We’ve gone to Arizona a few times now to visit my in-laws. Initially, they had a second home about 30-40 minutes outside of Phoenix in Maricopa. This past fall they sold their home in Illinois and are currently living in Phoenix full time. The past visits, we stayed mostly in the area with some day trips to various attractions. Since the girls are getting older, we thought it would be a lot of fun to take a few days from our trip to see the Grand Canyon.
Instead of a day-by-day recap, I thought it would be easier to divide the trip into our time at the Grand Canyon and our time in Maricopa. Here is what we did during our Arizona spring break vacation.
Grand Canyon
We spent 2 days visiting in and around the South Rim. We found a home to rent that fit all 6 of us very comfortably in Williams, AZ. If you are looking for a house, I would recommend this one! It had arcade games and a ping pong table that really kept the kids occupied in the evenings. We chose the South Rim because it was closest to us from Maricopa. The North Rim of the canyon was closed for the season. With two kids, we didn’t want to drive to the other visitors center this visit. And, Williams is where the Grand Canyon Railway leaves from which we thought would be really fun for the kids.
Grand Canyon Day 1
The first day we drove up, we went straight to the south entrance. It was fairly chilly and very windy but we had clear skies and pretty good views. The kids were very impressed with the beauty and layers of rock.
On the way out of the park we saw a big herd of elk. They were on both sides of the road for at least 1/4 mile. It was amazing!
That night we ate at Frontier Family Fun. The kids enjoyed the shooting game and the fortune teller, but the service wasn’t great. I’m sure if there had been more staff during the high point in the season and the outdoor activities were running (gold panning, cornhole) it would likely have been better.
Grand Canyon Day 2
The next day we woke up early for the train ride. I think this may have been my favorite part of our Arizona spring break vacation! The girls had fun meeting a ‘sheriff’ in the gift shop. Then we saw a shoot out with the Cataract Gang. Matt got pulled up to be part of the show and Avie was so sad. She kept yelling, “Give me back my daddy!” She forgave the cowboy and got a photo with him afterwards.
After the show, we boarded the train. And thank goodness. We all had on a lot of layers and coats, but with the wind chill it was probably around 0F. The train ride was nice and it was so interesting. We enjoyed seeing the landscape and looking out for wildlife. As we neared the depot at the Grand Canyon Claire spotted more elk!
We walked around looking at the views. The girls turned in their workbook to earn their ranger badges. Since it was snowing off and on, views were a bit spotty. Because paths were icy, it was also recommended that only hikers with crampons and poles go on the trails. We stayed around the top. Even though we were cold, it was neat to see how the updrafts from the canyon made it look as if it was snowing upwards.
On our way to get some lunch, we got to see elk up really close. About 10 feet away close! We all tried to give it respect by giving her a wide berth.
After lunch, we made our way back to the train. The best part was when the train got closer to Williams, the Cataract Gang came up with their horses and boarded the train to rob us. We were all warned that if we had a dollar in our hands, we would be robbed. Haha! The girls got such a kick out of it. Avie wanted to go after them later and get everyone’s money back because ‘she was a park ranger.’ But we were able to explain that it was important for them to buy some dinner, too.
That night we made some dinner at the house and sat around the heater. I think we were still defrosting from the day.
Maricopa
During our time in Maricopa, the girls really wanted some swim time. It’s been a while since they were able to have fun outdoor swim time and they enjoyed themselves. We ate a lot of our meals outdoors, too.
One of our first days, we took a little hike in Picacho Peak. I’m sure when the kids are a bit older, we could make it a lot higher. They have boundless energy. They were able to earn their ranger badges, too.
We spent some time at my in-laws church. We were able to attend Palm Sunday service. Claire learned how to make the palm frond crosses for us all. We also attended a family picnic there which was a lot of fun.
We also enjoyed visiting the Mesa Market. I love loading up on vanilla there and Claire got some opal earrings as a souvenir. Avie found the cutest pink cowgirl hat. Another place we got some souvenirs is Cave Creek. It’s a small frontier town. It’s cute and only takes about an hour to go through.
Other times we have visited Rooster Cogburn Ranch. It’s a really fun place for kids with all sorts of animals you can feed. Rustler’s Roost is a cute cowboy-themed restaurant with an indoor slide the kids love. The food is only so-so, but you can get a rattlesnake appetizer. Yes, we have before and it tastes like chicken. The Desert Museum is an incredible and educational place. Nearby is the Saguaro National Park which is another good place to visit. And thanks to Jodie, last year we visited the Dwarf Car Museum in Maricopa. That was fascinating!
Speaking of Jodie, I was able to meet up with her the day before we left! We met in Tempe which is a really cute college area. She picked out a restaurant to meet for breakfast called Snooze. It’s chain, but I’ve never been before. It was delicious! But it was even more fun to meet Jodie and her husband in person. They are so sweet and welcoming!
And that’s a wrap on our Arizona spring break vacation this year. Lots of fun was had and memories made.
