Family Summer Vacation 2024 - Arizona
Now that my twin children William and Audrey are teenagers, they are mature enough to visit one of the Seven Wonders of the World: Grand Canyon National Park! We decided to visit in June 2024. Yes, many of my friends voiced the same concerns: June! It is going to be super hot in Arizona in June! Well, y'all are partially correct. Yes, when we arrived in Phoenix, Arizona it was sweltering hot at a scorching 112°F! Luckily, we decided to stay in the quaint town of Williams, Arizona that is about a 2 hour drive north of Phoenix. Williams' weather was much milder 55-84°F but felt even cooler with the dry humidity. Enough of the weather!
In Williams, we stayed at the Hampton Inn which was very nice and clean. The staff was also very friendly and welcoming. The breakfast was the typical Hampton Inn style breakfast with waffle bar, yogurt and fruit bar, unlimited coffee, and choice of juices with a different egg and protein choice each morning.
We decided to take the Grand Canyon Railway to the Grand Canyon National Park which was a great decision. If you do, make sure you get to the station by 9 am so that you can watch the very entertaining Wild West Show! The cowboys put on a skit where they also show off their lasso skills.
 
|
|
|
After being entertained by the cowboy performers, we boarded the Grand Railway Train en route to the Grand Canyon National Park for the 2 hour 15 minute trip. I upgraded to the First Class train car which included plush seating and air conditioning. They offered some light beverages and snacks. There were some musicians who came by to entertain us and a man who explained the train route and the vegetation along the way.
|
|
One of the musicians took a liking to William who was a good sport and "played" the fiddle with the man's help. A musician is born!
When we arrived at the Grand Canyon National Park, we boarded the Grand Tour bus and headed to the cafeteria for a buffet style lunch. It was a good choice since we were all getting hungry. The lunch was pretty good. I am very happy that we decided on the bus tour since it took us to all of the best scenic locations without us having to trek everywhere on foot. The bus driver told everyone on the bus to close their eyes and only to open them when told to do so. When we finally were told to open our eyes, this is what we saw! We were all amazed by the massive size of the Grand Canyon!
Luckily, I remembered to bring my camera tripod and camera flash, so I was able to take some nice family photographs.
|
|
I also took some individual photographs of my family. I am truly blessed!
|
|
|
|
After witnessing the amazing naturally wonder of the Grand Canyon, we headed back to Williams on the train. We were quite tired from the long day, and it was nice to be in the First Class car with the comfortable seating and air conditioning.
The next day the plan was to head to the Petrified Forest National Park. While on I-40 on the way to the park, we saw road signs for the Meteor Crater and Barringer Space Museum so we decided to stop by. Even though the general entry costs were higher than I anticipated ($39 per adult), I am glad we stopped. It was very interesting and informational. I highly recommend the guided tour as the tour guide was very knowledgeable and answered all of my questions very well. The crater is nearly a mile wide and 570 feet deep! Visitors are not allowed to travel down into the bottom of the crater and are only allowed along a select periphery of the top of the crater.
|
|
After spending some time at the Meteor Crater Museum, we headed to the Petrified Forest National Park. It was much hotter here so we did not spend much time hiking along the trails. Nonetheless, the landscapes were amazing to view and it was amazing to see how wooden trees were transformed into gem like rocks!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
I love taking photographs of flowers, and I luckily was able to capture some cactus blooms.
|
|
Seeing two attractions in one day tired everyone out especially since the drive was about two hours each way.
On the third day of our family vacation, we went to Bearizona which is one part drive through zoo and one part walk through zoo. It is extremely close to downtown Williams (less than a 10 minute drive). It was fun especially to see some animals that we have not seen in the wild such as bears, bison, and elk. For the drive through part, it was sometimes difficult to see the animals since they were sleeping far from the roadway.
|
|
|
|
|
|
While in the walk through zoo, they had some animal handlers show off some of the more tame animals such as a porcupine and beautifully colored birds. It was also fun to witness two bear cubs playing tag like little children!
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
After visiting Bearizona, we drove to the red rocks of Sedona. This is about an 80 minute drive. Unfortunately, we thought that we would be able to drive through the park like at the Petrified National Park, but you can only hike on foot through the park. When we arrived in Sedona, the temperature was in the mid-90s, so we wisely decided to stay in the air conditioned SUV. Nonetheless, we were able to observe the beauty of Cathedral Rock from afar. We got out of the car in order to get some better vantage points for taking photographs. Be careful when hiking! A huge red ant found its way inside my shoe and stung me very badly. Even after I initially crushed it, it was still moving and ready for more!
|
|
|
|
|
I think the entire family had a great Arizona family vacation! I would definitely recommend it especially if your children are a little older and are able to appreciate the beauty that God has blessed us with! I think our best decision was staying in Williams, Arizona instead of other cities if only for the more temperate weather.
