Experience Scottsdale
Before this last month, I honestly would not have even considered going on a family vacation to Scottsdale Arizona. Although I’ve been to Arizona and to the Grand Canyon as a child, I was pretty unfamiliar with the area. Our family got the chance to take a road trip down to Scottsdale and escape the cold for a few days. At the time, we were having 40 degree temps in Utah, so the high 70′s sounded like a welcomed escape. When I started researching what we would do as a family, I was actually amazed at all of the possibilities. At 5 & 7, my boys definitely have an opinion on what we should do, so they definitely helped us make some decisions. We didn’t even get to do everything that we wanted to, and I’m wishing that we would have spent another day or two there. Doesn’t it look like paradise?
I’ll warn you in advance, this post is very picture heavy! We had so much fun though and I was excited to capture all of the memories. I’m going to briefly outline all of the activities that we decided to do while in Scottsdale.
Goldfield Ghost Town
Our first day that we were there, we spent the morning and some of the afternoon at Goldfield Ghost Town. It’s about an hour from Scottsdale and has so much to offer. Our first stop was ride the Superstition Narrow Gauge Railroad. It was a 20 minute tour around the Ghost Town were we learned about the town, when it was popular, more about mining and more.
After the railroad, we had a mine tour where we rode down a shaft into a mine. My 5 year old needed a bit of convincing, but thought it was cool once he realized it wasn’t scary. We learned about mining, the tools they used and more.
Next, we were on to the Mystery Shack. This one was really fun and was a house built on angles. You could stand straight up at an angle, water went up instead of down, and brooms stood by themselves. Lastly, we enjoyed lunch at the Mammoth Steakhouse and Saloon. The boys loved the Sarsparillas and lunch was yummy!
Pool Time!
That day we cooled off at the pool. We stayed at the Zona Hotel & Suites. They had 4 pools there and were very family friendly. Our suite had a full kitchen and laundry which was nice as we were staying there as a family. The weather was perfect for swimming and the pool was heated so the boys didn’t get cold.
Dave & Buster’s
Our next adventure was to go to Dave & Buster’s. It was our first time at a Dave & Busters. I had a steak that was absolutely amazing and the boys had a great time playing games and winning tickets to redeem for prizes. It was definitely a very family friendly place. You can eat and play a lot of really amazing arcade games all in one place.
Phoenix Zoo
The next day, we headed to the Phoenix zoo. There was so much to offer there. We were there for 4 hours and the boys were so tired from walking although we hadn’t seen everything. We rode around the zoo with a guided tour, got to touch sting rays, and rode the carousel multiple times.
DownTown Scottsdale & The Sugar Bowl
We couldn’t leave Scottsdale without heading downtown to see what it was all about. It had a country western feel and is nice and clean. We grabbed some sweets at The Sugar Bowl and they definitely did not disappoint!
If you are considering a vacation out west or live within driving distance of Scottsdale, I highly recommend that you come visit. As I mentioned above, there were other things we had planned that we just didn’t have time for. My boys are already asking to go back, and I can see us travelling back there in the next couple of years.
Scottsdale has a lot of awesome resources when it comes to helping you plan your trip. To learn more:
Start Planning Your Scottsdale Vacation Here
Visit the Scottsdale Website
And check out the Scottsdale Youtube Channel
Thank you to the Scottsdale Convention and Tourism Bureau for providing our family with a gift card to experience Scottsdale. All opinions remain 100% my own.
my sister lives here and i have not even been to any of these places and i have visited 4 times. i will have to check some of these places out.
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i grew up in tombstone AZ and then moved tucson and now i live in CA but there is no place like home!!!! i miss AZ and seeign your post made me miss it more
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This is on my bucket list. I want to visit Arizona because I think it is a beautiful state. We are planning a trip there within the next three years and Scottsdale and Sedona are on my list. Thank you for the review…now we know things to do.
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I had no idea that Arizona was so family friendly! Looks like y’all had a wonderful time! Would love to visit, too!
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i’ve been here and its gorgeous.. we live in arizona- scottsdale is a great place to visit.
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Looks like a really fun vacation!
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That looks neat. So different from everywhere I have been.
LyndaS´s last [type] ..Refresh Your Space Challenge
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I want to go to AZ. My sis went a few years ago and had a blast. My kids would love the Ghost Town, D&B and the zoo! Great ideas!
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I would have never thought of Scottsdale as a family travel destination either. Thanks for showing us all the great options available!
Emilie´s last [type] ..Consider Shari’s Berries for Easter or Any Occasion!
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Looks like you had an awesome time! Your kids seem like the perfect age for all you explored. What fun!
Kate @ The Shopping Mama´s last [type] ..Partum Me?! Soccer to me
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Wow! You picked some AWESOME spots! Looks like the boys had lots of fun! We are local and just did a super fun Scottsdale staycation!
So much to do there!
Sara @ Mom Endeavors´s last [type] ..Boys and Bright Whites?! It can be done with #TideVividWhite!
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Picture heavy posts are the best! I honestly would have never thought of a vacation in Scottsdale, AZ! Thanks for sharing, looks like you all had a blast!
Deanna @ mommyGAGA´s last [type] ..Spring Fresh Skin: DIY All-Natural Body Scrub
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Looks like a lot of fun. Maybe we will explore the Southwest on our next cross country drive.
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I love picture heavy posts. Your family is just so beautiful, Tiff! I’ve been to Arizona a few times, but I don’t think we’ve ever stopped in Scottsdale. It definitely looks like a family-friendly place with tons to do for the kids! I liked the Scottsdale Facebook page so I can keep up with all of the cool happenings. Bryson and Justin would LOVE the country/ western feel in the downtown area.
Whitney @ It’s Gravy, Baby!´s last [type] ..Baby Trend Euroride Travel System – Review
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I live in Phoenix I totally forgot about half these spots! This is a great post!! I need to get out there and do this! LOL THank you for sharing this!
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