1. Take a sunrise hike amid awe-inspiring scenery.

Tour thousand-year-old ruins. Spy a rare hummingbird along a tranquil riverside.

Or simply soak up some sunshine in January. There’s no shortage of things to do in Arizona:

Grand Canyon

Vast, magnificent and inarguably beautiful, the Grand Canyon is easily Arizona’s most distinguishable landmark

– and a natural wonder that you simply have to see to believe. Stretching 277 miles from end to end, steep,

rocky walls descend more than a mile to the canyon’s floor, where the wild Colorado River traces a swift course

southwest.

You can reach Grand Canyon National Park from main entrances on the South Rim – including the South Rim’s

eastern entrance – and the North Rim. The Canyon's western edge, home to beautiful Havasupai Falls and

the town of Supai, is also accessible via roads on the Hualapai Indian Reservation.

Discover the Grand Canyon

Whether you stop at the canyon for an hour or stay for a week, you’ll have plenty of ways to enjoy some

adventure, recreation or just great views. Start planning your trip with these informative links:

Getting Here: Find the best routes to reach the North and South Rims.

The South & North Rim: Learn about Grand Canyon National Park's two distinct sides.

Around-the-Rim Tours: Explore the Grand Canyon with a guided tour or ride – on a bike, on foot or perched

atop a friendly mule.

Air Tours: See the canyon from high above with a helicopter or airplane tour.

Hiking: From easy rim hikes to rigorous multi-day backpacking trips, Grand Canyon hiking has something for

everyone.

Rafting the Canyon: Gain a whole new perspective on the Grand Canyon. Choose from motorized or oar-powered

expeditions ranging from four days to two weeks.

Grand Canyon for Kids: Find out how your kids can become Junior Rangers during your Grand Canyon vacation.

Accommodations: Historic lodges and hotels to rugged campgrounds, the Grand Canyon has a wide range of

places to stay – but you have to book early.

2. Family Attractions

Think of Arizona as America's natural "amusement park," where fun and adventure await your family in every

corner of the state. Add an engaging selection of Old West towns, dude ranches, mines, lakes, railroads

and other diversions, and the result is a family vacation like no other.

If you’re looking for things to do with kids in Arizona, we have plenty of ideas. Go to the Four Corners

and let them stand in four states at once. Enjoy the Junior Ranger program at the Grand Canyon. Or enjoy

the state’s many zoos, wildlife parks and kid-friendly museums, like the Arizona Science Center, the Hall

of Flame Fire Museum and the Pima Air and Space Museum.

Water activities like swimming, boating, rafting and more are also big hits with the little ones, so make

room for a trip to Lake Powell or Lake Mead, or just a ride on Tempe Town Lake, where motorized and

non-motorized watercraft cruise the formerly dry riverbed between Tempe and Phoenix.

3. Out of Africa Wildlife Park

One of a kind wildlife park where animals from around the world have natural, spacious habitats, educational

& Serengeti safari tours

 

4. Tiger Splash

You’ll “oooh and aaah” while Bengal and Siberian tigers and other big cats interact in a predator/prey 

relationship of romping and splashing in a 35-foot by 50-foot pool as they play with their caretakers and 

various colorful toys. This unique, thrilling, and exciting show is also very educational. Through the live 

narration, you’ll discover how instincts, intellect and feelings interact to form spontaneous, natural 

behavior.

Show time: 1:15 to 1:45 pm Monday through Sunday. Plan to arrive at the 

Park 30 minutes before any show in order to make it to the venue on time.

5. Water Parks

Nothing says summertime like taking the family for some water fun! Even better, Arizona's year-round 

sunshine make water park season last much longer than you might have imagined. Arizona's water parks are

the perfect place to get your thrills, with plenty of steep, twisting slides and adrenaline-pumping

attractions. But they're also a great place for some old-fashioned R&R, with “lazy rivers” perfect for a

leisurely float and shallow pools designed for smaller swimmers.

Done with your dip? You'll also find family fun like arcade games, miniature golf and more at many of 

these water parks. So grab your suit, sunscreen and your sense of adventure and join us at one of these 

great Arizona water parks.

 

6. Big Surf Waterpark

 

Built in 1969, Big Surf Water Park is America’s Original Water Park boasting Waikiki Beach, the third 

largest wave pool in the World! Nestled on 20 acres in Arizona on the northern tip of Tempe and just south 

of Scottsdale, Big Surf Waterpark has remained an Arizona icon for over 40 years and features dozens of other 

thrilling water slides and rides all in a safe and family friendly atmosphere.

 

Big Surf Waterpark is the place to have you child’s birthday party, family reunions, or large corporate 

functions as well as the place to cool off during Arizona’s hot summers. Various deals and discounts are 

offered throughout the season so call or visit the website for more 

information.
Contact Information
1500 N. McClintock Dr.
Tempe, AZ 85281
Phone: (480) 994-2297

Waikiki BeachAmerica's original wave pool with 2.5 million gallons of water, Waikiki Beach is the place to 

be on a hot summer day. We also have rafts available for rental during normal operating hours.

