Phoenix/Scottsdale
I always thought Phoenix was a flat, desolate, desert. Boy was I wrong! The whole metro area is littered with small mountains and surrounded by large ones. The city maintains hiking trails on most of the mountains. Combined with their convenient location, the trails are very popular with the locals and the visitors alike. I thought that the relatively low altitude up to the peaks would make the hike easier, but I still experienced the first hike realization that I need to do more cardio. The views were great and each of the hikes can be done in a half day, but you can combine the trails to make a longer hike, or take the mountain bike trails for some real action.
Everyone knows that Phoenix is dry and hot. For those of us that experience harsh winter weather, that is inviting during those months. In the winter Phoenix is beautiful, mostly in the 70s with a range of 60s to 80s during the day. At night the temperatures drop into the 50s, which is warmer than the highs of a Minnesota winter! During the summer, the heat is almost unbearable, reaching 120 degrees Fahrenheit at times, but continuously well over 100 degrees.
Some of the things that were a surprise to me were the beautiful landscape throughout the Phoenix metro area. Rocky contours and various mountains dot the landscape. Palm trees and cacti are in abundance, giving variety to the desolate beauty of the desert. Rain is also a common summertime occurrence, which surprised me. Storms from Mexico reach the desert and bring moisture to the plants that crave it. Sometimes those storms bring floods as well. August is the rainiest month of the year, while December through February are cloudier than August. None of the months would be considered a rainy month compared to other places, after all sunshine is the most popular commodity in Phoenix.
Another surprise was the number of things to do in the area. Golfing was a given, with all the warm weather and sunshine, but there is so much more. Hiking is a popular pastime with all of the options available within the city and beyond. Scottsdale offers Old Town, which is a huge area of shops and restaurants catering to every visitor. Restaurants abound throughout the metro area. There are so many great options, it is difficult to decide on where to eat. Most of the restaurants are geared for adults, but most offer kids’ menus as well.
Museums offer options for families, as does do the local zoos. The Phoenix Zoo is a large collection of animals and exhibits, but is expensive and not highly recommended by the locals as compared to other zoos around the country. The Wildlife World Zoo, Aquarium, and Safari Park came highly recommended. It is more expensive, but offers a huge variety of exhibits to interest every visitor. If you are looking for an inexpensive zoo experience, the Reid Park Zoo in Tucson is the place to go. Less than two hours from Phoenix, the savings might be worth the trip. There are also a couple amusement parks in the area to entertain the action junkies in the family.
While Phoenix is more of an adult vacation destination, there are activities for families as well. The weather is great and the scenery is beautiful, a wonderful escape during the cold winter months.
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