Arizona

Arizona posts including places to visit, events to attend and businesses that are awesome in Arizona.

Top 20 Things to do in Tucson this Fall

byKaren•September 8, 2015

Fall is here which means cooler weather in Southern Arizona and plenty of fun things to do in Tucson!

Here are more than 20 things to do in Southern Arizona this Fall 2015

UA Football Game – September 3rd – November 14th – Bear Down and watch the Wildcats play at home!

Marana Pumpkin Patch & Farm Festival – October 3rd – 31st – We go every year and love picking pumpkins, visiting farm animals and other festive fall activities. We go every year, you can see more from our experience here.

Apple Annie’s Pumpkin Festival – Weekends September 19th – October 31st – Pick your own pumpkins, fall produce and of course apples. Enjoy the largest corn maze in Arizona with 2 levels of difficulty. Arrive early for pumpkin pancakes or stay through lunch for apple burgers!

Buckelew Farm Terror in the Corn Maz – Weekends October 10th – 31st – Older kids and adults may also enjoy Terror in the Corn Fields: Find your way through the corn maze in the dark with flashlights or partake in the haunted version.

Tucson Meet Yourself Festival – October 9th & 11th – Head downtown to enjoy musicians, artisans, dancers, food, special exhibits that celebrate our Southern Arizona.

Mount Lemmon OktoberFest – Weekends September 19th – October 11th – Enjoy the changing fall colors of Mount Lemmon and German food, beer, music and dancing

Tucson Comic Con – November 7th & 8th – Head to the Tucson convention center to experience the world of comic book fun including a costume contest. Expect to see national comic book industry movers and shakers as well as local influencers. It’s a family fun event perfect for all ages, in fact kids 12 and under are free with a paid adult!

Annie Presented by Broadway in Tucson – September 29th – October 4th – This classic family production would make a fabulous introduction to the theater for little kids. Tickets are available through UA Presents.

Disney on Ice Presents FROZEN – October 15th – 18th – Don’t miss the biggest Disney sensation ever now on ice! Sing and dance along with Elsa, Anna, Olaf, Kristoff and the trolls. Disney On Ice FROZEN information here.

Howl-o-Ween at Reid Park Zoo – October 23rd – 25th – Enjoy costumed characters, decorations and trick or treating. Tickets go on sale October 1st and usually sell out.

Henry Porter & The Sorcerer’s Secret – September 3rd – November 8th – All Harry Potter fans should head to the Gaslight Theater to catch their fun take on wizards, witches and muggles.

Helldorado Days – October 16th – 18th – Head down to Tombstone and enjoy their annual Helldorado Days complete with gunfight re-enactment shows, street entertainment, fashion shows and a family oriented carnival. The Annual Helldorado Parade is on Sunday.

All Souls Procession Weekend – November 7th & 8th – The 2 miles, 2 hour procession through downtown Tucson remembers the dead and celebrates the living. More details here.

Nightfall at Old Tucson Studios – October 1st – 31st – Another fun idea for older kids and adults is Nightfall! Scare yourself silly with live shows, walk-thru attractions, tricks and treats, haunts, amusements, and some of your favorite characters! Nightfall admission separate from Old Tucson daytime admission

Nature Connects, Art with LEGO Bricks – September 11th – January 3rd – Visit the newest exhibition at Tucson Botanical Gardens featuring larger than life, nature inspired sculptures made entirely from LEGO bricks. A LEGO playroom will be open on select Saturdays throughout the length of the exhibit.

Of course the cooler weather means we can enjoy more of the fabulous outdoor activities Tucson offers.

Visit the Sonoran Desert Museum
Hike Saguaro National Park
Check out Tohono Chul Park
Explore the Pima Air and Space Museum
Feed the giraffes at the Reid Park Zoo.
Experience the spirit of the Old West at Old Tucson Studios.
Don’t forget the free splash pad fun at the Brandi Fenton and the Marana Splash Pads.

What’s your favorite fall activity in Southern Arizona?

Jumping Fun at an AZ Air Time Birthday Party

byKaren•July 24, 2015

Right before school ended, we celebrated Elliot’s 5th birthday with the help of AZ Air Time. We first visited AZ Air Time a few years ago on a family staycation in Scottsdale and at the time wished Tucson had a similar place. As luck would have it a Tucson location was in the works! It’s the perfect place to pop in and play in air conditioning during the summer. Plus it makes for extra fun playdates on early release days during the school year.

It turns out it’s an awesome place for parties too. If you’re looking for a fun place to have your kiddo’s next birthday, check out my 5 reasons why you should consider an AZ Air Time birthday party.

