We flew into Pheonix and drove 1546km around the state of Arizona. Nothing but 90s rock and grunge on the radio to give the children an education on good music and desert geography. This was the first real road trip we have done with the babies. We hit the ground running and drove to Flagstaff on the first day.
As a space junkie I needed to see the Meteor Crater and Museum in Winslow. With a force 150 times greater than an atomic bomb that rocky sucker hit the Earth about fifty thousand years ago. There was a guided tour around the rim where they taught us about the geologic impact and science behind the crater. We spent a while wandering the small museum and watching a film. The kids had a great time checking out the lookout point telescopes and running around like little psychos.
The next stop was Page so we got in the rental car and drove North. We stopped at the Wupatki Monument on the way. This Hopi community bordering the Navajo Nation dates back to the 1100s. There’s evidence people have lived in this area since 500 BCE. We checked out the ancient trade center, citadel, ballcourt and smaller family structures at various rest areas. This was a great way to break up our day of driving. We spent a couple of hours wandering the dirt paths. The kids had some new scenery to fight in. There was rocks to climb up and buildings to conquer.
The inspiration for the Arizona destination was a blog post my cousin Shelley did years ago featuring Antelope Canyon. I added this beaut to my bucket list the day I read it. You need a reservation with an authorized Navajo guide to enter. Book early. The good spots fill up months in advance. We were in the off season and most of the tours were full. This breathtaking slot canyon is like no other place we have ever visited. It’s an otherworldly walk though gorgeous orange and gold sandstone walls. We ended up lucking out when the other family we were paired with didn’t show and we got a private guide. She was great entertaining the kidlets and showing us how and where to take the best pics.
The boy loves him some animals so we indulged in a horseback ride to the stunning Horseshoe Bend lookout just outside of Page. You can also drive to the free lookout off the highway but it gets very crowded. We booked a Navajo guide who walked our horses across the desert landscape to a private observatory. The view was amaze balls. Jett was in his glory on the horse and he even conned the guide into letting him canter for a few minutes.
We did a quick stop at the Glen Canyon Dam and Carl Hayden Visitor Center, located on the Colorado River and Lake Powell, on the way out of town. It had a mediocre museum. The making of the dam film in the visitors center was interesting and hopefully the kids learned something about hydroelectric power or concrete construction.
More driving. This time we got our kicks on Route 66.
The Disney movie, Cars, took place in Radiator Springs, which is modelled off of the Americana style downtown district of Williams. Lots of neon, dated western style buildings, old gas stations, gifts shops and memorabilia. Goldie’s Route 66 Diner was directly across from our awful Travelodge right in the center of town. The food was delicious. The hotel room was scary. Don’t stay there. We also hit up the Pine Country Restaurant known for it’s display case of a gazillion different home made pies and desserts. Of course the kids wanted to do the overpriced Canyon Coaster Park, one of those high speed metal tracks. We did some tacky tourist shopping and rested for a day.
To give the husband a break from driving we booked the Grand Canyon Railway Tour just up the street. We booked the second cheapest class of tickets and it was still pricey. The fun part was the entertaining staff, musicians and cowboys that approach on horesback and try to rob the train on the way home. The sucky part was having to adhere to the train schedule and the journey being a lot longer than if you drove yourself. Next time I would save the $$ and make Matt drive. He doesn’t need breaks anyways.
The Grand Canyon. Probably Arizona’s most famous identifiable landmark. One of the seven natural wonders of the world. It’s super big. 277 miles across. The all encompassing allure is great for a few pics. We walked the rim for awhile and were satisfied. We ate pizza at the Maswik Food Court. There’s free shuttles driving around to hop on or off.
Our journey concluded with the final leg back to Pheonix for our flight home. We booked our last Arizona hurrah at the Medieval Times Dinner and Tournament in nearby Scottsdale. There was a promo code for $20 off each ticket which made this excursion fairly reasonable considering it included a four course feast (with no utensils of course). The rugrats were thrilled to eat half a chicken with their hands. I would have loved a fork and knife but went along with the gimmick. Pop was included. Wobbly pops and souvenir cups were outrageous. As were the souvenirs. The kids were warned (thank god) before we got there that was no whining for extras. The show was actually really good. The horsemanship was impressive and kept everyone’s attention. The knight’s battles and jesting tournament was great. Next time I’ll know to sneak drinks in.
Arizona is probably the favourite trip we’ve done with the kids thus far. We connected with nature. Connected with each other. Learned some shit. Ate at some great diners. Checked a few more boxes off the travel list.
APRIL 2024
KIDS AGES: 7 and 9 years old
paRty of 4 