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Arizona, “The Grand Canyon State”, is located in the southwest of the United States. It’s capital is Phoenix which is the fifth largest city in the United States. It is known for its natural beauty and incredible landscapes. It is the perfect state for the outdoor enthusiast.
Getting to Arizona
The largest airport is the Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport (PHX) and the second busiest airport in Arizona is the Tucson International Airport (TUC). The Phoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (IWA) is 20 minutes outside of Phoenix. Other major airports include Flagstaff Pulliam Airport (FLG), Yuma International Airpor (YUM), Page Municipal Airport (PGA) and Prescott Municipal Airport (PRC).
Getting around
This itinerary is a driving tour so renting a car is a must. If you do not want to rent a car there are other ways to get around such as buses especially between major cities. Personally, I feel the best way to experience travel in the United States is to have your own car. It allows you the freedom to see everything at your own pace.
Ten day itinerary
Day One- flight to Phoenix
We were flying from the east coast in the USA. Our flight was direct and was about 5 hours but there are several flights that have layovers as well. It is pretty far away so this day was just a day of travel. Our flight left Baltimore at 5:50 PM eastern time and landed in Phoenix at 9:05 PM with the time change. We immediately headed to pick up our rental car. Our flight was a bit of a debacle and Thomas forgot his jacket on the plane. So that prolonged our stay at the airport before getting our car and heading to our hotel.
DAY TWO-Tempe
We spent today exploring the Tempe area. Thomas went to college at Arizona State University so we explored the campus and Thomas got to reminisce on his old stomping grounds. We also walked the downtown Tempe area of bars and cafes. After that we checked out the Mill and did a hike of Hayden Butte (also known as A Mountain- which I kept calling A hill). Since we were traveling with Calvin we made a trip to the store to pick up baby essentials such as diapers, baby food and snacks for us!
DAY THREE-Phoenix
We had left a few days unplanned as I was stalking the weather and it wasn’t looking great. Initially our plan was to head up to Sedona and spend at least a night there but Phoenix was projected to rain all day and it was a winter storm for Sedona so we decided to spend the day in Phoenix. We took the opportunity to jump around to a bunch of cool breweries including Wren House and OHSO.
DAY FOUR-Phoenix
Today we took advantage of the nice weather and went for a hike at Piestewa Peak. This round trip hike of 2.4 miles climbs up to give awesome panoramic views of downtown Phoenix and the surrounding areas. It is challenging but rewarding. Alternatively, you could do the iconic Camelback Mountain which is consistently a top thing to do in Phoenix. In the evening, we went to Pop Stroke Mini golf. It was a really fun evening and I hit a hole in one!
DAY Five-Day trip to sedona
Today was our big day trip up to Sedona. If you are doing this I recommend getting an early start to the day to maximize your time. We had a baby so getting out the door is never easy and we still got to do a lot. Our first stop was to Montezuma Castle National Monument. This is about 1.5 hour drive (94 miles) from Phoenix. There are two parts to this National Monument the Castle and the Well so make sure to put in the correct directions. After visiting the Castle we headed to Cottonwood where we grabbed lunch before heading over to Tuzigoot National Monument. The drive from Montezuma Castle to Tuzigoot is about 35 minutes (23 miles). Both these National Monuments were a relatively quick stops but very unique and worth the time if you are in the area of Sedona. Next we left Tuzigoot National Monument and headed to Sedona. This is about a 40 minute drive (24 miles). During our day visit we stopped at the Amitabha Stupa and Peace Park, Chapel of the Holy Cross and Bell and Courthouse Rock area.
DAY SIX-Phoenix- Waste Management Phoenix Open
Today we spent the day at the Waste Management Phoenix Open Golf Tournament. It was a beautiful day. This iconic golf tournament is not to be missed. It was quite the experience with a baby.
DAY Seven- Phoenix, Saguaro National Park, Tucson
Today we started off the day in Phoenix and went to the State Capitol Museum. This State Capitol is fairly easy to visit with lots of visitor parking and it is free to visit. It is open 9AM-4PM Monday-Friday, 10 AM-2 PM on Saturday and closed on Sunday. After visiting there, we grabbed lunch and a drink at Fate Brewing as we made our way down to Tucson. On the way we stopped at Saguaro National Park. Saguaro NP is divided in two main sections one is on way to Tucson and other is east of Tucson. The Red Hills visitor center is in the western part of the park and was our first stop. We did the Bajada Loop Drive and got to experience this incredible park as the sun started to set. We drove through Tucson Mountain Park into Tucson for the night.
DAY eight- Tucson
Tucson has so many incredible things to do. Today was a packed day of exploration. We started with a hearty breakfast and strolling some of the streets for some of infamous wall art. We booked tickets to the Titan Missel Museum online and on the way stopped at the San Xavier del Bac Mission. The Titan Missel Museum is 30 minutes drive (26 miles) from downtown Tucson. Later that afternoon we went to the eastern portion of Saguaro National Park. We stopped at the Rincon Visitor Center and did the Cactus Forest Loop Drive.
DAY nine- Organ Pipe National Monument and Ajo
From Tucson we headed to Organ Pipe National Monument. This drive is about 130 miles or 2 hours and 15 minutes. There is not much on the way. There is a Subway at a rest stop in Sells which is where we stopped for lunch. You could also stop in Why where there are two gas stations and Granny’s Kitchen. We stopped at the visitor center and then headed on the Ajo Mountain Drive which is a 21 mile one way scenic drive of the park. After exploring the park we headed back north to Ajo where we spent the night.
DAY ten-Ajo to Tempe
We woke in Ajo and then headed back to the Phoenix area. On the way back we stopped at Dobbins Lookout in South Mountain Park which offers great overlook of Phoenix. The drive from Ajo to the Dobbins Lookout was 122 miles or 2.5 hours. From Dobbins Lookout we headed to our accommodation in Tempe. We got our last meal and drink at Pedal Haus Brewery. Our flight was early the next morning.
Plan your trip
If you haven’t made it to Arizona yet, consider this your inspiration to go. This was our second trip and it did not disappoint. It is beyond beautiful and you will not be disappointed. We loved our 10 days there and I can say without a doubt we will be back. We only scratched the surface of all the incredible things this state has to offer!