1. Lots of Indoor Fun

While Tucson has beautiful weather most of the year, there is something reassuring about planning an indoor party. There’s no need to worry about extreme heat, an extra cold winter day, rain or even wind ruining the fun. Plus it’s a huge facility that allows the kids run around like crazy and burn off LOTS of energy.

2. Variety of Activities

The main feature of AZ Air Time is rows of trampolines but they also offer basketball and dodge ball (also on trampolines), a foam pit to jump in and some coin operated game type things including a foosball table and wind machine.

3. All Ages Fun

I love that AZ Air Time is good for kids of all ages. As long as they are walking, they can bounce and have fun. In fact they have a special area set aside for kids 6 and under including trampolines and a bounce house. This makes it safer for older kids jumping in the main areas too. It’s a fun place everyone from 2 to 102, although I have to admit jumping wears me out pretty darn quick!

4. Party host

All party packages include a host to help set up and organize the party. It was nice knowing that someone is on the ball while I was taking pictures or watching my birthday boy have fun.

5. Several price points

AZ Air Time recently restructured their party packages to include several levels, and a discount available for weekday parties. It’s nice that you can host a scaled back party inexpensively or go all out with a big package. We had the “Twice As Nice” party package, I added 2 extra pizzas to the package but brought bottled water for adults, an easy hulk birthday cake to go with our theme and DIY goodie bags.

**Bonus Reason**

The kids will likely be exhausted after the party and go to sleep earlier than usual! 😉

We received a discounted party package in exchange for sharing our thoughts with you. Elliot had a blast at his party and I loved how easy and fun the party was to throw there!

Cowboy Fun in Cottonwood Arizona

byKaren•October 9, 2014

Cowboy Fun at the Blazin M Ranch in Cottonwood, Arizona

The Blazin’ M Ranch is a dining and entertainment venue located in Cottonwood, Arizona. We had a chance to experience the cowboy fun back in August during our trip to Sedona. The ranch was about 20 minutes away from our hotel, the Hilton Sedona Resort and Spa, making it a convenient evening activity.

We arrived about an hour before the dinner bell and had plenty of time to explore the western town and it’s activities. Everything is included except for the saloon, the old-time photography studio and shooting range.

The Maybery Museum is full of fun western artifacts and the wood’n west gallery full of hand carved moving miniature scenes. A tractor ride takes you on a short journey around the whole property but my boys loved roping a “steer” the most! There’s also animals to see, horseshoes plenty of fun photo opportunities.

Check out more of our fun in this short video!

When the dinner bell sounds, everyone heads into the big barn for a Chuckwagon Supper and show! The show is after the meal so there’s no reason to be worried about which way your seat faces. They also have helpers available to help your kiddos get their food. There’s nothing more stressful than managing 2 kids, their plates and your own through a food line unless of course have 3 kids! 😉

Our Cowboy Dinner included:

Chicken & Baby Back Ribs
Baked Potato
Cowboy Pinto Beans
Prickly Pear Cole Slaw
Flying Biscuits
Apple Carmel Crisp with Vanilla Ice Cream
Lemonade, Ice Tea and Coffee

You only go through the chow line once but don’t worry about having enough to eat, cowboys walk around with extra platters of food during dinner for anyone that wants more. I had an extra helping of the prickly pear cole slaw and ribs, both my favorites from the meal! There are additional drink options available for purchase at the bar, Peter and I enjoyed a beer and Diet Coke with our meal.

Following dinner is an hour-long show featuring the Blazin’ M Cowboys. It’s lots of country western music with humor mixed in. I wasn’t sure how well my boys would sit through it but was pleasantly surprised. Quinn clapped along with Peter throughout the show; he really loved it! Elliot enjoyed the part he saw but fell asleep about 1/2 through the show. To be fair it was past his bed time and we’d had a big day of hiking earlier in the day. 🙂 Quinn’s favorite part was the last skit, Ghost Riders in the Sky!

It’s definitely a fun experience for the whole family! We were given complimentary tickets to the show in exchange for sharing our experience with you. We truly enjoyed the experience and want to go back soon! The Verde Canyon train and ghost town of Jerome is on our to do list, I bet we can sneak another visit to the Blazin’ M Ranch then!

Do you like dinner shows? I’d love to hear about your favorite one!

5 reasons for a staycation at Hilton El Conquistador Resort

byKaren•August 4, 2014

I am a big fan of staycations, focusing on local, Arizona fun. Ironically, we rarely take a true Tucson staycation. It was high time we explored a great Tucson resort so we jumped at the chance to check out the Hilton El Conquistador. We spent a lovely weekend there recently and I wanted to share why I think you (and your kids) would love to stay there too!

