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November 22, 2008 | |||
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Family Fun In Arizona (continued) It’s a Zoo Out There!
If your children want to see coyotes and more, head to the Phoenix Zoo, where, besides desert animals, they can check out the lions and tigers and (spectacled) bears, plus scores of other species. A petting zoo, camel rides, safari train and classic carousel are other zoo attractions. Near Sedona, in Camp Verde, Out of Africa Wildlife Park lets you ride, safari-style, through zebra, giraffe and wildebeest habitats, watch tigers and lions get fed, and let family members loose with (no kidding) giant snakes, including anacondas and boas. Waterworld
If it’s a hot summer day, add a water component to the activities. Metro Phoenix and Tucson are dotted with water parks, the granddaddy of which is Tempe’s Big Surf, where the entire family can – yes – surf, bodyboard and ride slides until the sun or the chlorine does you in. Many resorts also offer guests water-park amenities, as do several city parks throughout Arizona. Want something more in tune with nature? Try Sedona’s Slide Rock State Park, where you can glissade down a natural rock water chute into a series of swimming holes. Near Mesa, rent inner tubes and float down the lower Salt River. In the Air
Try something uplifting for a change. Arizona’s three ski areas offer scenic chairlift rides in summer and early fall. In Flagstaff, Arizona Snowbowl has views clear to the Grand Canyon, plus occasional ranger talks at the top. Sunrise Park Resort in the White Mountains lets you bring mountain bikes on the lift, if you want to ride trails down. Near Tucson, you can see the hot desert below from Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley’s lift. There, try an easy hike through forest as an alternate way down. In winter, if the snow is good, come back to all three locales to ski, snowboard or play in the white stuff. Indoor Fun for Kids
For indoor fun, head to child-friendly museums. Tucson Children’s Museum encourages hands-on learning with dinosaur, marine life and art exhibits, while in Phoenix, the Arizona Science Center has plenty of buttons, wheels and levers to play with, plus a planetarium and IMAX theater. In Mesa, the Arizona Museum for Youth is an experiential art museum for the under-12 set, while nearby Mesa Southwest Museum lures young visitors with a realistic dinosaur exhibit, plus an old-fashioned jail. Cowboys and Cowboys
Finally, what could be better in Arizona than playing cowboy, if only for a day? Try horseback riding – the state has dozens of stables offering everything from guided trail rides and hayrides to overnight treks. At Rawhide, the 1880s Wild West town on the Gila River Indian Community near Phoenix, you can watch a gunfight, ride a stagecoach, try panning for gold or, if someone in the family is really misbehaving, ask the sheriff to throw ’em in jail. At the end of a family-friendly Arizona day, it might not be just the kids who are nodding off right after dinner. Going?
Arizona Museum for Youth Arizona Science Center Arizona-Sonora Desert Museum Arizona Snowbowl Big Surf Desert Botanical Garden Mesa Southwest Museum Mt. Lemmon Ski Valley Out of Africa Wildlife Park Phoenix Zoo Rawhide Salt River Tubing Slide Rock State Park Sunrise Park Resort Tucson Children’s Museum
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