Let the kids play at the Westin Kierland Resort & Spa, nestled in Scottsdale's Sonoran Desert, about twenty minutes northeast of Phoenix. The resort offers guest rooms and suites with cable television, wireless Internet for a fee and a secluded terrace or balcony. The resort is home to many restaurants, such as the casual lunch and dinner entrees at the Brittlebush Bar & Grill or a Southwestern breakfast at Nellie Cashman's Monday Club Café.
Kids will enjoy the "Family FUN Program" that includes a scavenger hunt of the resort and making s'mores over a campfire on Friday and Saturday nights. The "Westin Kids Club" provides supervised entertainment for kids age 4 to 12, such as learning Native American crafts, swimming, tennis, soccer and watching movies. Kids can also play at the on-site "Adventure Water Park," which features slipping down the water slide, tubing down the lazy river and a toddling in a shallow pool for toddlers. Pool-side cabanas provide a respite from the desert heat. Families can also watch movies from the comfort of the pool on Friday and Saturday nights.
Westin Kierland Resort & Spa
6902 East Greenway Pkwy.
Scottsdale, AZ 85254
480-624-1000
kierlandresort.com
Get along little dogie to the all-inclusive Tanque Verde Guest Ranch, tucked between the Coronado National Forest and Saguaro National Park in Tucson, two hours south of Phoenix. Guests can stay in spacious guest rooms, casitas with separate bedroom or living area, or suites with a separate living room and fireplace. The ranch provides three meals a day in the dining room.
The ranch, the largest dude ranch in the state, offers programs for kids age 4 to 6 and 7 to 11. The kids can take horseback riding lesson, enjoy a daily ride on the trails, play a game of tennis, swim in the outdoor pools or learn about the desert animals at the Nature Center. The daily program serves breakfast and lunch to the kids so that parents are free to explore the ranch. Kids age 9 to 18 can also enroll in the ranch's two-week long summer camp that involves hiking, arts and crafts, fishing and horseback riding.
Tanque Verde Guest Ranch
14301 E. Spwy
Tucson, AZ 85748
800-234-3833
tanqueverderanch.com
The whole family can unwind at the Enchantment Resort near Boynton Canyon in Sedona, two hours north of Phoenix. The resort features a variety of accommodations, such as one or two bedroom casitas, junior suites with fireplace, studio-style haciendas and Casa suites with one or two bedrooms and full kitchens. The resort features three dining options. Mii amo Cafe offers breakfast, lunch and dinner, Tii Gavo offers al fresco dining and Yavapai Restaurant serves grilled delights.
Kids age 4 to 12 can enroll in "Camp Coyote," in which they will enjoy nature walks, star gazing, Native American arts, scavenger hunts and cooking classes. During the summer months, the kids can swim and watch movies at the pool. The camp offers half, full and summer evening activities. Kids can also take part in mountain biking and hiking, and, as part of the resort's "Native American program," learn about the traditions of the region's original inhabitants.
Enchantment Resort
525 Boynton Canyon Rd.
Sedona, AZ 86336
928-282-2900
enchantmentresort.com