1. Pools

Water fun is a necessity in Tucson during the summer, otherwise, you have to hide inside ALL DAY. The El Conquistador has water fun covered for all ages, from babies to adults.

Desert Springs Oasis features 3 pools, including a 143-foot water slide and little kid pool area with splash pad features. Although I didn’t get a chance to check it out this time, they do offer an adult only pool as well. We did spend a lot of time in the kid’s pool area though.

The splash also has a zero entry pool that only goes to 1.5 feet deep. It’s perfect for babies to preschoolers (and their big brothers). 😉 The boys loved wading and splashing in it all day.

2. Movies

During the summer staycation season, the Hilton El Conquistador offers extra fun activities to help you Conquer the Summer. Including in this special programming is a dive-in movie and s’mores on Friday and Saturday nights.

We enjoyed our yummy treats while watching Madagascar 2. Quinn insisted on wearing his swim suit and eventually worked up the nerve to watch the movie in the pool with the other big kids. Elliot was content to watch with me from a lounge chair.

3. Animal Visits

Another fun part of the Hilton El Conquistador Conquer the Summer programming is visits from the Arizona Sonora Desert Museum. They bring a few animals to meet and greet on Sunday mornings. It’s a great way to get a sneak peek at the fun the museum offers even if you don’t have time to get out there. If you do plan on going out to the museum this summer, consider going Saturday evenings for their special Cool Summer Nights series through August 3oth.

4. Dining

We ate at Epazote Kitchen & Cocktail both nights and really enjoyed our meals. The first night I tried their special seafood dish, bacon wrapped sea bass. It was AHHHH-MAZING!! In fact, I had to order again the next night and convinced Peter to do the same! Peter did enjoy the steak he ordered the first night, he just enjoyed the bite of sea bass from my plate more. 🙂

There were quite a few kids meal options and I was very pleased to see a huge cup of fruit as a side option. Elliot is my grilled cheese and fruit eater. 🙂

We also ate at the Sundance Café twice for breakfast. They offer a great breakfast buffet with plenty of hot and cold options to please everyone.

We had lunch at the pool on Saturday and while the service was slow (it was a very busy day at the pool), the food was quite good. I recommend the Chef’s Nachos with chicken.

5. Beautiful Location

The beauty of the Santa Catalina Mountains is hard to beat. The Hilton is nestled right at the base of the mountains, allowing for both gorgeous mountain and city views. I hope to stay there again once it cools down a bit so I can take a nature walk in the area.

The Hilton El Conquistador also offers horseback riding and a brand new kids club. The El Con Kids Club will offer full, half-day and hourly programs Friday through Sunday for children ages 4 to 12. The kids club is available to resort guest and local Tucson families who are members of the Elements Wellness Center at Hilton Tucson El Conquistador.

We were guests of the Arizona Hilton Resorts in order to facilitate this review. However, all opinions, experiences, and photos are entirely our own.

Have you ever stayed at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort?

Show Low Days Stick Horse Rodeo

byKaren•June 10, 2014

This past weekend we attended the Show Low Days festival in Show Low, Arizona. June by the way is a perfect time of year to escape the desert heat and head up to the White Mountains. Show Low Days includes several events including the Cruz’n the Rim Car Show, Derby Down the Deuce and a Stick Horse Rodeo. We made stick horses this year for Rodeo Days in Tucson, so the boys were excited to bring their horses out of retirement and participate in the Stick Horse Rodeo. Naturally I wanted to share a bit of the fun the boys had and also share the cool stick horse rodeo ideas. Holding your own stick horse rodeo would be a fun summer activity or birthday party theme!

As soon as we arrived, the rodeo action started with the kids registering and getting a number on their back just like real rodeo cowboys. The numbers served two purposes, they used the numbers to score each child after the parade and also to keep track of which kids had earned a prize at each game. The kids were allowed to play the games as many times as they wanted but only earn one prize from each game. I loved how they kept it fair and fun!

I also loved the fact they had pool noodle horses available to purchase (at a minimal cost) for kids who didn’t have a stick horse. In fact I almost made our stick horses out of pool noodles earlier this year, check out my Rodeo Break Pinterest Board for more stick horse ideas.

They had several activities for the kids to participate in besides the rodeo parade. The “Rodeo Arena” itself was set up with hay bales and lots of homemade signs for each game.

Naturally both boys loved the Shoot Out game the best. They each walked away with a Sheriff Star.

