For a family with an 8 year old ...we are a military family living in SW Oklahoma. We like to vacation and explore wherever we are living. Any suggestions on what to do and see for an outdoorsy family in your area? The Grand Canyon is on my list!!! But hoping for more on what and where to go and do. And more lesser known places. Ty!

Shameless self promotion here, but my wife keeps a travel blog wherein she has a travel index for things to do and see in AZ and other nearby states.

This was one of our favorite spots on our AZ trip last spring and one of my favorite boxes I've planted. Our boys (ages 5-9) managed the hike and loved the destination. : )

Have a great trip!

Lake Havasu City, Az!!

Lived in AZ over 20 years. Travelling almost every where there. Lots of places to go and see. Out of all the places I mostly regret not spending enough time in the SE corner of the state. The Chiricahua National Monument was just awesome. Lots of trails and pure beauty in nature. Close by was Ft Bowie, Tombstone, and Kartchner caverns. We spent a week in the area and never got back really... still wanting to visit the area again.

Grand canyon was ok... but unless you are going to hike down its just an hours visit if that. Wupatki and Sunset crater are a must if your in that area.

We went to AZ this past summer with our 9 yo and almost 7 year old. They loved the Grand Canyon. We hiked to the Ooh Aah point, and they probably could have gone farther. They enjoyed hiking along the rim trail as well. The east side is awesome and there are less people out that way. We did letterboxing, and enjoyed seeing all the elk. We went right after school got out in June, right before the official summer season starts there.
We did a few of the ranger lead programs too. We spent 4 days there which was plenty.

Flagstaff was a favorite with the kids, they love the tourist towns. Lowell observatory is awesome! (and there are letterboxes there) we all enjoyed going back at night and looking through the telescopes. We did some hikes in the national forest (lots of letterboxes there). Route 66 history. Sunset crater national monument, walnut canyon national monument, and the other one too. Also toured petrified forest np.

I did look up letterboxes around the area, and those took us to some neat places. We didn't make it to Sedona but it looks awesome!

Enjoy your trip!

The Fallen Heroes Series is a wonderful tribute to the lost hotshots and a great hike for a day. This is in Prescott, AZ and the town is really worth seeing. The Hassayampa Inn is a restored 1927 hotel that still uses it original elevator that requires a bellhop to run. The Palace Saloon is a circa-1870 saloon and restaurant --featuring good food, history displays (bullet holes in the walls)and a permanent letterbox that is yours for the asking.

my wife keeps a travel blog wherein she has a travel index for things to do and see in AZ

I've really enjoyed reading her blog! But I've only been following it for the last month or two. =)

But back to the original question about suggestions for vacation... it might depend on what time of year you visit. The northern half of the state has a lot higher elevation than the southern half so you might have to deal with snow in the wintertime. (I've driven through Flagstaff in a snowstorm during Thanksgiving, so I know they get snow there!) Southern parts of the state might be warmer and more comfortable for walking around.

On the other hand, in the summer, the southern part of the state can be absolutely brutal in terms of heat and Flagstaff might be pretty nice by comparison. =) I love Tuscon, but I'd rather go there in the wintertime and Flagstaff in the summertime!

Just something to keep in mind while making your vacation plans.

-- Ryan

Now I'm even more excited about visiting! But also have more questions. Where would you go in the summer? (and does it make a difference between late May? And July?) where would you go in October? December? Tytyty!

Ohhhhhhhhhhh yes it does! The difference is like putting bacon in a pan with no flame at all to putting bacon on a pan at full gas burn!!
Summer would be best in Flagstaff, Sedona, Prescott (May through July). Full blown desert areas...May vs June / July. Stay green stay cool. Go brown burn you down (from mid June through July). Course I do live in HADES HOT HAVASU after all. :-D
Ask away...we love our state and love sharing.

Where would you go in the summer? (and does it make a difference between late May? And July?) where would you go in October? December?

As a general rule of thumb, high elevation places are best in summer, and low elevation places work best in winter. So check the elevation of wherever you want to go. =) There's no set number to look for, though. Higher is cooler--which is good in the summer and bad in the winter. Lower is hotter--which is good in the winter, but bad in the summer. A month like May is a tricky one. The low areas might be uncomfortably hot, but the high elevations might be uncomfortably cold depending on the weather patterns in a given year.

But there are areas all over Arizona I really liked. I'd be hard-pressed to pick a favorite!

As a general rule of thumb, though: In the summer, focus on the upper half of the state. In the winter, focus on the lower half of the state. The lower half of the state is a lot lower in elevation (as a whole) than the upper half! In the shoulder months.... you might do either or both. If you're schedule is flexible, you might even choose based on current weather conditions.

-- Ryan

These are great guidelines and It can get really hot in AZ. Having recently moved to the middle of America I finally found out what a dry heat was as they use to say all the time. Maybe I got used to it being 110° give or take. When we moved to an area with lower temperatures I thought it would be great for hiking. 80° in Minnesota makes me sweat three times more than I ever did in 110° AZ.

So as strange as it sounds I found hiking in AZ heat more comfortable(as in my body staying drier) than I do living with humidity. Just remember to wear sun screen and drink lots of water. A good hat will help out as well.

D