Looking for an easy summer escape from the Arizona heat? A day trip to Flagstaff is one of our favorite ways to cool down, explore somewhere new, and make family memories. It's truly one of the prettiest mountain towns. It feels so far from the desert, yet it's just a day trip away! . This itinerary is perfect if you’re visiting with kids and want a mix of outdoor adventure, downtown exploring, and amazing local food, all in one day. Start Your Morning at the Barefoot Trail T

When summer temperatures rise in the Valley, finding fun and affordable ways to keep kids cool becomes a must. Luckily, there are plenty of free splash pads in the Phoenix Valley that make it easy for families to enjoy the outdoors without spending a fortune. Whether you're looking for a full playground experience, shaded seating, or a fun stop during summer break, these family-friendly splash pads are worth adding to your bucket list. 1. Sundance Park — Buckeye We love this

If you’re looking for an easy, family-friendly weekend getaway in Sedona, this itinerary is one of those rare finds where you can park your car and truly relax. Between walkable shopping, incredible trails, and a hotel that feels like a destination itself, this is how we spent the perfect weekend in Sedona. Everyone says their least favorite part about Sedona is the traffic, so you can avoid that altogether with this hotel! Where to Stay in Sedona: Arabella Hotel Book Here We

The Perfect Silver City New Mexico Itinerary from Phoenix If you’re looking for a unique and family-friendly road trip, this Silver City New Mexico itinerary is one of the best hidden gems in the Southwest. Just about a 5-hour drive from Phoenix, Silver City offers incredible food, outdoor adventures, and a creative, artsy vibe that makes it perfect for a weekend getaway. Day 1 We headed out Thursday evening and made the drive part of the experience by stopping at The Thing -

If you’re looking for an easy, family-friendly weekend trip in Arizona, Williams is one of our favorite little towns to base yourself. It’s charming, super walkable, and just about an hour from the Grand Canyon, so you get the best of both worlds. We’ve done this trip with our kids (and even with a baby), and it’s one of those getaways that just works, minimal driving, lots to do outdoors, and plenty of ways to keep it fun for everyone. It's also such a great escape from the

If you’re looking for an easy, affordable beach getaway from Arizona, Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point), Mexico is definitely one of the best spots. Here’s a full recap of our trip, where we stayed, and everything we’d recommend if you’re planning your own family getaway. If you want a visual tour, check out our YouTube Vlog Why Puerto Peñasco is Perfect for Families One of the biggest reasons we love Rocky Point is how simple it is to get there. It’s only about a 4-hour drive fr

If you’re looking for a family-friendly day trip near Phoenix, Hassayampa River Preserve in Wickenburg, Arizona is one of the best hidden gems for an easy outdoor adventure. Just 1 hour from Phoenix, this unique nature preserve offers shaded walking trails that are easy for kids and stroller-friendly, a flowing river, and honestly one of the coolest visitor's center with live displays and interactive exhibits. Check out our full VLOG here: YouTube 🌿 Why Visit Hassayampa Riv

If you’re looking for a family getaway that’s full of adventure, stunning scenery, and kid-approved activities, Sedona should be at the top of your list. We’ve been visiting with our kids for years, and it’s one of those destinations that keeps surprising us. Here’s our sample weekend itinerary in Sedona with kids - fun for the whole family, easy to manage, and packed with memorable experiences. You can check out a Sedona Weekend Trip Vlog and here is a Sedona Day Trip Vlo

If you're looking for the best way to cool off during summer in Phoenix, the Salt River is one of our favorite spots for families. From swimming and tubing to relaxing on the riverbank, it’s an easy and affordable way to spend a hot Arizona day outdoors. Check out our full YouTube VLOG Best Family Spot: Sheep’s Crossing Recreation Area Our favorite place to visit the Salt River with kids is Sheep's Crossing Recreation Area. This area is perfect for families because: There’s

If you’re looking for an affordable Southern California family vacation, let me introduce you to one of the most underrated destinations: Buena Park, California. Just a short drive from Arizona (it took us 4 hours from Buckeye), Buena Park is packed with family-friendly attractions, great food, and nonstop entertainment, without the overwhelm (or price tag) of bigger tourist cities. Here’s exactly how to plan the perfect Buena Park family itinerary for a weekend trip, and you

If you’re searching for the best family-friendly things to do in Payson, Arizona, this small mountain town is one of the easiest and most rewarding getaways from the Phoenix area and it's only about an hour and a half drive, two if you're on the west side. With cooler temperatures, pine forests, and tons of easy hikes, waterfalls, and creek access, Payson is perfect for a day trip or a weekend escape with kids. Check out our full Day Trip Vlog on YouTube 🌲 Horton Creek Trai

The drive to Silverton is one of the most scenic road trips in the Southwest. Route overview: Start in Phoenix, Arizona Drive through northern Arizona’s red rocks and forests Stop at Four Corners National Monument - Don't miss this! It's not out of the way at all and so worth it. It was a great stop to break up our trip. Continue into Colorado via the Million Dollar Highway We stopped in Durango just to see the town and get coffee. If you want to pick things up at Walmart th

Sample 3 day itinerary for San Diego with Kids

We had talked about taking an RV trip as a family for a while, but if I’m being honest, it always felt a little intimidating. Driving it, booking it, figuring out where to stay, it seemed like a lot for first-time renters. But after finally giving it a try, it ended up being one of the easiest and most memorable trips we’ve taken as a family! For our first RV adventure, we planned a simple Arizona road trip: we picked up our RV in Phoenix, spent time camping in Tucson, and fi

If you're looking for the ultimate Arizona desert escape, look no further than the Hilton El Conquistador in the gorgeous Catalina Foothills of Tucson. The resort is surrounded by gorgeous desert views, and beautiful desert landscapes everywhere you look. You truly don't have to leave the property to have the ultimate getaway. Book your desert vacation HERE We stayed here in April of 2025, and loved every single second of it. It truly felt like a vacation. Our kids at the ti

Bootlegger Picnic Area This hidden gem is right up the road from Slide Rock and such a great spot for an outdoor day. The water is clear and it's not a far walk from the parking lot. There is a large swimming hole where the majority of people hang out but if you walk up the creek a little bit you can find a secluded spot. Check out our full vlog of this spot on a Sedona day trip HERE $5 Parking - buy a pass in the parking lot Bathrooms in parking lot It's a rocky shoreline,

3 Family-Friendly, Easy Trails to explore caves, and epic views in Sedona Arizona.

If you're looking for a family road trip that’s educational and fun with gorgeous scenery, low costs, and even an intriguing Hollywood tie-in then Los Alamos, New Mexico should be your next trip! This is THE location where the atomic bomb was made 💥 We traveled here in April 2025 and it was for sure one of our favorite trips we have taken so I wanted to share our whole itinerary plus tips, prices, and links to make it super easy for you to plan the same trip. 🚗 Road Trip D

Canyon De Chelly is a total hidden gem in Northern Arizona and I'm so excited to share the details for you to plan your own adventure! If you’re looking for an affordable, meaningful, and scenic Arizona summer road trip with your family - this is it. We stayed at Thunderbird Lodge , which is the only hotel on the reservatio n . It’s simple, comfortable, and the perfect base for exploring the canyon. They have a cafeteria on site for food. The real highlight though? The guided

Weekend getaway itinerary for families traveling to Sierra Vista, Arizona.