I thought the Snake In My Boot game was pretty clever. I’m a sucker for a Disney reference. 😉

You simply had to toss small plastic snakes into a cowboy boot. The prize was one of the toy snakes that made it into the boot.

I also liked the Rope ‘Um game. Another simple game that the kids enjoyed.

The prize for this game was a small toy horse.

The last game was panning for gold. Each child discovered a “gold coin” and a penny after sifting the sand out of their pan. Both boys were thrilled with the penny. 🙂

There were also two different miniature horses to feed. Feeding animasl is always a hit with my boys.

There’s talk of an actual petting zoo at next year’s event! The boys would love that, this mom would love a little extra shade too. 🙂

After the games, the kids marched in a stick horse parade around the baseball diamond and then were presented one at a time to the judges. Some kids were clearly better at hamming it up.

They had prizes for 3 girls and 3 boys. The winners were the ones decked out in cowboy gear. Anyone want to guess what my boys plan to do next year? 🙂 They also had a couple random raffles for the rest of the kids.

Local rodeo queens helped out during the Stick Horse Rodeo. My boys weren’t too impressed with them but lots of little girls took pictures with them. 🙂

All the cowboys and cowgirls enjoyed a shot of root beer while they waited for the judges to pick the winners.

This is not a sponsored post. We really enjoyed this small town event and I wanted to share it with you. I do want to give a special shout out to Jill Tinkel, and Tractor Supply in Show Low for sponsoring the Stick Horse Rodeo. It was totally free to participate in. They promise a bigger and better event for next year and you can be sure we will make a point to attend. The boys want to dress in full cowboy gear and win a prize. 😉

If you like this post you might like these other cowboy themed posts too.

Fun Rodeo Craft Ideas

Stick Horse Tutorial

Have you ever been to a stick horse rodeo?

5 reasons to choose Camelback Inn for your next girls weekend

byKaren•June 5, 2014

5 reasons to choose the camelback inn for a girls weekend.jpg

I think a little girls weekend fun is necessary to stay sane, especially for moms. I shared my fun weekend in San Diego a few months ago, this time I am sharing a great option much closer to Tucson. My friend Becca and I headed up to the JW Marriott Camelback Inn Scottsdale, which is only 2 hours north of Tucson and offers an awesome girls weekend experience.

1. Shopping

Both Biltmore Fashion Park and Scottsdale Fashion Square are just minutes away making it easy to spend a day on retail therapy if you want. With great shopping, also comes great dining options, I recommend checking out Culinary Dropout and True Food Kitchen.

2. Dining

Not that you need to go off property to find great food. We enjoyed both dinner and brunch at Rita’s Kitchen. Rita’s Kitchen is clearly enjoyed by guests and locals alike. With live music and a relaxing atmosphere, the patio is the perfect place to enjoy an evening meal. I highly recommend the table side guacamole to start the meal.

My sweet tooth demanded I finish my meal with their fresh churros. I was so full from dinner that I couldn’t finish all of them. Don’t worry though with a fridge and microwave back in our room, I knew I would be able to finish the churros the next day!

Speaking of the next day, we also enjoyed Sunday Brunch at Rita’s Kitchen. There was an amazing spread of food, seriously you name it and they had it. From eggs, cereal and french toast to quesadillas, carved meats and salads. They even had turkey with mashed potatoes and gravy. I am not a breakfast food person, so I dug right into the Thanksgiving fixings! There were also plenty of choices on the dessert tree… Though we were stuffed, we managed to taste a bit of each–they were amazing!

Other dining options at the Camelback Inn include BLT Steak, R Bar, Acacia and options at both the spa and pool.

3. Spa

The Spa at Camelback Inn was one of the first of its kind in the southwest when it opened in 1989. It’s very popular with resort guests and local valley residents and I now know why. With plenty of indoor and outdoor space to relax between spa treatments, you could easily spend a full day without a care in the world.

Becca and I both had pedicures and body wraps during our stay. My Desert Nectar Honey Wrap was simply fabulous, it was very relaxing and perfect for my dry skin. I was glowing afterwards from insanely moisturized skin! There are three chairs in each pedicure room, making it easy to chat with friends during a spa day. Afterwards you can spend time in the ladies lounge or outdoor patio area.

Photo Credit: The Camelback Inn

4. Pools

After a relaxing spa treatment, you can spend time lounging around the pool. The main pool is large with lots of chairs and a whirlpool. Or you can stay at the spa and utilize their private pool. It’s available for all spa customers or anyone that purchases a day pass. The best option I think would be to round up several girlfriends and splurge on one of the 2 bedroom/bath suites that include a private patio and pool!

