It’s always sunny in…48 hours in Scottsdale with kids

With vistas of rust-red desert, Saguaro cacti jutting out amidst the landscape, hiking, biking, horseback riding, balloon flying, museum exploring and tacos, tacos and more tacos, 48 hours in Scottsdale with kids is definitely not enough time to take in all that it offers. However it does quench a bit of your family’s adventuring thirst, and makes you want to come back for more of this literal and figurative hot Western town.

McDowell Sonoran Preserve

Coming from the Midwest with its green fields and lack of elevation, the Scottsdale flora, plants and mountains are quite alien to our family, so the first stop was a hike at the McDowell Sonoran Preserve to explore the desert and watch for desert wildlife (no, rattlesnakes, thank you very much, but we did cross paths with a cool tortoise, making his way across the trail).

The Gateway Trail was recommended as a great moderate hike to check all of our boxes for experiencing the Sonoran Desert. It’s a 4.5-mile hike along a path. It would be a nice hike for kids over 7 as the paths are wide, there are no sheer sides, and the elevation is pretty gradual. There were several spots that had really rocky paths, so having unsteady feet would be a challenge, and hiking boots were a must.

The Nature Trail was created specifically for kids and features information placards about the various wildlife, plants, and climate of the Sonoran desert. It’s an easy and flat half-mile, so a great one for kiddos who aren’t ready for a longer or more challenging hike and a great example of learning without realizing it.

Another option with little ones is to plan to hike up an easy or moderate trail for 15 minutes (or whatever time limit you designate) and then turn around and come back the way you started. It’s a good way to introduce them to a bigger, more challenging hike without having them poop out half-way through a two-hour journey, and having to carry them on your back half the time or bribe them with ice cream as soon as they’re finished (not that I’ve ever experienced either…)

TIPS (particularly April to October, and especially for those not used to the dry heat of the Southwest like us humidity-acclimated Midwesterners):

1. Go early (like 6am) — or late (like 7pm). The sun rises early in Arizona, as in 5:15am, and temperatures rise quickly. I would not want to have my kiddos on a trail much past 9am when temps can be over 90 degrees.
2. When you hear someone say “take twice as much water as you think you’ll need”, it is no exaggeration. Even though the dry air may not feel super hot, it is sucking moisture from your body. There are water fountains at the trailhead to fill and refill water bottles, but no places along the trails to get H20. Also remember to drink plenty of liquids the night before and in the morning before you leave.

You could spend days exploring the McDowell Sonoran Preserve as there are 200 miles of trails among 30,000 acres to hike, bike and horseback ride, but with only 48 hours in Scottsdale with kids, we had to choose wisely, and the Gateway Trail ended up being one of my favorite hikes I’ve ever done.

FUN FACT: The Saguaro cactus (what I consider the typical cactus you’re used to seeing in Western movies that are skinny and tall with “arms”) are only found in the Sonoran desert of Arizona and Mexico. And if you see one more than 10 feet tall, it is likely to be 150 to 200 years old.

After several hours in the heat, spending the rest of the day relaxing at a pool is the perfect way to cool off.  There are lots of great options in Scottsdale. The Andaz Scottsdale had a very kid-friendly pool and lounge area with floats, plenty of shallow areas, cabanas and an outdoor bar – perfect for splashing around or taking an afternoon snooze to rejuvenate in time for dinner (tacos at Hula’s Modern Tiki or The Mission in Old Town Scottsdale, should not be missed!). I also loved this hotel as the rooms are in single floor Pueblo-esque villas with an outdoor patio, perfect as a play area for the kiddos or as a place to relax and read.

Another option is The Phoenician Resort, nestled in the foothills of Camelback Mountain. They have outdoor kids’ movies at one of their three pools, so you can swim or sit on a float while you watch Moana.

While the summer temperatures are in the triple digits, it’s also a great time to find deals at area resorts as their high season tends to be earlier in the year (January through March) and all of which have pools!

Museums of Scottsdale

After spending the day outdoors, take your next 24 hours inside to get a feel for the rich culture and history of Scottsdale. The Western Spirit: Museum of the West was the first stop to learn more about cowboys, ranchers and Native American life.

I’ve been really proud of my kids for starting to enjoy (or at least tolerate) art museums — we’ve been to the Detroit Institute of Art and the Louvre. What was great about the Museum of the West is that it had some gorgeous paintings and Hopi pottery, but there were also Western and Native American artifacts to give kids a break from the “traditional” art museum. In particular, the Abe Hays Family Spirit of the West Collection was the was the best section for kids (and as a horseback rider, I loved it, too) – with hundreds of spurs, horse bits and bridles, saddles, gun holsters and even sheriffs’ badges. There are interactive activities, too – learn how to tie your horse to a hitching post, play a game, and get a picture hanging out with your horse in a pasture.

The small outdoor sculpture courtyard was another favorite. I am a huge fan of spots like this where kids wander about and are exposed to great artwork, but they don’t really realize it.

A tour through the Museum takes one to two hours, and leaves time to visit other hotspots.

Think you’re pushing your luck taking the kids to another art museum?  Maybe, but the Scottsdale Museum of Contemporary Art has some cool interactive exhibits that can keep young minds occupied while you enjoy their galleries. You can easily breeze through this museum in less than an hour.

I missed out on the Musical Instrument Museum, (and it’s #1 one on the list for a return visit) which is the only “global musical instrument museum” in the world. With more than 13,000 instruments from African drums to ukeles and sousaphones to bone flutes, it was created to celebrate the music and instruments of every country in the world. Not only can you see and test out instruments, but you can listen to music from them.

48 hours in Scottsdale with kids barely scratches the surface, but it does provide a flavor of its unique Western landscape and culture, and there’s even more to do if you consider the greater Phoenix area, including Mesa and Gilbert. Experience Scottsdale has a ton of information on things to do, places to eat, and where to sleep.

I’ve already got an airfare alert set up as I definitely want to explore more of the Valley of the Sun area with kids, especially when we want to escape the Midwest winter.

*Experience Scottsdale hosted me for this trip and provided some comp meals and tickets, but all opinions are mine.