When you live in Valley, you know that the summers can sometimes be interminable. With temperatures above 110 degrees and restless little ones home for the summer it’s always a treat to get out of town, even just for a couple hours.
Here are the best summer travel destinations in Arizona.
Fossil Creek
For those who love to embrace Mother Nature, Fossil Creek is the perfect option for you! Just a 2 ½ hour drive from metro Phoenix, Fossil Creek is just outside of the quaint town of Strawberry, AZ. The wilderness area offers camping, facilities, and a wonderful river that you can take a dip in for when you need to beat the heat!
Jerome, AZ
Jerome is a cute little town in between Tucson and Phoenix that has tons to offer families and couples. If you have little ones interested in the old west, you can visit the mine museum to see where Americans and immigrants alike mined for copper during Arizona’s infancy.
There is also the Jerome Grand Hotel which is both a wonderful view into the past as well as a reportedly haunted hotel. You can even go “ghost hunting” with one of their talented tour guides.
Kartchner Caverns
Discovered in 1974 by amateur spelunkers Kartchner Caverns is a little known gem literally buried north of the town of Benson. Tourists can visit the nearly 2 miles of show cave to see fantastic rock formations, stalactites and stalagmites. The environment is maintained with a series of doors and temperatures controls, so when they say don’t touch, they mean don’t touch!
Staycation
Who needs to leave the city to have a vacation? There are several wonderful resorts right here in the valley. Rent a room at the W in Scottsdale, The Arizona Grand in Phoenix, and the Arizona Biltmore!