5. Fitness

There is a fabulous little hiking trail at the base of Mummy Mountain, head through the old west facade to find the trail. It’s an awesome way to get a little fresh air, and take in the beautiful desert including awesome views of Camelback Mountain.

If your more ambitious you could take the 3.8 mile power walk through the adjoining neighborhood or even venture to hike Camelback Mountain itself. Tennis, golf, swimming and bike rentals are also great options at the Camelback Inn.

Disclosure: We were guest of the Camelback Inn for review purposes. Our experience was awesome and basically that’s what I am sharing with you. As always, all opinions are my own.

Have you ever stayed at the Camelback Inn?

20+ Tucson Staycation Ideas

byKaren•May 19, 2014

Note this is an older post that hasn’t been updated to include possible closures/limitations due to Stay At Home orders in Arizona. Please double check with any locations/attractions before making plans.

It’s the last week of school for most of Tucson which means you might be looking for fun things to do in Tucson this summer. I think it would be fun to plan a Tucson staycation, stay a night or two at a local resort taking advantage of their low summer rates and spend time exploring some of the fun activities and attractions Tucson has to offer.

Cool Inside Fun

The Pima Air and Space Museum offers aircraft and exhibits both inside and outside. Night Wings is offered three nights during the summer (4th Saturday of each month) with later hours, special activities and discounted admission. There Children’s Museum Tucson is a really fun museum dedicated and designed for kids. All the exhibits are interactive and periodically change, keeping it fun and fresh.

We are big fans of the International Wildlife Museum during the summer, it’s indoors with “animals” and is usually not very crowded. Plus there is a big indoor seating area where you can eat your own picnic lunch! The Mini Time Machine Museum offers week long themed summer camps and drop in day camps.

Tucson Kids Summer Movie Programs 2014.jpg

There’s no place cooler than an ice-cold movie theater. If you’re looking to just let the kiddos just run around and burn off energy don’t forget about the mall playgrounds which are free: Foothills Mall, Tucson Mall and Park Place Mall. Pump It Up and AZ Air Time charge admission but are even more effective at tiring those kiddos out!

Cool Outside Fun

It is possible to enjoy some outdoor activities in the summer if you plan to do them early in the morning or later in the evening. Luckily some attractions understand this and offer special hours and events during the summer. There are some shaded and indoor activities at the Sonora Desert Museum but your best bet during the summer is to visit on Saturday evenings during Cool Summer Nights. The museum is open until 10pm with special themed activities typically start at 6pm. The Reid Park Zoo is offering late night hours on Friday nights, Summer Safari Friday Nights runs 5:30-8pm with special themed activities and themes. The zoo is open starting at 8am in the summer, if you venture during the day. There is a fun splash pad for kids to enjoy once the heat becomes unbearable! If you do want to spend time outdoors during the day, head up to Mount Lemmon. The temperature is usually 30 degrees cooler, perfect for hiking or enjoying a ride on the Ski Valley ski lift.

Water Fun

The all around splash pad option is the Brandi Fenton Splash Pad, it’s fun and free. Another great free option is the Catalina Park Splash Pad. The Picture Rocks Pool, Ott YMCA & Oro Valley Aquatic Center all offer splash pad fun with various admission rates.

Tucson Resorts Deals

Tucson has some world-class resorts that can be quite expensive during the winter but the extreme heat of summer brings extreme deals! It’s the perfect time to enjoy the luxury accommodations and fun resort features like pools, splash pads and water slides!

JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort Lazy River.jpg

You’ll find a lazy river, water slide, pool and splash pad at the JW Marriott Starr Pass Resort. Rates start as low as $179 a night with a $100 resort credit. The Ritz-Carlton at Dove Mountain offers several pools including a 235 foot water slide and splash pad. Special summer fun includes summer star gazing on Friday nights and dive in movies on Saturday nights. Summer fun packages start at $259 with a $100 resort credit. The Hilton El Conquistador Resort offers four swimming pools with a waterslide, children’s pool, sauna, and hot and cold jetted tubs. Loews Ventana Canyon has plenty of kid friendly programs, a nature trail with waterfall and pools to enjoy. Plus Ventana Canyon is offer rates as low as $89 a night this summer. The Westin La Paloma offers 5 pools and a 177’ water slide, plus a Westin Kids Club! They offer special themed Beach Party Weekends with live entertainment, dive in movies and pool side activities through Labor Day. Rates start at $99 a night with a $50 resort credit. If you don’t live in Tucson, or plan on visiting other places this summer, check back tomorrow for a list of staycation ideas for 60+ other cities across the country!

