Family Vacation Guide To Scottsdale Arizona
Fun in the Sun: Get Your Family Outside When You’re Having Fun Exploring the Adventuresome Side of Scottsdale, Arizona
Scottsdale is full of exciting activities to get your family out of doors and experiencing all that nature has to offer.
Take in the sights of Scottsdale from a variety of perspectives.
If you can convince your kids to wake up early enough, you can catch a sunrise tour and watch the Sonoran Desert wake up from the bird’s eye view of the extraordinary Rainbow Ryders Hot Air Balloon Company ride. After you’ve floated around in the sky, taken in the mountainous views, and landed safely back on the ground, enjoy a light continental breakfast. After a morning in the sky, there’s no telling what’s next. In any case, you’re all set to head off on to your next adventure! If your family would prefer to sleep in, breathtaking sunset tours are also available in the winter months. Get a perspective unlike any you’ve ever had before and enjoy the ride of a lifetime with those you love most.
If you’ve got any music lovers in your family, then the Musical Instrument Museum (MIM) is a must-see! Explore a world of music and cultures in a museum that has more than 6,000 instruments on display. Check the website calendar to see how you can best plan your visit and account for the musical artist galleries, rotating monthly events, exhibits, and performances. TripAdvisor rates the MIM as the area’s number one attraction, and the MIM also ranks as one of the top four best museums for families in the nation by USA Today Travel. Don’t miss it!
Another way to experience the desert state is to simply walk among it. The Scottsdale’s McDowell Sonoran Preserve (http://www.mcdowellsonoran.org) is a local non-profit organization dedicated to the preservation of the Sonoran desert and mountains. Explore the living treasures of the desert and enjoy a family-friendly hike with exceptional views. If your clan is looking to try something a little more adventuresome, try your hand at an afternoon of horseback riding, mountain biking, rock-climbing, or letting the kids run ahead of you to scope out the natural wonders. There are more than 100 miles of trails, so you are certain to be satisfied no matter how much distance you plan to cover.
Even though when you visit the state of Arizona you are in the middle of the desert, the OdySea Aquarium (https://www.odyseaaquarium.com) is the largest aquarium in the Southwest and certainly something to add to your list, no matter how old your children may be. What lives under the sea is always fascinating! Who knew that sharks, sea turtles, penguins, otters, seas lions, octupus, and more are all right at home in the hot heat of AZ? Enjoy 3-D films, underwater ocean walking with the help of SeaTrek and massive sphere-shaped aquariums of colorful schools of fish in the lobby. For those who have a fear of missing out, even the bathrooms have views of the shark tanks, so you don’t have to miss a thing even when your kiddos have to go.