Scottsdale is known for being lots of things to lots of different people. It is a shopping and dining extravaganza, it is a sports mecca, and to travelers with families, it is also a beautiful chance to enjoy a family-friendly journey filled with adventures that will be loved by people of all ages! Our nickname, the West’s Most Western Town, will tantalize the imagination of the youngest travelers, making them think of dirt-filled streets on which horses are tied to hitching posts and cowboys wearing boots with musical spurs are dashing in and out of saloons with swinging doors. Malls will bring a glint of excitement to the teens and shopping mavens included in your group, while golf courses will bring out the inner kid of all golf fanatics. And at the base of it all, our I Love Scottsdale homes and condos will bring comfort, style, and luxury to everyone who resides within, providing the perfect way to begin and end each day during your family-friendly Scottsdale adventures! This guide to a 3-day family-friendly journey to Scottsdale will ensure that you don’t miss out on a single exciting activity!
Day 1: Welcome to the Desert!
The landscape of Scottsdale is probably far different than your midwestern home town and its exotic appeal will entice you to get out and explore it! Families with older children may want to begin their first day with a climb up to the peak of Camelback Mountain, allowing visitors the opportunity to enjoy views of the Valley that will steal a piece of your heart. This isn’t a beginner’s hike, by any means, however, so if you are traveling with youngsters, a morning hike through the Gateway Loop Trail is kid-friendly, taking hikers through the scenic McDowell Sonoran Preserve where saguaro cacti, colorful wildflowers (in the spring months) and craggy mountains celebrate the beauty of the desert! If hiking isn’t your family’s thing, McCormick-Stillman Railroad Park offers a chance to explore the past offering a 1950s carousel, a kid-sized train that travels around the park, and a railroad museum that will bring the history of train travel to life! During the cooler months, be sure to try and linger until sunset as our Arizona sunsets never fail to impress!
Day 2: Good Thing You Are Rested!
One of the best parts of our I Love Scottsdale vacation havens will be waking up refreshed and ready for a new day of adventures and your second day in Scottsdale (don’t you wish you had the entire week?) is destined to be a full one! Today we will intersperse adult adventures (shopping at Scottsdale Fashion Mall!) with kid-friendly ones (a visit to the iconic Sugar Bowl for the best ice cream you have ever tasted!) and will fill ALL the minutes to ensure you get a true feel for our desert town. Scottsdale Fashion Mall is a surprising reminder that sometimes a mall can still be successful and if you want to let dad take your teens to TPC Scottsdale for a little golf therapy, no one will judge! After a long day of golf and shopping, the littles may be a little disappointed that there is nary a dirt street, tied-up horse, or saloon in sight, so a visit to the Parada del Sol for our March visitors may ease the pangs of disappointment! Offering real cowboys riding bucking broncos, bulls, and all the excitement that accompanies a real Western Rodeo, you can buy tickets online at the Parada del Sol website.
Day 3: That Went Fast
Time flies when you are having a great time and this last day in Scottsdale will be bittersweet as you will literally be able to hear the minutes ticking down to departure time as you play. A visit to OdySea Aquarium is on the schedule for today and if you are curious as to how an Aquarium in the desert could possibly be a decent one, we can assure you, OdySea is one of the best in the nation! Penguins, fish, stingrays, and all manner of sea denizens make their home here, living comfortably in their watery environment, even as desert temperatures rise higher every day outside! Located at 95 E Via de Ventura Suite and featuring over 2 million gallons of water, from the Otter Banks to the Aqua Lobby, even going to the bathroom will be a treat as you wash your hands while sharks swim in the Aquarium behind the mirrors! Be sure and stop by the Butterfly Wonderland after you visit the Aquarium and explore even more of the natural world in a fantastic rainforest habitat filled with magical and colorful creatures that are happily flitting about!
Come Home to I Love Scottsdale
Every day of your family-friendly journey to Scottsdale will be your favorite when you reside within the confines of any of our Scottsdale escapes! Reserve your favorite today!