Why Kids Love the Scottsdale Princess Resort

byKaren•May 15, 2014

We’ve stayed at several cool resorts in Scottsdale. One of my favorites is the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess, and I am sharing why my kids love the Scottsdale Princess.

It’s very kid friendly but also adult friendly. I’ve stayed few times without the kids, and their spa is amazing. So if you are looking for a family friendly resort, this definitely fits the bill as well. The Scottsdale Princess is amazing for kids and adults.

Why is the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess great for kids?

The Scottsdale Princess is great for kids because they offer lots of activities and amenities year-round plus additional seasonal fun. It’s a great place to book a weekend staycation for Arizona families.

Christmas at the Princess includes lots of holiday fun like Santa Claus, 5 million LED lights and ice skating. Summer at the Princess offers fireworks, dive-in movies and more.

New this year is Winter at the Princess with a winter wonderland of activities like sledding and an ice maze.

Pool with umbrellas, chairs, palm trees and blue sky — The Sonoran Splash pool features plenty of seating, 2 twisting slides and zero entry for little ones.

We stayed at the Princess during one of our spring break adventures that included spring training in Scottsdale. Scottsdale is also the home to Medieval Times, Pangea Land of the Dinosaurs and lots more Scottsdale Staycation fun.

1. Sonoran Splash Pool

kids playing in zero entry pool at Scottsdale Princess Resort — The zero entry pool with nearby sandbox and playground makes the Sonoran Splash Pool a family favorite.

The boys are a bit crazy and enjoyed the pool in March. They wanted to visit the pool as soon as we woke up. We spent several hours enjoying the weather and water. This is one of the main pools geared towards kids and families.

The Sonoran Splash Pool is definitely a crowd favorite though with a zero entry deck and spray fountains for little kids. It also includes plenty of space for water basketball and two 200 foot water slides! There are lots of lounge chairs available to relax in but I’d recommend splurging on a private cabana if you plan on spending all day at the pool.

large pool with sandy beach in Scottsdale — Sunset Beach features 9000 square feet of white sand beach.

2. Sunset Beach Pool

The newest and largest pool at the Princess is Sunset beach with 9,000 square feet of white sand beach. It includes a giant splash pad and plenty of beach chairs. They call it Arizona’s only beach. 🙂

3. Trailblazer Family Adventure Center

The Trailblazer Family Adventure Center is the place to rent fishing gearing, pool floats and much more. During the morning, kids 5-12 can sign up for the kid club with organized activities. After 1pm, the activity center opens up to everyone to enjoy 3-D simulators, air hockey, borrow basketballs, and meet their desert animals.

The activity center staff also organizes family activities like underwater bingo at the pools. It should be your first stop after you check in to get the lowdown on all the kids activities scheduled throughout your stay..

4. Catch and Release Fishing

I love that the Princess offers catch and release fishing. We aren’t big fishermen but the few times they’ve tried it, my boys have LOVED it. Unfortunately, there was no time to fish during this one night trip.

We did enjoy checking out the lagoon as we walked back to our room. We will make fishing a priority on our next visit! You can check out fishing gear at the Trailblazer Family Adventure Center.

orange and yellow playground with two boys playing — Playgrounds are a nice feature when traveling with little kids.

5. Playground & Sandbox

I think all hotels and resorts should offer a playground for little kids. Some kids don’t love swimming or just need a break from the water. The Princess offers a good sized playground with some shade – so important in Arizona – in the Sonoran Splash area.

Also in the Sonoran Splash area is a huge sandbox, complete with trucks and sand toys. This picture was taken in the morning, so it’s sunny but the sides would provide some shade in the afternoon, along with a breeze from the ceiling fans! I love the set up and location near the pool so your kids have plenty of fun options in one location, hopefully near your cabana. 😉

Covered sand box area at Scottsdale Princess — The boys loved the variety of sandbox toys available. I loved the ceiling fans and shade covers.

This post was originally sponsored by Experience Scottsdale. As always, all experiences and opinions are my own.

5 Reasons Spring Training in Scottsdale Rocks for Kids

byKaren•March 26, 2014

A couple of weeks ago, we spent a Friday night enjoying spring training in Scottsdale. This was our boys’ first spring training experience. Last summer we took them to see games at both Wrigley Field and Chase Field. Even though Salt River Fields can’t really compare to a big league stadium it is a rather impressive Cactus League facility. Plus throw in some gorgeous March weather and you have yourself an ideal spring training experience! Today I am sharing 5 reasons spring training in Scottsdale rocks for kids!

