Tom and I hiked the Grand Canyon in 2012. We flew into Phoenix, but we were only there for an evening, before the hiking company we went with picked us up. All I remember is that the tour company picked us up at 4am, and the blast of heat was unbelievable when we exited the hotel in the pitch dark.
So Phoenix was a new adventure for our family. Spoiler alert-- I'd go there again. There was surprisingly a lot to do with a family!
So let's recap.
First of all, a hotel, or in our case an AirBnB, with a pool was a must. We went in the pool every day, until the girls lips turned blue. Lacey learned to appreciate a hot tub, although Scarlett is still to little for them. Scarlett, ever the dare-baby, kept trying to jump into the pool when we weren't looking, so one of us had to trail after her at all times. NO LAPSES IN KEEPING AN EYE ON HER. Lacey has been enjoying the water more and more, since she started an unparented swimming class in the fall. She especially loves wearing her bright pink goggles!
Phoenix has an amazing butterfly garden. It's a huge facility with hundreds upon hundreds of butterflies fluttering around. Unfortunately, both of the girls were afraid of the butterflies! Especially Scarlett... She did not enjoy their wings, and random landing. At one point there were three butterflies on Tom. He and I were both super excited about it, but Scarlett was crying hysterically, and Lacey was pretty anxious about them landing on him.
Phoenix also has an amazing zoo. The best part about it is that they have a joint partnership with zoos around the world, and since we are zoo members in Calgary, we were able to get a 50% discount on our entrance fee in Phoenix. The zoo was huge and sprawling, with tons of animals to see. Lacey loved the komodo dragon statue, and we watched the orangutans playing for a long time.
As luck would have it, an old friend was passing through Phoenix on business, and we managed to have dinner together. That marks two visits in 2019! It's pretty challenging to meet up when you live half way across the country from each other!
Other activities on our trip included, shopping at the mall, ice cream, and the aquarium. I don't have any good photos from the aquarium, but it too is a very impressive facility, especially since it's out in the middle of the desert!
The flights went smoothly, and we had a great trip! Phoenix, I'm sure you'll be seeing us again.
