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Arizona Family Fun
Clever parents know that the best path to family travel nirvana is to wear them youngins out. Luckily, Arizona provides numerous opportunities for the kids to tire themselves,  guaranteeing mom and dad a quiet night. Introduce the wee ones to the desert, meet some animals, have watery fun, soar up high, visit kid-friendly museums – or let everyone play cowboy.
In the Sandpit
One of the best places to do the desert is Tucson’s 21-acre, outdoor Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum. Kids dig being eyeball to eyeball with gila monsters and prairie dogs, dodging hummingbirds and butterflies in the pollinator gardens and messing with the numerous hands-on activities. The Desert Botanical Garden in Phoenix also has plenty of junior appeal. Turn kids loose in the butterfly pavilion or along the Plants and People of the Sonoran Desert trail, where they can grind mesquite beans into flour or scamper into a traditional Apache twig dwelling.
ANCIENT LAND IN NORTHEAST ARIZONA
PROVIDES MODERN-DAY EXAMPLE OF SUSTAINABLE TOURISM
Several of the tenets of sustainable tourism – reuse, restore and preserve – are clearly exemplified in Canyon de Chelly National Monument, an ancient land in northeastern Arizona.
The nearly 84,000 acres that comprise Canyon de Chelly are located on the Navajo Reservation and jointly operated by the Navajo Nation and the National Park Service. Here, an entire culture is being preserved, and visitors are encouraged to visit the land lightly. Examples include a century-old building still being used; vehicles built more than 50 years ago still provide motorized tours, but are now powered by clean-burning propane; and the majority of wares in a gift shop are produced locally by highly skilled artisans.
“Our own brand of sustainable tourism is a devotion to preserving the environment by focusing on the integrity of our local culture as well as minimizing the adverse effects of tourism on the natural environment,” said Mary Jones, owner and operator of the Thunderbird Lodge, the only concessioner in the monument. Read More!
ARIZONA: Many Grand Canyons
The Grand Canyon may be the largest in the state, but other canyons provide great beauty and challenge.
Millions of tourists flock to Arizona each year to visit one of the world’s most famous attractions: the Grand Canyon. However, what many don’t realize is that Arizona is home to many other jaw-dropping canyons, all equally rich in color, history, beauty, and splendor. Check out these other spectacular canyons: Read More!
Rancho de los Caballeros-Family Fun and Lifelong Memories
By Pam Plesons
Rancho de los Caballeros is all about family fun and lifelong memories. Los Caballeros is the perfect blend of luxury golf resort and western guest ranch, ensuring fun and relaxation for old and young alike.
Set on 20,000 acres of beautiful high Sonoran desert, northwest of Phoenix, this historic guest ranch opened its doors in 1948. There were times during a recent stay with my family, that I felt we had indeed stepped back in time. We enjoyed a wonderful blend of upscale creature comforts combined with a generous dose of the wild, wild west.
The resort is well known for both its 18-hole championship golf course and its desert horseback riding and ranch activities. We needed to stay for a month! So many choices, so little time! Read More!
Sunny Scottsdale!
by
Lynn O'Rourke Hayes
There it was. Skinny legs and all. We half expected to hear that familiar “Beep! Beep!” as it crossed the trail in front of us. The two young boys in tow judged the unexpected sighting a bonus event. Thanks to the pristine wilderness that makes up Scottsdale’s 36,000-acre McDowell Mountain Preserve, my pint-sized guests were able to get up close and personal with a speedy roadrunner within minutes and a few miles of their luxury hotel.
That’s the beauty of a visit to Scottsdale, Arizona.
For family members of all ages and interests, it is truly a dream vacation destination. Whether you are seeking outdoor adventure, poolside relaxation, soothing spa treatments, extraordinary art and culture or some of the finest golf in the world, you’ll find it all in this Southwestern oasis. Read More!
Explore the Natural Wonders of the Southwest by discovering the spectacular beauty of the Grand Canyon, Bryce, and Zion National Parks. A road trip through this area of the United States is an excellent family vacation. Your family will enjoy exploring three of the nation’s most colorful natural parks; the high-desert landscape of the Grand Canyon, otherworldly rock formations of Bryce, and the rugged beauty of Zion. more...