1. Lawn Seating

Lawn seating is perfect when watching baseball with kiddos. Typically stadium seats are close together with little room for moving around. Kids like to move around. Or they want to lay down, or roll around a bit or crowd into your lap, all things that are a hard to do in a typical seat but totally doable with lawn seats. Plus lawn seats are usually priced cheaper! Just bring a blanket and claim your section of the grass.

2. Autographs

Salt River Fields is the spring training facility for both the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies. Both teams have a policy that grants autograph access to two players prior to home games. The sessions run from 11:45 am until Noon on day games and 5:45 pm until 6:00 pm on night games.

3. Cold Stone Kids Fun Field

Salt River Fields offers the Cold Stone Kids Fun Field featuring wiffle ball! We happened to enter the stadium right next to the kid field, so Quinn immediately had to get in line to try it out. The set up is pretty cool, kids line up and start by “playing” 1st base while a batter gets several chances to hit the ball. Once the batter is done (he can run the bases) and all the kids rotate positions infield, with the 3rd base player getting a chance to hit the ball.

It was definitely the highlight of Quinn’s night and he even convinced Peter to back and wait in line for a 2nd turn after dinner. They had everyone from preschoolers to middle schoolers lined up to play, it’s definitely a big hit with kids! The lines were shortest right as the baseball game started, so I recommend checking it out earlier in the game if possible.

4. Running The Bases

Kids are allowed to run the bases after every Sunday game. We got away with Quinn playing wiffle ball in flip-flops at the kids field but I am guessing that wouldn’t have worked for running the bases, so come prepared.

5. Lots of Food Options

Beyond the ballpark favorites like hotdogs, nachos, and lemonade, there are quite a few concession options including BBQ, tacos, noodle bowls, and pizza. They even listed some gluten-free options if you need it. Everyone should be able to find something they like including picky kids.

Lawn Seating Spring Training Cactus League.jpg

There are only a few games left this spring training season, have you had a chance to catch one yet?

Disclosure: This post is sponsored by Experience Scottsdale. As always, all experiences and opinions are my own. #ScottsdaleAZ

Reid Park Zoo Lights Review

byKaren•December 20, 2013

We took advantage of a discount deal on Living Social and finally took the boys to see Reid Park Zoo Lights. I wanted share our experience and encourage anyone who’s been on the fence about attending to go check it out. We had a really good time and will definitely go again next year.

The lines were long when we arrived to buy tickets. Luckily we had a much shorter line to check in for the Living Social deal. I recommend buying tickets in advance through the zoo website (or a deal site if available) to avoid the longer ticket buying line. The long admission line almost scared Peter away but I had faith and luckily it never felt super crowded inside the zoo. There were plenty of light displays throughout the zoo that kept everyone spread out.

Concessions are available to purchase in a few spots and include $1 hot cocoa with free cookies. Quinn loved sipping hot cocoa out of a grown up cup.

Animals are technically off exhibit during the event but we did sneak a peek at few of them including monkeys, elephants and a rhino.

The Santa meet and greet is included in the admission price. Bring a camera to take your own pictures or donate $5 and a zoo volunteer will take and print one for you.

You can see more from Zoo Lights in the video I made. I’d love to know what you think. 🙂

Reid Park Zoo Lights

My boys LOVED the “snow” I guess it’s the novelty of it for us desert folks. And they wanted to ride the decorated train out in the parking area but it’s priced separately and we didn’t have any cash.

Zoo Lights costs $6 for adults and $4 for kids, and babies under 2 are free. We paid 50% less with the living social promotion but I’d have no problem paying full price to go back to Zoo Lights next year.

Have you been to Zoo Lights?

Marana Pumpkin Patch and Farm Festival

byKaren•October 16, 2013

If you follow me on instagram then you saw our pumpkin fun last week. If not, here’s your chance. It was our 3rd year visiting the Marana Pumpkin Patch and Farm Festival.

The price has increased over the years but the festival has also grown to include more fun features. I think the admission is totally worth it.

This year they upgraded to a new kids play area. You can imagine Quinn and Elliot’s excitement when seeing this huge farm play structure.

They even talked me into going down the slide too!

The pedal tractors are always fun.

The boys were most excited about jumping on the giant air pillows again. I was excited because jumping is now included in the admission price. Seriously?!?! Yay!

New to us this year was the pumpkin cannon. It was loud but the boys (all the boys) LOVED it!

