go see The Walnut Canyon National Monument; this is an amazing hike with great history lessons for kids. You get to see and walk inside old Native American homes carved out in the canyon. 

The next day was my favorite! We drove 2 hours from Flagstaff to Page, where Antelope Canyon is located. You arrive in the middle of the desert and are taken by a tour guide downstairs to witness one of the most amazing things you’ll ever see. You spend an hour hiking through the canyon and taking endless pictures! Then you can also drive right over to Horseshoe Bend for another amazing view. 

Best Arizona Vacation with Kids

We then drove to Strawberry Arizona, where my in-laws own a cabin. There are several options for places to stay if you aren’t as lucky to have family in the area. Some amazing places are Cabins on Strawberry Hill as well as some beautiful places on VRBO and Airbnb. We spent the next few days touring Strawberry, Sedona, and Pine. We also found the beautiful Oak Creek Vineyard, hidden off the beaten path. We spent $30 to taste every wine on their menu and got a cheese plate (thank you Groupon!). They have a gorgeous patio with toys for your kids! 

For the whole trip, we traveled exactly 1,000 miles (crazy right?). We went to four wineries, three breweries, one meadery, 15 restaurants, and two hotels and only spent $1,500!  This trip is SO worth it and you won’t regret it. 

What are your favorite spots for an Arizona vacation? 

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