Arizona is full of natural wonders and western lore. The state is home to many national parks including one of the most amazing places in the world, the Grand Canyon. As you plan your family vacation or staycation to Arizona, prepare to be amazed.
Here are seven great activities to consider doing while in Arizona:
1.
Gaze at the Grand Canyon: The number one reason to place Arizona on the top of your list for family vacation travel is the Grand Canyon National Park. Nearly 5 million people visit the park each year, there are plenty of places to visit and ways to view this incredible natural wonder. Tips for a family staycation is to focus on the south rim. The national park offers free shuttle buses and there are many family activities depending on the time of year. Some good ideas are to plan a stop by one of the south rim visitor centers and attending a free ranger program.
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2.
Petrified Trees: Experience the 225 million year old trees of the Petrified Forest National Park. This park also holds hundreds of archeological sites. "The park consists of two main sections, and recent legislation has authorized doubling the land area to 218,533 acres,
says National Geographic. In addition to the matchless fossils, the park also includes the beautiful formations of the Painted Desert.
3.
Have a modern-day "old west" fun time: Outside Sedona, the
Blazin'M Ranch provides a frontier town experience that includes vintage tractor pull wagon rides, "Ropin'" lessons for the kids, a shooting gallery and old time photos. This old west family vacation or staycation experience can be topped off with a Chuckwagon Dinner or Dinner Theater show.
4.
See what happens after a Meteor Lands: Near Winslow the world's best preserved meteorite impact site is visible at the
Meteor Crater. In addition to lookout points on the crater, admission to the park includes an Interactive Discovery Center and other documented meteors around the world.
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5.
Montezuma Castle National Monument: Visit one of "the best preserved cliff dwellings in North America." This 20 room high-rise apartment is a remnant of the Sinagua people. Visitors can "gaze through the windows of the past."
6.
Flagstaff Extreme Adventure Course: The entire family can climb, pull, crawl and glide their way through an adventure course. The child's course is for kids over the age of seven, but there is also a separate adult course. Each course has obstacles like rope swings, hanging nets and other suspended challenges that can take up to three hours to complete.
7.
Old Tombstone Western Town: Tombstone is one of the most famous towns from the "Wild West" days of American history. The town has a variety of staycation travel stops including several places to take old fashioned photos, a western town theme park that features daily gunfight reenactments and historical tours by stagecoach.
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