There have plenty of ammunition. 🙂Also new this year? These cute mason jar style cups for $9.00. Pricey but it includes free refills so we made the math work in our favor. 🙂

Here’s a short peek at our fun in action.

At the end of the day – we picked out a few awesome pumpkins!

Curious what the festival look like in previous years? Check out our adventures in 2011 and 2012!

Marana Pumpkin Patch & Farm Festival

Admission is $10 during the week and $12 on weekends. Admission includes 1 orange pumpkin, wagon ride to the pumpkin patch, petting zoo, pig races, kids play area, corn mazes, and jumping pillow!Tractor rides, train rides, pumpkin cannons, zip line and pony rides also available for additional fee. White and blue pumpkins cost $10, additional orange pumpkins cost $5. Kids under 30″ are free but they must purchase a pumpkin.

They are also offering bounce back admission this year. We put our names on the list and for $6 we can go back during the week. The boys would LOVE to jump on the air pillows again.

What’s your favorite part of visiting a pumpkin patch or farm festival?

Our SNAP Challenge Menu Plan

byKaren•September 3, 2013

We are participating in the Tucson Community Food Bank SNAP Challenge again this year. I found our participation last year enlightening, it’s one thing to “say” you recognize the challenge some families face but entirely different to “try” and experience a few days in their shoes.

The idea is to spend only $16 per person on food for the length of the challenge, September 3rd – 6th. SNAP benefits are approximately $4 a day per person and while the benefits are intended to supplement a food budget, the reality is many families have no additional funds for food after paying for diapers, rent, utilities, medical costs and daycare.

Our SNAP Challenge Menu Plan

For our family of 4 that means I have a $64 budget for the 4 days of the SNAP Challenge. I spent extra time pouring over the grocery ads trying to figure out the best way to eat on our SNAP Challenge budget.

I had a couple of food priorities when planning our menu for the challenge.

1. I wanted to minimize the changes to the boys’ school lunches.

Luckily my boys’ don’t have special dietary concerns to worry about. That would be difficult for any family but I imagine it’s a nightmare for families on SNAP. They do have typical kid pickiness with food though and I prefer to keep their lunches as normal as possible so I know they’ll eat it. I hate the idea of them being hungry at school. I started my SNAP challenge shopping list with their lunch items first.

2. My 2nd priority was to incorporate two of our regular dinner recipes into the plan.

Luckily one of our family favorites, Homemade Hamburger Helper is very budget friendly. I also decided to make White Bean and Kale Soup because I think it’s one of our healthier recipes. Our remaining two dinners will be hotdogs and leftovers.

SNAP Challenge Menu Shopping

I ended up shopping at our neighborhood Walmart for the bulk of our food. I price-matched some items and relied on their “lower” prices for other things. I did pick up a few things at my 99 Cents Only store since their deals can be quite good and I do bargain hunt there on a regular basis. I wanted to keep the shopping plan “real” for my family but also simplified. Transportation issues and store proximity makes a big difference on one’s ability to shop often and find food deals.

The SNAP Challenge starts today. If you decide to join in, I would love to hear about it and so would the food bank! Share your experience with the Community Food Bank on twitter and facebook, or even write about it on the Community Food Bank Snap Challenge blog!

Arizona

What’s your favorite fall activity in Southern Arizona?

Our Cowboy Dinner included:

Do you like dinner shows? I’d love to hear about your favorite one!

1. Pools

2. Movies

3. Animal Visits

4. Dining

5. Beautiful Location

Have you ever stayed at the Hilton El Conquistador Resort?

If you like this post you might like these other cowboy themed posts too.

Have you ever been to a stick horse rodeo?

1. Shopping

2. Dining

3. Spa

4. Pools

5. Fitness

Have you ever stayed at the Camelback Inn?

Cool Inside Fun

Cool Outside Fun

Water Fun

Tucson Resorts Deals

Why is the Fairmont Scottsdale Princess great for kids?

1. Sonoran Splash Pool

2. Sunset Beach Pool

3. Trailblazer Family Adventure Center

4. Catch and Release Fishing

5. Playground & Sandbox

There are only a few games left this spring training season, have you had a chance to catch one yet?

Reid Park Zoo Lights

What’s your favorite part of visiting a pumpkin patch or farm festival?

Our SNAP Challenge Menu Plan

1. I wanted to minimize the changes to the boys’ school lunches.

2. My 2nd priority was to incorporate two of our regular dinner recipes into the plan.

SNAP Challenge Menu Shopping

Is anyone else joining me on the SNAP Challenge this week?

Desert Chica

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