Arizona – I love you!

A quick but action packed 4 day getaway to Arizona is exactly what this Midwest family needed. The sunshine and the experiences allowed us to recharge just enough to put up with this bipolar weather we are having in Illinois.

Here is what we did. But brace yourself, this is detailed and full of memories.

Day 1:

We took a super early flight out of O’Hare and arrived at Phoenix airport by 9am. Spent about an hour and a half getting off the plane and picking up our car rental. While we were waiting for the car, I called the hotel, Canopy by Hilton – Scottsdale Old Town, and asked what was the earliest we could check in, since it was super early, and she said “your room is ready, come on down.” I know this isn’t typical but it was worth the call.

We headed straight for the hotel, parked in front (3 hour free street parking), unloaded all of our luggage in the room, did a quick change and we were on our way to the Hole in the Rock aka Papago Park by noon. This location is right next to Phoenix Zoo and Desert Botanical Garden.

We hiked up to the Hole in the Rock and walked the mini garden paths. We hung out on the lookout point for a while, took photos and let the kids explore the stunning formation and view. This took us approximately one and a half hours.

Once we came down, we decided to drive over the the Botanical Garden and as beautiful as it was, I personally thought it was too pricey ($100 for the 4 of us). So we decided to just walk around the front of the gardens for a bit and opted to go back to Papago Park, Little Butte Loop and hike that instead. We also skipped the zoo because we typically don’t go to zoos when we travel but if this is your thing, the admission is about $125 for 4.

Our day filled up quickly and we needed food so of course, In-N-Out burger it was. It was exactly what we needed and it wasn’t the last time we chose that for dinner. Don’t judge us!

We ended our night at the hotel. We used their overnight parking garage, which is underground ($22/ day). Changed quickly and hit the pool for a few hours. Afterwards we took a short stroll through old town. But surprisingly, most of the shops close by 7pm. It was still a beautiful night for a walk.

Day 2:

We woke up fairly early, 7am! We had a full day planned and wanted to take advantage of every minute. Plus we were too excited for warm weather, the last thing we wanted to do was hang out in the room.

Our hotel package included a breakfast for 4, which was convenient. They gave us breakfast vouchers for $16.25 per person for each morning. The menu selection was amazing. We were all able to find something delicious each day. I can’t recommend the yogurt bowl enough. So yummy.

I also can’t recommend The Canopy enough. I stayed here a few years ago with my sister for a girls weekend and knew I would be back with the family. It’s trendy. It’s clean. The location is great. Service is wonderful. I would be back again.

After breakfast, we took a morning walk through Old Town. It is such a beautiful place. I can definely wake up here every morning.

Next was a very scenic and culturally educational drive to Goldfield Ghost Town. This historic town is right across the road from the infamous, Superstitious Mountain. Both of which have a story and are just as amazing.

Ghost town was filled with shops and historic buildings. We explored, shopped and enjoyed the views. We spent some time doing the Mine Tour which was very informative, great value and our tour guide was hilarious. Bring cash for tipping.

We skipped the zipline and train ride portion of Ghost Town because frankly, we were scared! Just kidding. It wasn’t that bad at all. We just ran out of time and had something else planned that we needed to head back sooner. But you can easily spend 4+ hours here.