7. Desert Sweet Shrimp

 

This unique aqua farm grows quality shrimp in a series of large ponds fed by mineral-rich waters pumped from 

deep undergrounds wells. The shrimp are raised free from the hormones, antibiotics, chemicals or mercury

that can be found in ocean-raised shrimp, while the naturally low salt content of the water gives the shrimp

a surprisingly sweet taste. And these desert shrimpers have found a novel way to reduce the water pollution

associated with shrimp farming by recycling the nutrient-rich wastewater from the ponds to irrigate their

olive tree orchard.

While shrimp are at the top of the list of America’s favorite seafood, many of us wouldn’t consider them 

beautiful. But to Gary Wood of Desert Sweet Shrimp, those small crustaceans are as prized, as precious,

as luminous as gold.

Contact Information
45075 Old US Highway 80
Gila Bend, Arizona 85337
Phone: (602) 768 6281

8. Williams Recreation Department Aquatic Center

Awesome skate park, recreation with pool tables, movie nights. Everything all right next to each other.

Williams, Arizona, Gateway to the Grand Canyon, is a very picturesque mountain town with Route 66 as the

Main Street!  Less than an hour from the Grand Canyon, Williams has so many things to do…the Grand Canyon

Railway departs from the train depot for the Canyon every day, see bears and amazing wildlife up close in

Bearizona, walk, dine, and shop in historic downtown on Route 66 or stay in a motel right on the Mother Road.

The town is nestled at the base of Bill Williams Mountain in one of the largest Ponderosa Pine Forests in the

world and there are miles of hiking trails, fishing, horseback riding, and skiing.

Williams Main Street is one the best preserved stretches of the Mother Road in America.  Walk Main Street and

you’ll find vintage neon on buildings that are preserved to their original character, lots of fun shops with

Route 66 merchandise, restaurants that have the character of the Route 66 heyday of the 50’s, coffee shops,

internet cafes, and fine dining.  Cowboys swagger through downtown and a gunfight breaks out every night right

in the middle of the Mother Road April through October.

Experience the down home friendliness of Williams year round during Festivals that range from rodeos, car shows,

mountain men fests, home town beauty pageants, and the Christmas season Polar Express.

 

The Mother Road is an experience, a feeling, a perception, a taste of sight & sound, and a mystery that can only be resolved by driving the pavement itself. The “super-highway”, as it was thought of in 1926, represented unprecedented freedom to travel across the American West.  The original paved highway was a narrow two lane road (slightly wider than one lane of a modern highway) that spanned over 2,300 miles from Chicago, Illinois to Long Beach, California.  Route 66 connected small town America, town by town, mile by mile as the main streets of communities like Williams became the thoroughfare for experiencing “Hometown” America.

 

Route 66

Route 66 had great stretches of scenic open road that connected the small towns along the way. In those days of

a more relaxed pace to life, the two main streets of Williams became east bound & west bound Route 66 and a new

kind of hospitality began to grow.  Diners, motor hotels, and shops featuring local souvenirs opened as travelers

discovered Williams as a jumping off place to visit the Grand Canyon. Some of those same motor hotels from back in

the day have been revitalized with all the comforts modern travelers expect and the store fronts of Main Street are

preserved as a designated National Historic District.

 

Route 66 will be forever engrained in the American pop culture thanks to John Steinbeck who proclaimed the highway

as "Mother Road" in his classic 1939 novel Grapes of Wrath.  Then in 1946 Bobby Troup wrote the popular song,

“Get your Kicks on Route 6,” solidifying the "Mother Road" as an American symbol for freedom, opportunity,

and modernization of the nation.

Changing lifestyles in the 1980's saw the development of the interstate highway system and  I-40 became the main

route through the southwest Route 66. Williams became the last Route 66 community to be by passed by the new

interstate on October 13, 1984.

Although Route 66 may not appear on many maps today, the nostalgia and spirit of a bygone era lives on here in

Williams, Arizona. Soda fountains, diners, quirky hotels, antique automobiles, and unique shops line the

Mother Road just as it was back in the day. With its preservation of an authentic small town atmosphere and

history, Williams is the perfect place to "take a step back in time" and "Cruise the Loop®" Route 66.

So, Come Get Your Kicks on Route 66!

Contact Information
300 W. Railroad Ave.
Williams, AZ 86046
Phone: 928-635-1496

9. Cave Creek Trail Rides

Type: Horseback Riding Stables
Cost: Fee
37019 N 32nd Street Cave Creek, AZ 85327
623-742-6700

http://www.cavecreektrailrides.com

info@cavecreektrailrides.com

Family Friendly Guided Trail Rides 

Phoenix, Arizona horseback riding at Cave Creek Trail Rides! Dress up in our optional cowboy gear of hats,

boots, and chaps and take part in  a guided Arizona trail ride through the Sonoran Desert.

 

Horseback riding in Arizona offers great views of Phoenix and the surrounding desert. Our cowboys and cowgirls will introduce you to the mining history of Cave Creek, AZ and unique flora and fauna  while on the back of a gentle mountain horse.

 

 

Our location in the foothills north of Phoenix allows you to experience Sonoran Desert horseback riding

near the historical areas of Cave Creek, AZ  and Scottsdale, AZ. Enjoying a trail ride in Arizona offers

you the opportunity to get a taste of life near Phoenix, Cave Creek, and Scottsdale, AZ  150 years ago!