Glittering like a jewel under the bright Southwestern sun, the dazzling surroundings and the eight months of nearly perfect weather have drawn people to Phoenix. As capitol of Arizona, Phoenix is known for its warm temperatures and low humidity. Lying on flat desert and surrounded by mountains and green irrigated fields. It is both a resort area and an industrial area.
Santa Fe (meaning the Holy Faith) is an ancient city nestled at an elevation of 7000 feet in the foothills of the Sangre de Cristo mountains. It was established in 1610 and is the oldest capital city in the United States. The culture of the Pueblo people of New Mexico predated the European settlement of Santa Fe by 12,000 years.
Salt Lake City is an ideal place to spend a few days with the family and relax in a pleasant, small city atmosphere. Located amid the towering mountains of the Wasatch Front, Salt Lake City offers beautiful scenery and world-class sporting opportunities. Almost one million people call Salt Lake City and the surrounding areas home, a strong testament to the attractions of this special city. Millions more from around the world will gather here for the 2002 Winter Olympics.
Las Vegas has always been known to an adults only plyaground. In fact the city boasts numerous attractions for kids of all ages.
The name Reno suggests casino gaming, celebrity performances, and 24 hour entertainment. High wire artists entertain nightly as do the country's top comics. Guests can watch live elephants perform and can dance into the early morning hours to the beat of their favorite rock group. A variety of activities areavailable around the clock, but the most spectacular events require no advance bookings. They are the sunrises and sunsets which are exhibited daily against the backdrop of the majestic Sierra Nevada mountains. The colors of the mountains and the sky are beyond description. They leave the viewer breathless with wonder, and with a feeling of exhilaration at the same time. Even the most ardent devotee of western films shot on location, is amazed at the first sight of the "real thing." The camera lens has not been able to capture the essence of the profound beauty of these masterpieces of nature.
Geologists believe that the basin of Lake Tahoe was formed between the Carson mountain range on the east and the Sierra Nevada on the west when the Sierra Nevada lifted at some time between 25 to 50 million years ago. The upheaval caused the range to crack and created a trough like depression. More than 20 million years later, during the volcanic age, streams of lava flowed from Mount Pluto on the north shore pushing masses of boulders ahead of it, forming a dam across the basin's outlet to create a lake several feet higher than the present Lake Tahoe. Finally, eight or nine thousand years ago, a massive glacier moved northward through the region. When the glacial ice melted, the whole area was a breathtakingly beautiful landscape of valleys, peaks and troughs. Eventually, a new outlet, the Truckee River, was eroded from the lava dam. The Truckee remains Lake Tahoe's only outlet. It flows from the northwest shore.
In the course of its colorful history, ownership of San Antonio has been claimed by six different governments. Thus, the city is said to have been "under 6 flags." Rule by France, Spain, Mexico, the Republic of Texas, the Confederate States of America and the United States of America has shaped San Antonio, as each culture has left its mark. Art, architecture, and history intermingle everywhere in this robust southwestern city. With nearly 300 years as a cultural crossroads the city has a colorful past and takes every opportunity to celebrate it! San Antonio is well known as a party going city. Fiestas and festivals abound.
Houston was named for Samuel Houston (1793-1863), the politician and general who was at the forefront of Texas' fight for independence from Mexico. He later became President of the Republic of Texas; when Texas became part of the Union, Houston served as a Senator and later Governor of Texas.
Dallas, Texas, is one of the most exciting cities in the Southwest, boasting hundreds of exciting attractions and events. Sports fans know Dallas for its reputation as home to the Cowboys, Rangers, Stars, and Mavericks. Visitors will be pleased to know that there is even more to see beyond Dallas' many arenas and stadiums. From amusement parks and entertainment to zoos and museums, there's never a dull moment in Dallas.
Corpus Christi, located on the Gulf of Mexico in South Texas, is halfway between Houston and Brownsville.
Austin is located in south-central Texas, about 80 miles northeast of San Antonio, 165 miles west of Houston, and 200 miles south of Dallas. The (Texas) Colorado River drifts through town on its way to the Gulf of Mexico.
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